Sports Injury Treatment and Rehabilitation in Fort Wayne

SPINE TECHNOLOGY AND REHABILITATION

Athletes, driven by their competitive instincts, may push their bodies beyond their normal physiologic limits. Moreover, the sheer physical demands and repetitive nature of sports participation places athletes at risk for injury.

Compression, elevation, and momentary rest aren’t always enough to heal those injuries, though. It’s best to consult a sports medicine doctor for optimal recovery.

Dr. Joseph Fortin, the Medical Director of Spine Technology and Rehabilitation, provides comprehensive sports injury treatment for Fort Wayne patients. His innovative treatment plans have been featured in research publications and sports medicine books. He’ll help you get back in the game in no time.

Let’s begin your accelerated recovery. Schedule an appointment today.

What are sports injuries?

Sports injuries are classified as any accidents or injuries that occur while you are participating in a sporting activity. They include problems that result from casual sports activities (like exercise classes or a weekend softball tournament) to injuries incurred during elite competitive events.

Receiving medical attention right away is crucial to prevent the injury from getting worse and delaying the healing process. No matter the cause of your injury or how severe it is, you may consider being evaluated by a sports medicine physician as soon as possible.

What are common sports injuries?

Athletes are always determined to succeed and beat their personal best. It’s an admirable trait. But their dedication oftentimes leads to sprains, strains, ruptured tendons, ligament tears, broken bones, nerve injuries, and other types of injuries that athletes across all sports are familiar with.

For this reason, Spine Technology and Rehabilitation provides sports injury treatment plans that address the most common injuries including the following:

  • Knee, hip, and shoulder injuries

  • Foot and ankle injuries

  • Hand and wrist injuries

  • Back and neck injuries

  • Elbow injuries

  • Nerve injuries

Our interventional pain management clinic addresses the root cause of your sports injury-related pain so you can recover quickly and get back in the game as soon as you can.

What happens during a sports injury consultation?

Dr. Joseph Fortin kicks off every sports injury consultation with a sports-specific evaluation to identify your pain symptoms and the root cause of your sports injury.

Our Fort Wayne clinic’s sports injury doctor and staff members conduct a thorough review of your pain symptoms. By understanding these symptoms, Dr. Fortin and his team will gain clearer insights on how your injury occurred and what treatment is most suitable for you.

Dr. Fortin also reviews your exercise and training habits and medical history. Armed with this information, Dr. Fortin performs the following procedures before building a treatment plan:

  • Motion analysis
  • Nutrition and lifestyle review

You might also need to undergo imaging studies like CT scans, MRI scans, diagnostic ultrasounds, or fluoroscopy. Dr. Fortin uses minimally invasive navigation-controlled approaches that pinpoint the exact spot that needs treatment.

After gathering all results of your initial evaluation, Dr. Fortin will work closely with you to develop a personalized treatment plan for accelerated recovery and healing. Book a consultation today.

How are sports injuries treated?

Athletes know their body’s limits better than anyone. So, Dr. Fortin works with you to customize a treatment plan based on the severity of your sports injury.

Treatment plans can include:

  • Physical therapy
  • Taping or bracing
  • Regenerative medicine
  • Therapeutic exercise programs
  • Minimally invasive procedures
  • Sports specific drills with your trainer
  • Nutritional and lifestyle counseling

Routine follow-up appointments and maintenance regimens ensure:

  • your healing and progress are monitored,
  • a successful outcome is maintained long-term and,
  • you do not suffer recurrent injuries.

Get specialized care that ensures the rapid healing and recovery of your sports injury. Book an appointment with our Fort Wayne sports injury doctor today.

Categories of Sports Injuries

Acute and chronic injuries are the two main classifications of sports injuries. Acute injuries occur suddenly, such as when someone trips, gets struck or bends (e.g. dislocates)  a joint. In contrast, chronic injuries typically arise from overusing a particular body,  which often manifest as symptoms progressing over time. Dislocations and sprains are examples of acute injuries, whereas shin splints and stress fractures are examples of chronic injuries.

Furthermore, some types of injuries can lead to musculoskeletal and skin diseases.

How are sports injuries treated?

From stress fractures to head injuries, most sports injuries can affect multiple parts of the body, such as:

  • Ankle: Your foot and leg connect at the ankle. It has many bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and three joints. An ankle sprain frequently results in ankle pain.
  • Achilles tendon: The thick tendon that runs from the rear of the lower leg (calf) to the heel is called the Achilles tendon. It assists in walking. However, the tendon can swell, inflame, and stiffen. It may even rip. This is known as Achilles tendonitis or tendon rupture.
  • Head: Your skull, face, and brain are all parts of your head. Concussions are among the most frequent head injuries.
  • Elbow: The joint that serves as a hinge between the lower and upper arm is called the elbow. People frequently endure elbow pain as a result of overuse and repetitive movements. One of the most common overuse injuries involves the elbow (e.g. tennis elbow).
  • Shoulder: Your shoulder serves as the link between your upper arm and your body’s core. It contains the rotator cuff, which is a group of tendons and muscles that keep the upper arm in the shoulder joint. Injuries to the rotator cuff, including tendonitis and tears, are common in sports.

Knee: The knee joint acts as a complex hinge between the thigh bone and lower leg. It has ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage. Runner’s knee or jumper’s knee can both cause knee pain. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and meniscus tears are also prevalent sports injuries.

Sports Injury Prevention

As Harvard Medical School suggests in a recent article entitled “The Importance of Stretching”  proper warm-up and stretching activity may be the best approach to prevent a sports injury. Muscles that are cold and taut are more susceptible to stretching too far and ripping. However, warm, loose muscles can bend more easily. Since they can absorb quick movements, jerks, and bends, injury is less likely to occur. The following tips will aid in avoiding sports-related injuries:

Ease Back into the Sport

Fight the urge to neglect your injury for an extended period of time. The most common sports injuries often require a long recovery period before returning to activity. On the other hand, prolonged inactivity may slow the healing process. After the first 48 hours of RICE, tight muscles can be relieved with heat therapy. It will be beneficial to gradually resume your chosen sport or type of exercise.

Have the Proper Equipment

Wear the appropriate shoes when you play sports, and ensure you are wearing the necessary athletic protection. Your risk of injury can increase if your shoes or equipment don’t fit properly.

Don’t Overwork Your Body

If you get hurt, don’t play again until you’re healthy enough. Avoid “working through” the pain.

You might need to gradually return to the sport or exercise after giving your body some time to heal instead of doing so at the same intensity level.

Use the Proper Form and Technique

Learn the appropriate movement techniques for your activity or sport. When it comes to different types of activity, different postures and stances are required. For example, in certain activities, bending your knees at the right time can assist prevent hip, spine, or knee injuries.

Cool Down

Don’t forget to cool down after doing any form of exercise. Generally, this involves doing the same exercises and stretches that make up your warmup.

More Question About Sports Injuries

This is a common method used to treat most sports injuries. It stands for:

  • Rest
  • Ice
  • Compression
  • Elevation

This course of treatment is effective for minor sports-related injuries. Follow the RICE treatment within the first 24 to 36 hours following the injury for best outcomes. In the initial stages following a sports injury, it can aid in reducing swelling and guard against further discomfort and bruising. However, RICE will not be sufficient for serious injuries.

Sports injuries can be treated with both over-the-counter and prescription drugs. The majority of them reduce swelling and pain.

If you have more acute injuries, make an appointment with Dr. Fortin. Do this as soon as possible if you notice signs such as:

  • Visible bumps, lumps, and other deformities
  • Severe pain and swelling
  • Instability
  • Inability to put weight on the injured joint
  • Weakness
  • Crunching or popping sounds when using the joint

It is also vital to seek emergency attention if you notice any of the following symptoms:

  • Dizziness
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Fever
  • Profuse bleeding or swelling
  • Severe pain which does not ease with rest

Surgery and physical treatment may be required for serious sports injuries. Make an appointment with Dr. Fortin if the injury doesn’t heal after two weeks.

A force of impact greater than the body can withstand is a common cause of acute sports injury. However, repetitive execution of the same motion frequently results in a chronic injury. Overuse injuries can occasionally deteriorate joints and tissues and pave the way for an acute injury.

The factors that cause sports injuries include:

  • Poor form or bad habits such as not stretching or warming up properly an improper execution of a sports activity
  • Accidents, such as falling
  • Shoes that don’t provide sufficient support or don’t fit properly
  • Lack of safety gear, damaged gear, or inappropriate gear
  • Significant increase in physical activity that the body isn’t used to
  • A sudden start to an intensive exercise program

Now that we know the most common types of injuries, where in the body they occur, and the causes, we can move on to symptoms that may help you identify these risk factors before they get severe:

  • Bruising
  • Tenderness 
  • Aches and pains
  • Decreased mobility and range of motion
  • Swelling
  • Stiffness
  • Cracking, grinding, popping, or clicking noise
  • Warm skin
  • Inability to bear weight on the leg, hip, or foot

People mainly get sports injuries when:

  • They don’t wear proper safety gear
  • Are unfit or out of shape
  • Take part in sports that involve running, jumping, or quickly changing direction
  • Take part in contact sports that involve collisions or tackling

Do activities without stretching, warming up, or cooling down

Your healthcare professional does a physical exam to identify a sports injury. They will ask what caused the injury and what symptoms you experienced. Additionally, they’ll examine the injured area and perhaps test how it moves.

Furthermore, the healthcare professional might also suggest imaging testing, depending on the kind of damage you have and its severity. An MRI, CT scan, or X-ray can produce images of the internal organs in your body. Your physician will be able to recognize, identify, and treat your particular injury with the aid of the images.

Physician recommendations depend on the diagnostic findings. Your physician might recommend that you use the RICE method in conjunction with physical therapy if they think you are dealing with a sprain or strain. More severe injuries may require splinting, gait aids or even surgical intervention.

Take note of your symptoms and follow your physician’s suggestions. If you feel the injury getting worse, you might be suffering from a more severe sports injury.

Based on the nature and severity of a sports injury, several outcomes can be expected. the majority of sports injuries are mild and recover within a few days or weeks, with rest and easy healing techniques. Concussions and broken bones require medical attention and may take months to heal compared to other types of injuries.

While it is possible to sustain injuries while doing any activity, a few sports are slightly riskier. These include gymnastics, cheerleading, and football. Injuries commonly occur to people who take part in these activities and can be quite severe. 

Anybody can sustain a sports injury, regardless of when they last wore a baseball cap or confronted a linebacker on the football field. Nevertheless, there are a few circumstances that increase your or a loved one’s risk of injury:

Age

You are more prone to sustain an injury as you become older. It’s possible that new injuries will make any old ones worse.

Being Overweight

Your back, knees, hips, and ankles may experience unneeded strain if you carry around extra weight. Sports and exercise increase the load on these areas. You are now at an increased risk for sports injuries. Getting a physical checkup from a doctor before starting sports might be beneficial for children or adults.

Lack of Care

Minor wounds can sometimes turn into serious ones. Stress fractures and tendinitis are two overuse injuries that a specialist might spot early. If they are ignored or not treated, they might develop into a serious injury.

Children and Adolescents

Children are especially prone to sports injuries, with adolescent sports groups representing the next most vulnerable population. Several factors contribute to increased risk amongst children and adolescents. These include: the fact that their bones and muscles are still developing, more participate in multiple high risk sports, a greater weight disparity amongst younger groups of athletes, and a tendency to be unaware of their physical limitations.

Did you know you could reduce the risk of many sports injuries? A few of these ways include:

  • Choosing activities and sports that are less dangerous. This often involves choosing fewer sports that involve lifting and contact such as collisions and tackles.
  • Change up your routine. The body needs a mix of flexibility, strength training with resistance or weights, and aerobic exercise.
  • Use the proper form and technique. If you are unsure how to execute something properly, make sure you ask for assistance. 
  • Drink plenty of water before, during, and after any sport. 
  • Slow and steady wins the race (except in a sprint, of course). However, before you enter a race, start out by walking and work your way up to running, for example.
  • Don’t engage in the same activity or sport all year long.
  • Don’t overdo it, and pay attention to your body. When you’re worn out, rest. If something doesn’t feel right, stop doing it.
  • Make sure to always keep your safety gear and footwear in good condition.
  • Before and after each workout, stretch. Warm up beforehand, and then cool down.

Sports Injury Stats

Younger adults and children frequently sustain sports injuries. According to Stanford Children’s Health, more than 3.5 million kids and teenagers have injuries each year while participating in organized sports or physical activities. Sports injuries account for one-third of all pediatric injuries.

Moreover, sports-related sprains and strains are the most prevalent injuries among children. More injuries occur in contact sports such as basketball and football than in non-contact sports such as running and swimming.

Injuries are more likely to happen to the lower body (42%). Approximately 30.3% of injuries involve the upper extremities. 16.4% of sports injuries are head and neck injuries combined.

Sports-related fatalities are quite rare. Head injuries are the leading cause.

Contact Dr. Fortin Today!

Are you ready to say goodbye to that painful injury? Dr. Fortin can help! Exercise and sports are crucial for maintaining good physical and mental health, yet they frequently result in injuries.

If, following 24 to 36 hours of RICE treatment, you still don’t feel any better, it’s time to seek out expert assistance. If the problem is in the same area as previous injuries, get medical help right away.

Take note of your symptoms. Remember that the sooner you acquire a diagnosis and medical treatment, the quicker you’ll recover and be able to resume your athletic activities.

A child’s skeleton isn’t fully developed, so its bones are weaker than those of an adult. Sport injuries to children require additional caution. It’s possible that what seems to be a tissue injury is really a more serious fracture.

Whether you have minor injuries or more serious injuries and need physical therapy, Dr. Fortin is here to help! Contact us today so you can get back on the field quickly and safely!