Sports Injuries Treatment in Kenya
Sports injuries refer to the kinds of injuries that occur during sports or exercise.
While it is possible to injure any part of the body when playing sports, the term sports injuries are commonly used to refer to injuries of the musculoskeletal system.
Sports medicine focuses on helping people improve their athletic performance, recover from injury and prevent future injuries. It is a fast-growing health care field because health workers who specialize in sports medicine help all kinds of people, not just athletes.
Causes of sports injuries
- not warming up properly before exercising more vigorously
- pushing too hard for your current level of fitness, or
- using inadequate equipment.
Types of sports injuries
Sports injuries can be classified as acute or chronic.
Acute sports injuries occur as a result of a sudden impact or awkward movement. Such as a cut to the skin or a sprained ankle.
Chronic sports injuries develop over time, often due to continual use of the same joints or muscle groups or due to bad technique or occasionally structural abnormalities, such as an inherited bone or muscle problem.
Chronic sports injuries should be investigated by a medical professional to determine the cause and to prevent the injury from getting worse.
Some common sports injuries include:
- sprains,
- strains,
- cuts and bruises,
- bone fractures and breaks,
- tendonitis (inflammation of a tendon),
- blisters,
- head injuries.
Individuals who seek the help of sports medicine include:
Individuals exercising recreationally, usually seek help for nagging sports injuries and wish to return to or maintain their active lifestyles.
Individuals seeking the mental edge in performance in life, sport, or work.
Competitive athletes, usually see the sports physician for annual pre-participation screening and injury management. The objective is to safely expedite the recovery process so that the athlete recovers and goes on to perform even better than before the injury.
Young athletes seeking to start a sport with the right techniques
Individuals with chronic conditions who require treatment such as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, coronary artery disease, fatty liver, and obstructive sleep apnea) who wish to embark on a safe exercise program.
Available treatment options for sports injuries
Non- Invasive Procedures
Many sport-related problems can be successfully treated without surgery, as surgery is rarely the first line of treatment for most patients.
PRICE Therapy
If your injury does not require medical treatment, for example, a mild sprain or other minor muscle or ligament damage, you can treat it at home using PRICE therapy.
PRICE stands for:
Protect: protect the injured area from further injury, for example, by using a support, or in the case of an ankle injury, wearing shoes that enclose and support your feet, such as lace-ups.
Rest: avoid regular exercise and reduce daily physical activity.
Using crutches or a walking stick may help if you are unable to put weight on your ankle or knee.
Ice: apply an ice pack to the affected area for 10 to 30 minutes. Do not allow the ice to touch your skin directly as this may cause a cold burn.
Physical Therapy
The goal of physical therapy treatments is to help patients return to complete independence as soon as possible.
Physicians concentrate on prescribing physical therapy exercises. These exercises enable patients to resume regular movement, control inflammation, massage using the hands to apply pressure to the affected area.
They also encourage blood to flow to the site of the injury to help the healing process and help prevent future injuries.
Additional Treatment Options
Viscosupplementation: A fluid naturally occurring in human joints that coats and lubricates the joint. Hyaluronate (acts as a lubricant) is injected into the joint easing the pain of moderate to severe degenerative arthritis providing immediate relief.
It generally improves the quality of life for patients awaiting or seeking a total joint replacement.
Steroid Injections: A key component to non-surgical pain management and critical to successful long-term management of recurrent back and joint pain. These injections can offer immediate relief for severe pain. They are not typically utilized as a permanent solution and are most often used in conjunction with physical therapy.
Ultrasound-Guided Hip Injections: For the athlete that develops hip pain from running or overuse to the arthritic hip, this treatment can help resolve pain in the hip with precision.
Plasma Rich Protein (PRP) Injections: Developed for professional athletes, PRP is your own body’s blood components which are centrifuged, concentrated, and injected into areas of chronic tendonitis.
Most often used for tennis elbow, patella tendonitis; has shown great efficacy in areas that are not amenable to steroid injections.
Exertional Compartment Testing: A test for lower leg pain that is caused by increased pressure from exercise.
This allows an accurate diagnosis for this condition.
How to prevent sports injuries
Due to the intensity and frequency of their training, it can be difficult for competitive athletes to avoid sports injuries. However, for most other people, sports injuries are usually the result of accidents that could have been prevented.
Below are simple guidelines to help prevent injury:
- Warm-up
- Do not over-do it
- Avoid dehydration
- Use the right technique
- Use the proper equipment
Get back to what you love doing pain-free with Col (Dr) Adari
The lead orthopedic surgeon at Orthobridge Orthopedic Center in Kenya, is board-certified and fellowship-trained with extensive experience in restoring injured athletes to their pre-injury level of performance.
We develop strategies that help prevent surgery, as well as post-surgical rehabilitation approaches that enable proper healing, including strengthening to help prevent future injuries.
