You may be an athlete or know an athlete of some sort and heard about an injury they sustained during competition. It is normal, although some injuries can be worse than others. Maybe a sprained ankle, or a bruised rib, it all depends on the sport you are playing and how it occurred.
The real question after the injury is, how do you plan on fixing it? This can be up to numerous people but one, in particular, could be a (CSCS ) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. You may not have heard of them but they are important figures in the sports world.
They could be one of the first people to see your injury and examine it, along with physical therapists, emergency physicians, and even primary health care providers. You may be interested in becoming a CSCS yourself, there is a cscs study guide to help you prepare for the test.
The following article will explain not only what goes into the diagnosis of sports-related injuries but also how these professionals manage these injuries as well. There is a lot of information to get into, so let’s get started.
Sports Injuries
There are too many sports to count, but they can cause a multitude of injuries. Whether it was caused by the opponent or another teammate, even a non-contact injury. You never know when an injury can occur. In the world of sports, people spend thousands if not millions of dollars to keep their body healthy.
There are many parts of the body that can be affected but usually, it depends on what sport you play. Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in basketball, with ankle and hand injuries in volleyball. High Ankle Sprain Recovery Time for athletes can vary widely based on the severity of the sprain, the individual’s overall fitness level, and how well they adhere to rehabilitation protocols. In football, it could be knee injuries, shoulder dislocations, or strained hamstrings. The more violent the sport the most likely you are to get hurt.
A CSCS is bound to come into contact with any of these injuries and has to prepare. A cscs study guide is a good way to start your journey into becoming one. These physicians often have the opportunity to pursue other career opportunities.
When to See a Physician
If you are not in a professional setting and you get hurt, you most likely won’t see a physician when the injury first occurs. You are back home and have pain but think it will subside after some time.
Although that doesn’t happen, and you feel it getting worse. There are some signs that you should see to help you determine when is the best time to see a professional. It could be limited mobility in that area or extreme swelling.
Bleeding and or deformity in that injured area. Headache and dizziness are also symptoms you should be looking out for. Yes, injuries are common, but it is important to get out in front of the problem before it gets worse.
Diagnosis
Acute and chronic issues can not only be diagnosed by a doctor, but also by a sports physician like a CSCS. If you are interested in becoming one check out a cscs study guide. If you do plan on going into a sports physician role you need to know what acute and chronic injuries are.
Acute injuries happen more suddenly, to where chronic injuries can develop over time. This is from maybe overuse and not enough maintenance. This happens when players are told to play through the pain instead of sitting out.
During diagnosis, you may need to provide medical history to see if you had an injury there before. Depending on the injury X-rays may also be needed to see if broken points are ligament tears.
Management
Injury management is the last topic on this subject and can be linked to a couple of things. Treatment and rehabilitation, both depend on where the injury is located and how severe it is. Acute injuries are often treated with an acronym called R.I.C.E, which stands for rest, ice, compress, elevate.
Management over the injury is to prevent another injury in that same area of worse or equal stature. The last thing both the physician and the injured want is a severe injury that can keep them out a longer period of time.
Often an athlete wants to play through injuries but it is up to the doctor or physician to protect the player from himself. Those who are going through injury management may have to wear slings for shoulders or braces to protect broken bones.
For more serious injuries surgery is required and physical therapy for those to get their muscles moving back to normal. You could be put into this position if you one day want to become an athlete physician. If you are interested, look into a cscs study guide to see where you should start.