Sports Then and Now

Sport injuries are more common than we’d like them to be. While 95% of injuries are typically small contusions and cuts, serious injuries happen daily. If you are injured, it’s important to manage it properly. Here are some tips for handling life after a serious sports injury.

Allow Proper Time for Healing

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is not giving the injury enough time to heal. Listen carefully to your doctor or physical therapists’ advice as to how long you should stay off your injury. Be careful to not rush your return to sports (if you can return). You may be anxious to get back to your sport of choice, but you’re not helping your team or yourself if you get hurt again or can’t play to your full potential.

In order to allow the proper time for healing, the correct injury must be identified. Experts with degrees in radiology specialize in CT, MRI, and x-ray procedures which target the injury allow doctors to determine exactly what happened during your injury and how severe the trauma is.

Do Your Exercises

Most injuries will require physical therapy to help you get back to normal. The focus will be first on regaining full motion of the injured appendage. Next, you will build up strength. Finally, you will regain endurance. Find a physical therapist that works around your needs and specializes in the treatment of your type of injury. Avoid neglecting your rehab process. Failure to do so will not improve your condition and can lead to more injury in the future.

Build up Confidence

Depression is a common occurrence that happens after injury. Many people feel a loss when they can no longer be as active as they once were. It can also be discouraging when an injury takes longer to progress than initially anticipated.

There are many psychologists specifically trained to help players appropriately handle this type of loss. Most teams will be able to give the player access to this help. Confidence and a positive attitude does create a better player and a better person.

A serious sports injury can change your entire lifestyle. Seek the help necessary to heal and regain mobility. Get involved with other hobbies and activities to focus your mind on other matters. No matter how important your sport is to you, it is always more important to make your health your number one priority on your road to recovery.