Sports Then and Now

Athletes that play any sports know that their natural talent alone will not get the job done on the field. Half of the battle comes from the process of preparation before a game begins. Like Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” In the following piece, you will learn the best tips necessary for having an advantage in preparation over the competition.

Visualization

In life as in sports, it is important for one to see the bottom line in their mind’s eye before the action manifests itself during in-game action. One must always begin with the end in mind. It is essential that an athlete engage in a great deal of mental imagery. These mental images must have specificity and be of great detail. For example, a basketball player can sit in the stands overlooking the basketball court before everyone else and go every game situation in his head before the game begins. This is especially helpful when it comes to a player going over critical late-game situations.

They Master Motivation

During a long season, athletes must do whatever it takes to keep themselves motivated throughout the season. A motivated player will have the energy to push through the internal and external pain. They are able to navigate through the difficult day-to-day circumstances and keep themselves in an enhanced state of preparation and readiness. A motivated player exudes self-confidence. Players can develop their self-confidence by engaging in positive self-talk. If effectively done, positive self-talk can regulate an athlete’s mindset to the point that they are ready to conquer the world by the time the game starts. Read the rest of this entry →

Dealing with a sports injury can be difficult. Whether your injury is a broken bone or a sprained ankle, the recovery process can be both physically and mentally painful. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to get yourself off the sidelines and back on the field as quickly as possible.

Ask the Right Questions

Immediately following your accident, take some time to gather facts about your injury. Ask your medical professional questions like, “what physical activities can I participate in? How long does it typically take to recover from this type of injury?” Once you get these answers, the next step is to identify what your treatment options are and select what works best for you.

Find Your Team

In order to get back on your feet as quickly as possible, you need a network of health providers who specialize in dealing with your unique type of injury. For a knee injury or shoulder injury, the specialists at places like Western Orthopaedics can provide state-of-the-art care. When you are well enough to begin training again, be sure that your trainer remains in close contact with your physical therapist. If you do not already have a trainer, your physical therapist may be able to help you find someone to assist with your re-entry into the sport. Read the rest of this entry →

If your physical conditioning is on a level similar to most Americans, chances are that you would not be able to handle the wear and tear that professional sports players endure on a constant basis.

While professional athletes do a lot on their own to perform at the highest levels, they are also helped by many sports medicine and exercise science professionals who are able to keep them on the field, court, ice, track, or swimming pool despite the punishment their bodies are frequently exposed to.

High-profile athletes such as Serena Williams, Ronaldo and Tom Brady tend to have an army of medical professionals ready to render treatment so that these sports stars can continue to perform and entertain us. Below are three professionals whose work is crucial in this regard.

Athletic Trainers

Many famous pro athletes have turned athletic trainers due to their intimate knowledge of the sports they played. They usually return to school to learn more about sports medicine; however, some of the best trainers have focused solely in their field without having participated in a professional capacity.

In 2011, Sue Falsone made history as the first woman named to the position of head trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ariko Iso previously made headlines as the first female trainer in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These two teams went on to enjoy winning seasons under the supervision and care of these trainers. Read the rest of this entry →

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. Read the rest of this entry →

Suffering an injury from activities you enjoy can be a disaster, especially if the injury is serious and leads to prolonged recuperation periods. But the time and challenges of recovery can be minimal if you observe these ways to shorten your recovery time.

First Steps

The first course of treatment following a sports-related injury is summed up by the acronym “RICE”—rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Rest the injured body part, apply ice to reduce inflammation and pain, wrap the injury snugly but not tightly, and elevate the injured limb to reduce swelling. Often modest injuries are best dealt with by allowing your body to rest and heal on its own.

Seek Help

There’s a big difference between minor sprains and pains and serious injury. If you’re really suffering, or if RICE does no good whatsoever, it’s time to see a medical professional. A specialist who has graduated from an online radiology school can help diagnose your injury by working with other healthcare professionals.

Take your doctor’s advice to heart, and give yourself enough time to properly recover. You may need to have surgery if your injury is serious. Be sure to follow through with any recommended physical therapy services to help you bounce back as quickly as possible. Read the rest of this entry →

Injuries are an inherent risk of sports. Players can take all of the precautions possible; eat well, take care of their bodies, and stretch sufficiently before all activity, but when it comes game time, some injuries you just can’t prevent. Here are six common injuries that can sideline a player for the whole season:

ACL Tear

The knee is arguably the human body part most susceptible to injury in sport, and every year, ACL tears bench players for the rest of the season. Knee injuries are by far the most common injury in the NFL, accounting for almost 20 percent of all total injuries. For ACL tears, surgery and a good deal of physical therapy is almost always required before a player can return to the field, and many times the athlete is never able to reach the same levels as before their injury. Sometimes, however, ACL tears can actually be treated without surgery.

High Ankle Sprain

While knee injuries are usually fairly severe, not all ankle injuries are season-ending. The high ankle sprain can be, however, and is one of the most common season-ending injuries behind knee injuries.

Torn UCL Muscle

In baseball, the far and away most common injury is a torn UCL muscle in the throwing elbow. This injury is becoming more prevalent amongst pitchers, who are putting more stress on their elbow, throwing hard than ever before. To repair the torn UCL muscle, players must undergo “Tommy John” surgery, with rehab lasting at least a calendar year. The upside to this surgery is that many players come back throwing harder than they used to. Read the rest of this entry →