Sports Injuries
What are Sports Injuries?
Sports injuries are generally caused by an acute trauma, such as a fall or hard contact with another athlete, or overuse of the body during activity.
65% of all sports injuries are classified as sprains or strains.
Sprains are injuries to a ligament (tissue that connects bones). They usually occur from a sudden fall, twist or a blow that forces the joint out of its normal position causing the ligament to be overstretched or torn. Symptoms include pain, joint tenderness, swelling, warmth, and difficulty moving the injured joint.
A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon (tissue that connects muscle to bone). It can be caused by overstretching a muscle or tendon, improper lifting, or repetitive movement of muscles or tendons. Symptoms of strain include muscle stiffness or soreness and may also include swelling, cramping and inflammation.
Some common examples of sports injuries include:
- Tennis elbow
- Golfer’s Elbow
- Shin Splints
- Shoulder Injuries
- Stress Fractures
- Achilles tendonitis
- Runner’s Knee
The trauma of sports injuries causes damage to the cells that make up the soft tissues. These damaged cells release chemicals that initiate a natural inflammatory response in the body. The result is redness, swelling, warmth and pain in the injured area. Persistent or recurrent inflammation can pre-dispose the athlete to early onset of arthritic or degenerative changes in their joints.
Laser Therapy reduces both the short term inflammation and long term risk of arthritis commonly associated with sports injuries.
The benefits of laser therapy include:
- Decreased inflammation
- Increased blood flow to the injured site
- Decreased pain
- Minimized formation of scar tissue
- Growth of new, healthy tissues
- Applied immediately after injury
- Can be used over metal plates, rods or pins
- Decreased need for pharmaceuticals, such as painkillers and anti inflammatories
- Speeds up recovery time
Theralase Laser Rehabilitation Centre offers effective treatment programs for sports injuries, getting you back to your activities quickly. Laser therapy, massage, exercise and education are uniquely integrated to facilitate healing and prevent re-injury.
