A Basic Guide to Sports Pain Management, Injuries, and Treatment!

It’s a well-known fact that pain is a normal everyday experience for the sportsperson who achieves success despite the pain. But what’s the best strategy for coping with and overcoming pain and the answer is pretty obvious – managing the pain with the help of a professional sports medicine doctor.

Pain Management in sports is one fact every sportsperson has to face or bear the harsh consequences. And sometimes the price of not managing the pain for a sportsperson can be high.

What is Sports Pain Management

Pain management is a field of orthopedics that involves utilizing specialized procedures to help sportspersons manage and treat their pain. Differing in form and location, pain can occur for a variety of reasons depending on the individual.

The pain can be temporary, or acute, such as experiencing heightened pain brought on by surgery or illness, or it can be long-term, or chronic, such as persistent pain brought on by arthritis or back discomfort. No matter the type of pain a sportsperson is experiencing, it can affect their ability to concentrate on performance and take away the opportunity to compete. Pain both demands attention and creates fear. The relationship between pain and sports is filled with challenges for sportspersons and can make or break careers if not dealt with in a timely and professional manner.

Types of Sports Injuries

Different sports injuries produce different symptoms and complications. The most common types of sports injuries include:

Sprains: Overstretching or tearing the ligaments results in a sprain. Ligaments are pieces of tissue that connect two bones to one another in a joint.
Strains: Overstretching or tearing muscles or tendons results in a sprain. Tendons are thick, fibrous cords of tissue that connect bone to muscle. Strains are commonly mistaken for sprains.
Knee injuries: Any injury that interferes with how the knee joint moves could be a sports injury. It could range from an overstretch to a tear in the muscles or tissues in the knee.
Swollen muscles: Swelling is a natural reaction to an injury. Swollen muscles may also be painful and weak.
Achilles tendon rupture: The Achilles tendon is a thin, powerful tendon at the back of your ankle. During sports, this tendon can break or rupture. When it does, you may experience sudden, severe pain and difficulty walking.
Fractures: Bone fractures are also known as broken bones.
Dislocations: Sports injuries may dislocate a bone in your body. When that happens, a bone is forced out of its socket. This can be painful and lead to swelling and weakness.
Rotator cuff injury: Four pieces of muscle work together to form the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff keeps your shoulder moving in all directions. A tear in any of these muscles can weaken the rotator cuff.

If you are experiencing any of the above injuries or symptoms, it is recommended that you contact a professional sports pain management doctor to discuss the available treatment options for you. It is important to make an appointment with a pain management specialist for assessment and diagnosis to get timely treatment.

Sports Injuries Treatment

The RICE method is a common treatment regimen for sports injuries. It stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This treatment method is helpful for mild sports injuries. However, if your sports injury looks or feels severe, make an appointment to see a sports injury doctor. Seek emergency care if the injured joint shows signs of:

Severe swelling and pain
Visible lumps, bumps, or other deformities
Popping or crunching sounds when you use the joint
Weakness or inability to put weight on the joint
Instability

Also, seek emergency attention if you experience any of the following after an injury:

Difficulty in breathing
Dizziness
Fever

Serious sports injuries can require surgery and physical therapy. If the injury doesn’t heal within two weeks, contact your doctor for an appointment.

DON’T IGNORE YOUR SYMPTOMS. REMEMBER, THE EARLIER YOU GET A DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT, THE SOONER YOU’LL RECOVER AND GET BACK IN THE GAME.

Why Choose Pain Management Center – OPMSM, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach

The pain management center at OPMSM is fully equipped with state-of-the-art technologies that offer a wide range of treatments and therapies for spinal procedures, sports injuries, and vertebral and disc-related problems.

The center is run by pain management specialist – Dr. Kinjal Sohagia - a member of the North American Spine Society, the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Also, Dr.Sohagia was named in the list of Top Doctors by Coastal Virginia Magazine in the state of Virginia for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022; and by Virginia Living Magazine in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022.

Dr. Sohagia has 12+ years of extensive experience in a variety of nonsurgical procedures to help patients suffering from sports injuries, and spine, vertebral, and disc-related problems. He has a special interest in back pain, overuse injuries, and regenerative medicine. He has served as a Sports Medicine Director and Team Physician for the high school athletic teams in York County for 5 years. He established a free injury clinic for athletes and implemented a concussion management program as well. He enjoys the opportunity to work alongside athletic trainers to return athletes to sports.

As a leading pain management and sports medicine physician, he also helps educate and empower patients to make their own key health decisions. Dr. Sohagia is also revered as a specialist in Pain Management in Newport News city in Virginia for exclusive services that treat every kind of joint problem like neck pain, back pain, spinal stenosis, sports injuries, hip, foot, and ankle conditions, and different Neuropathy treatments. Dr. Kinjal Sohagia’s dedicated service to patients is widely praised.

The Pain Management Center – OPMSM, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, is dedicated to providing nonsurgical approaches to treating acute and chronic pain which can include treatments such as physical therapy, medications, or injections. We strive to offer the highest level of care that helps restore function, reduce discomfort, provide pain relief, and prevent further pain from occurring. Common procedures and techniques utilized by us include epidural steroid injections for spinal conditions, joint or facet injections, sympathetic blocks, nerve blocks, trigger point injections, spinal cord stimulator trials, and radiofrequency nerve ablation, as well as many other treatments. Our training and knowledge are focused on one single goal: getting you back to your healthy, active lifestyle as quickly and safely as possible.

FAQs

What are acute and chronic sports injuries?

Acute injuries occur suddenly during activity and their signs and symptoms are sudden severe pain, swelling, extreme tenderness, inability to move a joint in a full range of motion, bone dislocation, etc.
Chronic injuries occur as a result of overuse of a limb or over-exercising. There is pain and swelling when an activity is performed using the affected limb.

Do sports injuries frequently require surgical treatment?

Surgery is done when the injury is severe, in case of repair of torn connective tissues, and when there is joint dislocation causing deformity and disability. Most sports injuries do not require surgery.

What Does a Sports Medicine Specialist Doctor Do?

A sports medicine physician specializes in caring for injuries acquired from playing sports, exercising, or from otherwise being physically active. Your sports medicine physician cares for your injury and explains how to take care of it at home while remaining active.