While sports are a great way to stay in shape and keep your health at peak levels, the added activity also puts considerable strain on your body. L&W Orthopaedics provides expert care to patients visiting from Richardson, Garland, Wylie, Plano, and the North Dallas, Texas area — they have you covered from head to toe when it comes to sports medicine and sports injuries. As an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Diane S. Litke can treat knee, hip, and shoulder injuries, while Dr. John T. Wey provides foot and ankle expertise. To learn more about their comprehensive sports injury care, call or book an appointment online.
What are the most common sports injuries?
There’s no shortage of injuries when it comes to sports, especially when you consider the twisting, turning, jumping, throwing, and running that your body is subjected to. To narrow down the field, here are the top eight injuries that require medical intervention:
- Ankle sprain
- Pulled groin
- Strained hamstring
- Shin splints
- ACL tear (anterior cruciate ligament in your knee)
- Knee injuries
- Tennis elbow
- Rotator cuff
While this list is by no means comprehensive, it gives you an idea of the impact sports injuries can have on your body, especially your major joints.
What should I do if I’ve been injured?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this and it depends upon the severity of the injury. If there’s an obvious break and you’re in severe pain, you should seek immediate help at your nearest emergency room.
If the pain is tolerable and you can wait to see the doctor, Dr. Litke and Dr. Wey recommend you start with the RICE method at home:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
The best counsel is that you take it easy on your injury until you see Dr. Litke or Dr. Wey for a proper diagnosis.
How are sports injuries treated?
In treating your sports injury, the first order of business is a thorough examination of your injury, which will likely include imaging, such as X-rays or an MRI. With these images, the doctors are able to come up with a plan that gets you back into the game as quickly as possible. Typically, treatment options include:
- Bracing
- Medications for pain management
- Physical therapy
If your injury involves a partial or full tendon tear that severely compromises your joint, surgery may offer the best solution. Dr. Litke has extensive experience restoring knees, hips, and shoulders and provides:
- Knee arthroscopy
- Full or partial knee replacement
- Hip replacement
- Rotator cuff surgical repair
- Shoulder replacement
If your injury involves your foot or ankle, rest assured that you’re in good hands with L&W Orthopaedics’ foot and ankle specialist, Dr. Wey.
Whether it’s schussing down the slopes in Colorado or perfecting your weekend golf swing, the doctors at L&W Orthopaedics get you back to doing what you love, sometimes stronger than before. To learn more about treating your sports injuries, call or book an appointment online.