Sports Medicine
Regardless of whether you are a serious athlete a professional athlete or just a weekend warrior, any kind of athletic activity brings with it an increased risk of injury.
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Athletic injuries can range from moderate strains and sprains to broken bones to far more serious injuries like torn tendons and ligaments.
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No matter what kind of athlete you are, here are 4 tools for treating and preventing athletic injuries.
1. R.I.C.E
While modern science has devised a wide range of medical procedures to deal with sports injuries, sometimes the tried-and-true works best.
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For moderate strains and sprains, sports medical specialists recommend using Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (R.I.C.E) to deal with soft tissue injuries like strains, sprains and bruises.
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For more specific injuries, medical lab science is constantly providing new ways to treat athletes effectively.
2. Virtual Training
Technology has introduced possibly the best way to avoid injury and that is to practice before you attempt.
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Whether you are a gymnast or skateboarder attempting a new trick, a football player attempting a new technique or even a golfer attempting to modify your swing, sports injuries often occur when you are trying something new or different.
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Virtual reality football training allows you to try something new in a safe, controlled environment, which can help greatly reduce the risk of injury.
3. Protective gear
Whether you are cycling, skateboarding or even running, having the right protective gear can go a long way towards protecting you from injury.
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Protective gear can include things like helmets and pads, but it can also include reflective gear that can help protect you from traffic accidents and injuries.
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There are also a wide range of straps and wraps that can help protect joints and ligaments in sports like basketball and softball.
4. Yoga
There is much debate and discussion about whether stretching before or after a workout is most beneficial.
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However, one thing almost all sports medicine experts agree on is the importance of keeping muscles, joint and tendons loose and flexible.
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Even professional sports teams have jumped on the yoga bandwagon with Coach Pete Carroll making yoga mandatory for Seattle Seahawks players as early as 2013.
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No matter what kind of sport you participate in or whether you are a serious professional or weekend warrior, yoga can help increase flexibility and resilience which can go a long way to protecting you from injury.
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While injuries may be par for the course for most athletes, there are definitely ways in which you can reduce both the number and severity of injuries.
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If you are injured, be sure and tend to your injuries immediately and stay on top of them. Small injuries have a way of becoming major injuries when they are not addressed immediately.
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