Every person will experience an injury at least once in life, especially if you play sports. Injuries that are sustained from physical activities or sports are called sports injuries, and people of all ages are susceptible. Examples of common sports injuries are sprains, strains, and fractures.
If you’ve sustained an acute injury, the best thing to do is to seek professional treatment from an orthopedic specialist. However, in the time that it takes to get to a treatment center, here are a few first aid tips to prevent the worsening of the injury and to minimize damage to soft tissues.
Stop The Physical Activity
Pain is the first sign of a sports injury, therefore, if you feel pain, stop whatever you’re doing immediately. While the game may be stopped, your health and well-being are more important. The longer you keep playing, the more damage you could be inflicting on your body. Many people ignore pain until it becomes unbearable, at which point the injury has accelerated to a worse condition that it could have been if the physical activity had been stopped earlier. Don’t wait for debilitating pain to kick in before taking action.
Don’t Move the Injured Body Part
The next step is to rest the injured body part as much as you can by avoiding movements. If you feel pain when you move, stay still as much as possible. If you have a significant injury, such as a fracture, moving it repeatedly could make matters worse, leading to more complicated treatments and a longer recovery. In most cases, you won’t know if you suffered a minor or major injury until imaging tests are performed by a doctor. As such, any injured part of the body shouldn’t be meddled with until you get a clear diagnosis from a doctor.
Elevation
In most cases, elevating the injured body part can help limit blood loss (for open wounds) and excessive blood flow to the area, which can help reduce swelling. While it may not always be possible, try to elevate the part of your body that sustained the injury using a pillow or other item until you see a doctor.
Acute Sports Injuries
For sports injuries that require urgent treatment, there are orthopedic urgent care centers that accept same-day visitors. While it may be enticing to head home, rest, and hope the pain goes away on its own, this is not a good idea. For the best outcome, visit a doctor as soon as an injury develops. Waiting to see a doctor can cause some injuries to get worse, leading to complications – especially for severe injuries.
Urgent Care for Sports Injuries in Fairless Hills, PA
The emergency medicine physicians at Patient Care Now Urgent Care are able to provide immediate care for a variety of health issues, including a cold, flu, sore throat, fever, and sports injuries. For your convenience, we are open seven days a week and have extended hours.
Simply come in when necessary – no need to make an appointment. You may call (267) 202-6433 to let us know you’re coming or if you have any questions.
