Treatment for Sports Injuries in St. Joseph, Kansas City, Parkville & Platte City, MO
Playing sports is good for your health and even your self-esteem. Unfortunately, running, jumping, and movement in general puts you at risk for an injury. Luckily, Dr. Russell Grimes, Dr. Ross Bartley, and Dr. Tyler Sten of Pivotal Foot & Ankle Surgeons, serving St. Joseph, MO, Kansas City, Parkville, Platte City, and the nearby regions, offer treatment for foot-related sports injuries.
Types of Sports Injuries
One example of a sports injury is a sprain. This is a problem that happens whenever you overstretch or tear a ligament, which is the tissue that connects one bone to another. Some sports that may cause this type of injury include:
- Basketball
- Gymnastics
- Football
- Hockey
You could also develop a strain, which affects the muscle or tendon. With this injury, you may pull, tear, or twist either of these tissues. Contact sports could lead to this type of injury, but it's also possible to develop a strain if you repeatedly perform the same motion during sports, like with soccer and kicking.
Tendons connect your muscles and bones, so when you're moving, you can aggravate this tissue and develop tendinitis. Generally, this happens from repeated stress, but a sudden injury could lead to tendinitis as well.
Treating Sports Injuries
How a podiatrist from our practice, serving St. Joseph, MO, Kansas City, Parkville, Platte City, and the surrounding areas, treats a sports injury will depend on the specific issue.
If it's a sprain or a strain, the first step may be to have you rest for a period of time to give the area time to heal. Any swelling can be managed with ice. Compression and elevation are also useful to help relieve swelling, which ultimately can ease pain. In the more serious cases of sprain, you could need surgery to repair the tissue. If you sustained a broken bone while participating in physical activity, you may need a cast or air boot to stabilize the part while it heals.