Sports Injuries And Dealing With The Stress Of Being Injured

If you have ever played professional sports, or played any kind of sport on a regular basis, then you will know that getting injured is very stressful. You will want to get back as soon as you can and the injury will probably play on your mind.

It is important not to let the injury get to you because it might hinder the recovery process. For example, if you are at the stage where you can start walking, so that you can build yourself back up, you might feel too down and you won’t start the recovery process.

Your mind won’t process that you are starting to get better now. You should know that the walking stage is the first step to getting back on the playing field, but you won’t realise that because you will be too busy worrying about being better.

Doctors

If you have seen a doctor for the injury then you must do what they say. If they advise that you rest and not move at all, then that is what you must do. Doctors know what they are talking about and they will be telling you to rest because they know any movement might cause further injury, or make the existing injury worse.

Time

You need to understand that injuries take time to heal. If you are expecting them to get better over night then you are going to start feeling down. You need to give yourself time to heal and you must build up your strength again gradually.

Healing isn’t just about getting back to the game again as soon as you can; it is about making sure that the injury doesn’t happen again. Therefore, your body has to go through a period of rehabilitation before you can play again.

Even if the pain is gone and the swelling has gone down, you cannot just jump back on the field and play as hard as you used to. You will need to take time to build yourself back up again and you should start lightly.

Specialist

If you are not happy with the advise that the doctor has given you, then you can ask to be referred to a specialist. However, this could mean spending some time on a waiting list, especially if your injury is quite common.

Therefore, you might be better going private and paying to see a specialist. If you are lucky enough to be a professional athlete, then the team might pay for the specialist for you.

A lot of the time, seeing a specialist is a lot better than seeing a regular doctor because they are more likely to treat the injury, not the symptoms, so you might find yourself better a lot quicker. They will also give you tips on how much movement you should be doing and showing you some exercises so that you can start the rehabilitation process a lot sooner.

Other Methods

If you have been injured for quite a long time and you feel like you should be better by now, there are other methods of rehab and treatment that you can use.

A lot of professional athletes turn to what could be considered ‘alternative’ methods for treatment. The most popular one is acupuncture. This treatment is available on the NHS in certain situations, so you must ask your doctor about it before you book your appointment.

Acupuncture has been known to speed up the healing process, help to deal with the actual levels of pain, and increase the mood, so it is extremely beneficial.