Sports Injury Prevention Tips

Sports injuries can bring down even the fittest athletes and dash their hopes of reaching their peak performance.  While there’s no foolproof strategy to completely avoid sports injuries, there are practical steps you can take to reduce your risk of sustaining one. Below are some prevention tips to help you keep sports injuries at bay.

1.)          Never play without protective sports gear.

Helmets, gloves, mouth guards, protective pads, and other equipment exist for a reason, so never play without them.

When buying safety gear, always make sure they fit you perfectly, or it would defeat your purpose of buying them in the first place. 

2.)          Warm up and cool down.

The word “warmup” in the term “warmup exercises” is ascribed to their purpose, which is to increase the temperature of your muscles. Warmup exercises enhance the flexibility and elasticity of your muscles, thereby reducing muscle soreness and lowering your risk of injury.

Cooling down is just as beneficial for preventing injury as warming up. Cooldown exercises decrease your heart and blood pressure and prevent lactic acid buildup in your muscles, which can cause cramps and soreness.

3.)          Abide by the rules of the game.

Regardless of which sport you are involved in, there are always rules, and they are there not just to make the sport challenging and exciting but also to prevent accidents and injuries.

4.)          Do not power through the pain.

While you might think that you’re not training or working hard enough because you’re not feeling any pain, it won’t do you any good.

Some discomfort isn’t always bad, but pain is an indication of a problem, so stop and pay attention to what your body is telling you. That way, you can still continue working on your goals the next day, instead of nursing an injury.

5.)          See a sports medicine doctor.

Sports medicine isn’t just about treating sports injuries; it’s about preventing them as well. You don’t need to be a professional athlete to seek the services of a sports medicine doctor. Amateur and weekend warriors — who are at high risk of sustaining an injury — can benefit from the expertise of a sports medicine doctor.

A sports medicine doctor can educate you on the importance of cross-training and stretches and do a physical assessment to ensure you have the full capacity to participate in your sport.

Sports Medicine Doctor in St. Peters and O’Fallon, MO

At Advanced Bone & Joint. our board-certified sports medicine doctors— Dr. Brandon Larkin and Dr. Matthew P. Melander— are dedicated to providing comprehensive care for a broad range of sports injuries. On top of that, we help weekend warriors, elite athletes, and everyone else involved in sports take their performance to the next level by teaching them enhanced injury and reinjury prevention techniques.

To make an appointment with either Dr. Larkin or Dr. Melander, call us at (636) 229-4222 or use our convenient online request form now. We look forward to helping you achieve your full athletic potential!