Sports injury rehabilitation is a busy business. Those who participate in sports know that they are at risk of injuries, and they visit a sports injury rehabilitation specialist when they've suffered something significant. If you want to understand the role that sports injury rehabilitation plays in the injury recovery process, you need to actually understand the entire injury recovery process. Here's a look at some of the things that you need to know about injuries and the recovery process ahead of you.
Immediate Injury Treatment
Immediately following an injury, you'll have the acute treatment process. This process focuses on moderating the inflammation, controlling the swelling, and treating the acute pain. During this immediate treatment phase, you'll immobilize the injury, elevate it if possible, and alternate between cold and heat to help keep swelling down and minimize the inflammation.
This phase will last for a few days while the initial trauma recovery happens. The goal is to allow the injured area to rest and recover from the immediate inflammation and discomfort. Once that has settled down, you can start working on some rehabilitation.
Muscle Tone Preservation
After the first week or so following your injury, the next couple of weeks will be spent working with a sports injury rehabilitation specialist to ensure that you don't suffer any muscle atrophy. This is usually done through a series of smaller, more controlled exercises so that you don't strain the area any further than it has already been.
These exercises will focus on preserving the muscle tone and ensuring that the muscle doesn't start to deteriorate due to lack of use. You won't be expected to sustain extensive exercise, but just consistent, moderate movements.
Strength-Building Rehabilitation
Once you've worked through the first couple of weeks post-injury, the next stage is to rebuild the strength in the injured area. Strength-building rehabilitation is an important part of the process because it helps to shape, strengthen, and adapt the new muscle, scar tissue, and surrounding tendons around the injury area. This process will last for several weeks as you gradually restore your range of motion and strength.
When it comes to recovery from a sports injury, taking the process one step at a time is key to reducing your risk of lasting effects. With the support of a sports injury rehabilitation specialist, you can get through your injury recovery properly and with adequate guidance. Talk with a rehabilitation specialist near you today for more help. They can provide more information regarding the sports injury rehab process.
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