Whether you’re a weekend warrior, or an older adult suffering from chronic back pain, sports medicine techniques can help. Doctors specializing in this field are trained to look at the entire body and recommend a personalized approach.
Typically, they’ll prescribe medication initially but may also recommend regenerative injections that help heal chronic injuries.
Massage
Massage is a technique that uses various kinds of physical contact to relax, revive and heal your body. This is one of the oldest healing traditions and has many health benefits.
A massage can help with various health conditions, including chronic muscle pain, headaches, stress, and sleep problems. In addition, it can improve circulation and lymph flow.
It can also reduce cortisol levels and increase oxytocin, an important stress hormone.
The American Medical Association notes that massage therapy can help with many chronic ailments, including low back pain and arthritis. It can also be helpful for migraines and headaches.
Ice
Ice is a commonly used treatment for aching muscles, sprains, and inflammation. It’s a standard tool for relieving pain in sports, but it can also be helpful to ease the discomfort associated with arthritis.
Applying ice to fresh injuries, such as muscular strain or sprain, is preferable within 48 hours after the incident, according to All pro sports medicine. Ice reduces blood flow, which prevents the body from allowing inflammation to develop in the wounded location.
Heat, on the other hand, increases circulation and blood flow to an injured or sore area. It also improves the range of motion and flexibility of a joint.
Heat
A hot compress, heating pad, or warm bath can ease chronic pain. But it is not the only solution for this type of pain.
Heat is an excellent technique to reduce discomfort when muscles are tight or overworked during exercise or sports activities. It is because it increases blood flow to the area through vasodilation and helps relax muscles that may be tense, knotted, or stiff.
But it’s important to remember that heat should not be applied when you have a new injury that is still swollen. Also, using heat on a region with low-temperature sensitivity is not a good idea because your skin will not tell you when it is getting burned.
Electrical Stimulation
In addition to assisting in treating injury, physical therapy can improve the range of motion and help people recover from chronic pain. One of the many techniques that a therapist may use during physical therapy is electrical stimulation.
E-stim is effective for many conditions, including reducing pain, preventing muscle spasticity, and improving muscle contraction. It uses small electrodes that are placed on the skin.
During anytime session, a stream of electric pulses travels through the electrodes to the muscles, causing them to contract. This stimulates a natural pain-relieving chemical called endorphins.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy helps the body heal from injury, illness, or damage to any body part. For patients with chronic pain, it also helps to lessen pain, promote movement, and improve quality of life.
Inflammation occurs naturally when the body needs to fight off an infection, wound, or tissue damage. This process increases blood flow, blood vessel permeability, and white blood cells and plasma production that help flush out toxins and other harmful substances from the area.
A physiotherapist will work with you to find the causes of your pain and develop the most effective treatment plan. They will ask you to fill out pain and function questionnaires, perform tests with you, observe how you use your body, and get you started on a program to increase mobility and strength.
