Guest blog by Elizabeth Carrollton, a medical writer for Drugwatch.com
Joint injuries are a very common problem in athletes, especially in weight-bearing joints. Sprains and strains are common in knees and ankles, while hips are more prone to overuse injuries, like bursitis and tendinitis, as well as muscle strain and stress fractures. All of these injuries can cause athletes to be predisposed to arthritis, especially if they don’t heal properly. So if you spend a lot of time participating in physical or high-impact sports, taking good care of your joints to avoid injury is a precaution that will serve you well later in life, as is treating injuries aggressively when they do happen.
Avoiding Joint Injuries
Cross training is important in injury prevention. If you’re primarily focused on one or two sports, it’s quite common for muscle imbalance to occur, as the muscles most frequently engaged get stronger than those that are taxed less often. Muscle imbalance can affect joint alignment and stability, making injuries more likely and increasing joint wear. Consult with a fitness instructor or physical therapist to learn how to best protect against muscle imbalance under your particular circumstances.
Protective gear is required for many sports, but even if it isn’t, using it is in your best interest. Ankle braces have been shown to greatly reduce ankle injuries in basketball players, and in contact sports, knee braces or knee and hip pads can protect other areas. Good athletic shoes are a must-have item, as they alleviate stress on your knees, hips and ankles.
Joint Injury Treatment and Care
Joint pain should never be ignored. Aches, pain, burning or stiffness can be signs of stress due to muscle imbalance or overuse, and treating these problems early can prevent a more serious one from developing. Sprains, strains and overuse injuries need professional diagnosis to ensure you aren’t injured more seriously than you think.
For most injuries, doctors will suggest a day or two of rest, then physical therapy to aid in healing and rehabilitation. Physical therapy is essential, as it helps maintain strength, flexibility, and range of motion in the joints. Anti-inflammatory medications are typically used in treatment, like aspirin, naproxen or ibuprofen. For serious injuries, corticosteroid medications may be prescribed.
Joint replacement surgery can get you back on your feet after disabling joint damage is done, either by serious acute injury or joint deterioration from a string of minor injuries. However, it is not a quick and easy fix, and complications can happen. Joint replacement surgery should be a treatment of last resort, especially if it is hip replacement you’re considering. Complications have been more common than usual lately due to faulty hip implants, leading to several recalls and a lot of lawsuits. Among the recalls were the DePuy ASR hip replacement systems, widely used in active patients due to their metal-on-metal construction. However, rates of failure were high with these implants, and some patients suffered a serious complication called metallosis, which is caused by metallic implant debris and can result in severe pain and inflammation in the hip, tissue death and bone loss.