What is an acute sports injury?

Since athletes of all levels push their bodies hard to improve their performance, they increase their chances of getting injured. There are many kinds of injuries that can affect athletes. Some build up slowly over time, and these are known as acute injuries.

Other injuries occur all of a sudden from an impact, fall, trip or slip. These are known as acute injuries.

What are common acute sports injuries?

If you’re training or in competition and suddenly feel pain in an area of your body, it’s likely due to one of these common acute sports injuries:

• Pulled or torn muscle — If the muscles are exhausted or you’ve pushed them beyond their capabilities, they can stretch or tear. The most common instances of this in athletes is in the calves, thighs and groin. 
• Ankle sprain — Twisting or rolling your ankle can stretch or tear its ligaments. This is known as a sprain. There are varying grades of sprains. Many require physical therapy and time for treatment. Others may require surgery.  
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear — The ACL prevents your knee from bending or twisting in the wrong direction. A sudden twisting motion or impact to the knee can cause the ACL to tear. This usually needs to be repaired by surgery followed up by physical therapy. 
• Fracture — Broken bones are common among athletes, especially those in full contact sports like football. There are different kinds of fractures. Some are minor hairline fractures and others are total fractures of the bone into two or more pieces.

Treating acute sports injuries with physical therapy

Many athletes find treatment for their injuries with physical therapy. Physical therapists are trained and experienced in a variety of noninvasive treatments for reducing pain, improving range of motion and decreasing your recovery time.

Many physical therapy treatments for acute sports injuries include:

• Stretches and exercises
• Deep tissue massage
• Manual therapy
• Electrical stimulation

Visit Whatcom Physical Therapy for sports injury treatment

Whether you’ve suffered a sudden acute injury or have had chronic pain building up over time, our team can help. Our physical therapists carefully examine the condition of your injury to develop a personalized treatment that’s most effective for you. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.