Cendant — What Are the Alternative Treatments for Sports-Related Injuries?

Whether you’re participating in professional or recreational sports, staying in good condition is crucial. But the nature of sports means the occasional injury is inevitable. How you treat your injury dictates how quickly you recover and get back in the action. 

If you’ve seen a doctor about a sports-related injury in the past, there’s a very good chance you were advised to follow the RICE method of rehabilitation:

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

Adhere to these four recommendations, and you should be able to alleviate pain and inflammation and avoid making the injury worse. But when RICE doesn’t work, what is the next step? Over-the-counter pain-relief and anti-inflammatories might tackle the worst symptoms, but what if they don’t work?

For serious sports-related injuries, you might need to look beyond the local drug store. There are some very effective alternative therapies to choose from — here are five of the most popular. 

1. Tennis Elbow — Chiropractic 

Tennis elbow is a sports injury that affects the elbow joint. While very common, it’s a painful and debilitating injury that can adversely affect your grip and mobility. The elbow can be tender to the touch and stiff, and the problem can become worse over time. 

While you might not think a chiropractor is the best person to see for an elbow injury, you might be surprised how effective manipulating and exercising the joint can be. In fact, a lot of people turn to chiropractors for help with tennis elbow, as they offer effective treatments such as electrical muscle stimulation, massages, joint manipulations, and ultrasound therapy. 

2. Hip Strains — Yoga

Hips strains are very common among people who play contact and ball sports regularly. When this nasty injury occurs, it can leave you seriously immobilized. And many people report being sidelined for several weeks. 

More and more people are turning to yoga as an alternative treatment for hip sprains. Regular yoga can improve your flexibility in the area and alleviate tightness in the surrounding muscles. Speak to a certified yoga instructor about a regimen aimed at alleviating the symptoms of your hip strain. 

3. Muscle Pain — Cupping

Cupping is a traditional therapy that has been used to treat common sports-related injuries for years. When performed correctly, it can relieve chronic muscle pain and tightness. 

The therapy involves setting fire to a cotton ball inside a cup made of glass or silicone. The therapist then removes the cotton and places the cup directly onto the affected area. The heat results in the cup “sticking” to the skin — providing instant relief. After a few minutes, a circular bruise will form, which is completely normal. 

4. Calf Strains — Acupuncture

Muscles causing pain typically have trigger points. When dry needles are inserted into these trigger points, they can hasten the healing process and provide relief from pain and tightness. 

Acupuncture is being used to treat severe calf strains with increasing frequency, as it’s a natural remedy that doesn’t rely on medications or frequent visits to a physiotherapist. 

5. Rotator Cuff Injuries — Stem Cell Therapy

Rotator cuff injuries occur when the muscles and tendons in and around the shoulder joint become damaged. They are very difficult to treat, and they can cause chronic pain and immobility. 

When athletes experience rotator cuff injuries, they often need surgeries and lengthy physio programs. But some patients are reporting significant relief from this injury after receiving stem cell therapy. This non-invasive procedure involves introducing regenerative stem cells into the affected area of the body. These cells then replace the damaged or dead cells in the injured muscles and tendons — accelerating the recovery process. 

If you’d like to chat with a stem cell therapy specialist from Cendant, call us today. We’ll talk you through your options and schedule a free assessment.