Sports Injuries and the Long-Term Effects of Unresolved Pain

Athletes and sports enthusiasts are among the most resilient people in the world. After all, if you’re hoping to push your body to peak performance, you’re likely to follow a common mantra: “no pain, no gain.”

Unfortunately, ignoring certain types of bone, muscle, and joint pain now can lead to more serious problems down the line. Sports injuries are not something you should ignore, even if you believe you can “push through the pain.”

At our pain clinic in Utah, we see many patients whose untreated injuries have led them to more pain or even restricted mobility. Before you jump right back into your favorite exercises, here’s what to know about the common effects of unresolved pain.

Effects of Muscle Sprains

Muscle sprains are known as “self-limiting” injuries, meaning that most patients will recover without the use of medicine or intervention.

However, this does not always mean that you should not have a medical professional look at a sprained muscle, whether the injury is minor or major. Many athletes don’t give sprains the attention they deserve, viewing them as little more than a reason to take a brief break from practice, or as a condition they can work through.

This isn’t always the case. As any specialist in pain care will tell you, it’s important to wear a fitted brace during your healing journey, to engage in safe movements during your recovery, and to watch for signs of instability.

In some cases, getting a sprain in one area of the body makes you more likely to experience a sprain in the same area in the future. This is especially true of problematic areas like the hamstrings and ankles, which tend to see repeated injuries after the first. Some sprains can even impair your flexibility and mobility in the long term.

Proper attention and pain management, as well as safe exercises, can help minimize the risk of a repeat injury.

Effects of Stress Fractures

Stress fractures occur when we experience a tiny crack in one of our bones. In athletes, these fractures are most likely to occur in weight-bearing areas such as the wrists or heels. Like muscle sprains, stress fractures don’t always get the attention they deserve, especially from patients who think with relief that they’ve managed to avoid a fully broken bone.

However, there are a few reasons you should rest your injury and seek help from Utah pain specialists if you’ve suffered a fracture.

First, stress fractures that are not addressed with care can worsen, becoming larger fractures that grow harder and harder to heal. These fractures can cause long-term discomfort and limit a patient’s mobility.

Second, even if the injury heals, the existence of an initial stress fracture makes a repeat injury in the same place more likely.

Third, studies show that around 60% of all athletes who experience a stress fracture will later experience at least one more. This can be the result of poor exercise preparation, incorrect equipment, poor form, misaligned body structures, and more. Often, a Utah pain relief clinic can help you identify and address a root cause, pointing you toward non-invasive solutions that may help minimize your future risk of injury.

Last, repeated injuries to the same bone can increase your risk of future arthritis. Though this is more likely to occur with a full fracture rather than a stress fracture, it’s a good idea to work with a team that can help address both your immediate pain and any future pain from arthritis.

Effects of Common Sports Injuries

In addition to the major issues above, it’s worth noting that a few common sports injuries can have long-lasting results when left untreated. Here are some of the risks associated with these injuries:

Knee Injuries

The knee is one of the least stable joints in the body, making it vulnerable to injury. As with fractures and sprains, you’re likely to see a recurrence of the most common knee injuries, such as ACL injuries or dislocated kneecaps. These injuries can weaken the knee, limiting your mobility and requiring chronic knee pain treatment.

Back Injuries

Back pain isn’t limited to the sedentary workforce, and many sports-related injuries involve the lower back. Though many athletes have the urge to push through the pain, unresolved back pain can lead to a narrowing of the space between your vertebrae, causing further pain and compression of the spinal cord. This can lead to long-term chronic pain.

Arm Injuries

Poor form and repeated stress can cause a multitude of arm injuries, but the most common are shoulder dislocations and tennis elbow. Like the injuries above, these can lead to chronic joint pain and repeated injuries if left untreated, and tennis elbow can even result in chronic nerve damage.

Effects of Chronic Pain

Last, but certainly not least, it’s worth noting that chronic pain itself has an effect on our health.

Mounting evidence shows that lasting pain can be psychologically taxing. When pain seems to never go away, it can affect our mood and cause anxiety, stress, and even depression. Worse, long-term pain has an effect on our heart health, sleep, and overall quality of life.

However, it’s worth remembering that “chronic” does not have to mean “forever.”

When it comes to pain management, Utah patients can choose to work with experienced professionals who can help them recover from pain related to sports injuries. If you’ve been dealing with an untreated condition, you don’t have to suffer through this pain alone.

Treat Sports Injuries With Care

Whether you’re hoping to get back to your favorite hobby or you’re trying not to let down your teammates, you owe it to yourself to slow down and get the help you need. Taking care of minor sports injuries now can help you avoid serious pain and limited mobility in the future. Your body will thank you for it!

As you work to address sports-related or chronic pain, don’t forget that our team is here to help. Acousana therapy is a modern, non-invasive approach that can help eliminate pain, muscle soreness, and more. Reach out to us to learn about the conditions we treat, or make an appointment today!

TESTIMONIALS

    
 
 
       The staff are so nice and polite
  
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   Tabitha S 
 
 
 
 
      As an unsupported woman in her mid 40’s I was certain I had started perimenopause. And frankly some really awful symptoms that were affecting my day to day. I had seen countless doctors and naturopaths and wasn’t getting the support and relief I really needed. Not until I saw Heather at One Wellness.  I’m finally feeling like me again. Don’t hesitate. Call them. They are incredible!!!!!
  
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   Kate C 
 
 
 
 
      In my initial consult I learned so much about Hormones and their effect on my 65year old body. The Staff was fabulous, I received unlimited time from them, they were very knowledgeable.
  
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   Kathleen h 
 
 
 
 
      When I first met Breanna a few years ago I found her to be  very knowledgeable and explained everything she was doing.  Always asking what your pain level is and will help you feel comfortable with the treatment.    I stopped taking my meds for my neuropathy after the second treatment.  Still had a bit of burning sensation at times but it is manageable while I continue through the last few treatments.

I'm one who prefers to fix the problem rather than cover up the pain with meds if at all possible.  So glad I found this and tried it out.  It was noticeably pain free immediately after the first treatment.

Went back recently as the tingling was returning.   Helped some after one treatment.  But the girl who did the treatment only worked on the bottom of my feet and not the top where I told her the areas were found last time.

She seemed more interested in selling a large package of treatments.

Update, Breeana did contact me to offer a treatment herself.    She did both but most was on the top where the problem showed up.    She did tell me that the girl who had done my last treatment was no longer working there.    We talked about my own treatment i am working on with my SCENAR device.   We will keep in touchvto see how that helps and if a combination of the two works well.
  
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   Brian A 
 
 
 
 
      Well where to start… Meniscus tear, locked in, extreme pain, LITERALLY could not walk. I was on crutches when i went to the ortho desperately seeking resolution. Couple MRIs later and i get a “needs a knee scope surgery” recommendation from the Ortho. S big giant nope for me (for a multitude of reasons). Took months looking for an alternative remedy when i found One Wellness close toy house and visits made easy. Hijacked Breannas time with loads of questions and never was she rude or impatient about my curiosity. Sold on the therapy, i started with Breanna. She mapped out appx how many treatments i would need and could afford and we started a plan. Yes they worked with me on a payment plan which i was deeply grateful for bc i wouldnt have been able to afford this otherwise. Breanna was the ultimate wiz, she REALLY knew her stuff!!! She knew the areas of my knee that needed more vs less treatment and adjusted so i didnt get treatments i didnt need. She tested my pain threshold so we could amp up the intensity and healing. Soon enough i was no longer on crutches, then i could do more walking in the stores (i couldnt even get thru a grocery store when i started). I remember thinking it wasnt as bad as it was and going to the Zoo and getting stuck at the bottom of a hill bc of the pain, locking, and dysfunction. (Which brought me to the ortho). I literally remember crying on my bed thinking my life was over and with my career of being a RN, i HAVE to have my mobility. The overall Accousana treatments were not only effective, they were literally LIFE SAVING!!! I was able to get a job walking and using my legs again and have most of my function restored enough to work bedside nursing again! Which ive been doing for 1.5 yrs since treatments! Of course i consider it could worsen at any time, so yes i remain cautious about intensity and am not engaging in activities which could tear up my knee again. But i can do all of the things i love, ive been going to the gym, using the weights and cardio, etc. I watch steps bc excessive repetitive movements can exacerbate inflammation. I walk 3 flights of stairs in the hospital to get to my unit each shift, sometimes 2-4 times over in a day and can still walk home at night and function. Yes i do take the supplements they recommend bc together with Accousana and the supplements i received extreme results. It didnt cure the issue, but it’s like 80% better than it was when i started and still preserving my function. Also it saved me surgeries which i know would have caused more degeneration down the line. Also when i had my MRIs i gad bone on bone but when i went back for a repeat there was cartilage formed!!!!! Yes this is an amazingly effective treatment and would not hesitate this treatment again if i needed to. No - this is NOT a paid review.
  
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   La B 
 
 
 
 
      I’ve been meaning to write this review for a long time. This review is for Acousana, which also may be referred to as SoftWave. I highly recommend these treatments. It's not just for insane health issues. It's for minor injuries. It's for body performance, healing and potential of many many varieties.

As a little bit of context, my personal health condition is not your norm. I would go so far as to call it drastic. When I first started the process to get set up to try SoftWave, I had this moment I almost blew off the idea, basically thinking, and that's because I legitimately wondered if it was wise to keep trying different things to get better. The amount of healing that I needed seemed so far out of reach, and after dealing with severe pain for 2-3 years already, my financial situation muddled the waters of discernment enough that I basically had this momentary thought of, “Who am I kidding?” As I later reflected on that internal moment where that sarcastic bit of doubt crept, I realized that I almost didn't even try it. This is significant for me because these treatments have been profound enough to make a difference in my functional capacity. I needed something to halt the trajectory of my body's response to a really harmful surgery. I needed something to reinspire hope.

Although I still have some problematic areas in my neck/right shoulder/right rhomboid, SoftWave has helped resolve other equally serious issues, including nerve pain on my left side and major functional deficits in my hands (most noticeably the right). It can and has helped me with peripheral nerve regeneration, musculoskeletal healing, post surgical recovery, and acute and chronic pain management in various parts of the body. This has so seriously been one of the greatest blessings of my life. SoftWave helps with spinal cord injury, and that is HUGE! I'm gushing at this point, but this little pistol crab mechanism literally has the capacity to stimulate and regenerate bone after fracture, devastation, or non union.

Know that there are other devices and treatments on the market that use shock waves. No other devices are as safe, or will go nearly as deep or wide. They are nowhere near the same and not worth comparing. Clinical research clearly and repeatedly demonstrates discernable gains through SoftWave treatments. It literally blows my mind how many conditions, and varieties of conditions that SoftWave can help treat. I recommend this treatment to people that are suffering, people that are healing, and people that are in tune with their bodies. I know that's a lot to boast about, but the research is there and the efficacy is established. The device reduces inflammation and stimulates the body's ability to repair itself. It's not a gimmick, and I've found no known risks from everything that I've researched. You will know pretty immediately if it will benefit you. For me, I was sure it was helping me after the very first treatment, as clearly as day. The people here are incredibly knowledgeable, and I’m really grateful for you guys!
  
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   Heather R 
 
 
 
 
      The staff was very knowledgeable  and great to work with! Excited  to start this wellness journey  and feel better!
  
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   Traci M 
 
 
 
 
      Great experience and great people!
  
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   Leila T