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Surgery for Sports Injury

Surgery for Sports Injury

Most often the last and final treatment option for sports injuries is surgery. The surgical option often follows a long period of treating an injury conservatively in an attempt to heal and regain function without the pain and recovery that come with surgery. Fortunately, new surgery techniques, pain management protocol, and expert rehab therapists are making surgery a less painful option and somewhat easier road to choose.

Arthroscopic surgeries, for example, provide a minimally invasive way to remove or repair damaged tissue without the long recovery associated with traditional surgical techniques.

Often, sports injuries require surgery in order to make a full recovery. ACL tears, shoulder labral tears, and meniscus tears all require surgery to reconstruct or repair tissues. The good news is the experts at the Orthopedic Institute have everything it takes — from initial consultation to surgery to expert rehab therapy — to get you back on the road to being the best athlete you can be.

Truth is, we’d rather you not be injured at all. And that’s one of the many reasons we created The EDGE, sports performance training that provides athletes the knowledge, skills, strength, agility, and flexibility they need to avoid coming up injured.

Conservative Injury Management

In the early going, sports injuries are typically treated with the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation), and pain and swelling are managed with anti-inflammatory medications. These techniques help protect tissues and promote healing.

After these treatment options have helped ease an athlete past the physical initial trauma of an injury, physical therapy provided by skilled and knowledgeable therapists can aid in restoring mobility, increasing joint stability, and improving movement. Ultimately, these types of conservative treatment often prove successful with many sports injuries.

synovial jointWhen is surgery necessary?

The reality is some of your body’s tissues simply do not heal well or heal completely, even with proper physical therapy. Tissues that typically do not heal well without surgery are the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), cartilage, ligaments, and joint capsules. When tissues lack a healing blood supply, when their normal function prevents proper healing, and when they cannot be protected well enough and long enough to fully heal, surgery becomes necessary to restore full function. Regaining that function through surgery and effective rehab therapy is essential to returning an athlete to sports and very often to enjoyable living.

Of course, the severity of any injury is also a determining factor in how well an injury heals and whether surgery is the right option. Light sprains naturally heal easier and more quickly and more fully than, for example, a severe sprain. Generally, tears or complete ruptures require surgery in order to re-attach and reconstruct them.

The decision whether or not to pursue a surgical option is one you make in consultation with your doctor. You will likely have lots of questions about the injury, the surgery, and the recovery. We’re here to answer them and ensure you have all the information you need not only to make an informed decision but also to successfully navigate the process of surgery and recovery.

Rehabilitation

We understand athletes. And we understand that after injury and your subsequent surgery that you want to get back in the game as soon as possible. That’s why we offer a full team of certified orthopedics and sports rehabilitation therapists and services designed to safely and quickly restore your abilities. Our experts design personalized programs and work with you individually to achieve the very best results possible. We are truly passionate about helping you make the personal breakthoughs you need to make a full recovery as fast as possible.

We’ll get you back

No matter the type and severity of your injury, a consultation with a sports medicine expert is the first step to recovery. Dr. Lindsey and the team at the Orthopedic Institute have the expert knowledge and advanced capabilities you need to get the right information the first time and begin the process of healing and recovery.

We are here to help. Whether for rehab, an initial consultation, surgical consultation, or other sports injury need, you can count on us to deliver the expert care you need.

Call us at 608-342-6210 for information or an appointment.