Non-Surgical Treatment of Athletic Injuries
Sports injuries do not always need surgery for treatment. Several other methods are available to treat injuries, and most of the time, conservative (or non-surgical) therapy is the best option.
Alpine Podiatry Center offers many non-operative treatment plans. Dr. Paukovitz and Dr. Crabtree are experienced and highly skilled in conservative injury treatments. If you are an athlete living with pain, you have options. Let us perform an examination and develop a treatment plan to improve the quality of your life.
Our practice offers the following conservative treatment plans:
Physical therapy: Physical therapy (PT) reduces pain and strengthens muscles, ligaments, and tendons simultaneously. Proper PT techniques are invaluable to improving endurance, range of motion, and flexibility in all parts of the body. A physical therapist evaluates your injury and the areas of the body that need healing, then prescribes the proper therapy regimen. The regimen can consist of repetitive exercise, resistance bikes, fitness machines, treadmills, whirlpool therapy, and even ultrasound or electrical stimulation.
Medication: Treating pain with medication on a short-term basis is non-invasive and usually paired with the other forms of non-surgical treatments. The medications can be prescription or over-the-counter pain relievers, or numbing agents could be recommended. If inflammation seems to be the problem, a cortisone or steroid injection may also be suggested.
Exercise: A prescribed series of daily exercises can be used to target a particular area of the body or the specific injury. Exercises will strengthen muscles, reduce inflammation, and increase flexibility.
Bracing or casting: Some injuries require stabilization. Minor fractures or injuries that require nonweight-bearing require a brace or a cast to allow healing.