White Plains Sports Doctors Offer 3 Tips for How to Speed Up Injury Recovery

Posted by Jenn F. on Wednesday, September 12th, 2018

Our reputation for getting athletes back to sports quickly is one of the primary reasons people come to see us at The Center for Podiatric Care and Sports Medicine in New York City. Olympic athletes, pro golfers, triathletes, competitive lacrosse, and basketball players—they all come to us. In more than 40 years working in sports medicine, much has changed in rehabbing recommendations. But one thing has remained consistent: it’s not just about getting back fast, but about healing effectively. Coaches don’t mind a little day-to-day on the disability list, but they certainly don’t want a player hamstrung with a blown-out Achilles a second time. Here are a few tips from White Plains sports doctors that will help you recover from a sports injury sooner rather than later.

1. Get the right diagnosis the first time

Pain is NEVER normal. A dull ache or a little throbbing after a strenuous workout is one thing; discomfort you wake up with the next morning is another. General practitioners aren’t equipped to handle the subtle nuances of sports injury. They can’t see what’s going on inside your body just by conducting a quick Q&A session on your symptoms. Here, we have x-rays, CT scans, a blood lab—the works! We’ll find the root cause of your pain, without making you wait in a long line or pay an enormous bill as you would at the ER. Lateral talar process fractures, os trigonum injuries, lisfranc injuries, turf toe, navicular stress fractures, and syndesmotic injuries are among the most commonly misdiagnosed sports injuries. Come to us for a second opinion if your treatment isn’t working!

Check out some of our posts about the right diagnosis:

• Commonly Misdiagnosed Sports Injuries Lead To Arthritis, Chronic Pain, and Disability
• Not Just a Cramp: Athlete With Troubled Gait Receives Rare Focal Foot Dystonia Diagnosis
• Gout: Painful & Often Misdiagnosed
• Ankle Sprains: The Danger of Inadequate Care
• Why 1 in 4 Achilles Tendon Ruptures Are Misdiagnosed

2. Keep up with conditioning

Patients often presume doctors mean for them to go home and do absolutely nothing for however long their slated recovery time is predicted. The fact of the matter is: competitive athletes could experience muscle atrophy after as little as two weeks of inactivity. Significant decreases in strength can be measured by 12 weeks. So we prefer to send patients through active recovery. Physical therapy is an important part of maintaining fitness. We’ll help you push yourself, without hurting yourself. Conditioning at home can be as simple as riding a stationary bike (if you’re not in a cast) or swimming (if you don’t have an open wound). Rowing machines and weights are great complements to training also.

Check out some of our posts about recovery:

• 5 Ways To Make Foot Surgery Recovery Easier
• The Road To Recovery: Healing Times For Foot & Ankle Injuries
• Ask a NYC Sports Medicine Doctor: How to Nurse Your Injured Child Athlete Back to Health
• 3 Hot New Technologies to Treat Sports Injuries and Foot Pain for Quicker Recovery Times

3. Heal yourself with nature’s best medicine

“Food is medicine,” according to Hippocrates. Never is the saying truer than when you’re recovering from an injury.

For muscle and bone injuries, add a few spoonfuls of ghee to help rebuild tissue and lubricate the joints. Drink a little turmeric milk to reduce inflammation and aid muscle tear healing. A 30 ml morning shot of Amla (Indian gooseberry) provides sufficient Vitamin C to get rid of free radicals and form collagen. Boil ginger root and drink as tea to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness.

To heal flesh wounds and prevent infection, go with carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, strawberries, kale, oranges, peppers, and broccoli. Load up on lean meat like turkey, sirloin, fish, and chicken to repair soft tissues like tendons or ligaments faster. Heal bones quicker with milk, eggs, and yogurt. Eat fortified cereal to give your body enough carbs to function, so all the protein you consume can go toward healing. Add omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon, trout, and tuna to reduce inflammation associated with tendinitis, bone fractures, and sprained ligaments.

Check out some of our posts about healing:

• Foot Surgery Recovery: Foods To Help You Heal Faster
• Is It All in Your Diet? The Role of Nutrition in Treating Peripheral Neuropathy of the Feet

The Center for Podiatric Care and Sports Medicine maintains offices in Manhattan (near Central Park) and White Plains, NY. We specialize in diagnosing and treating foot, toe, and ankle injuries in particular. Our Manhattan and White Plains sports doctors accept most major insurances and offer finance plans for anything that isn’t covered. We are always accepting new patients—no referral necessary.

If you have any foot problems or pain, contact The Center for Podiatric Care and Sports Medicine. Dr. Josef J. Geldwert, Dr. Katherine Lai, Dr. Ryan Minara and Dr. Mariola Rivera have helped thousands of people get back on their feet. Unfortunately, we cannot give diagnoses or treatment advice online. Please make an appointment to see us if you live in the NY metropolitan area or seek out a podiatrist in your area.