What's the Worst Thing You Can Do After a Sports Injury?

In this episode of the OrthoInfo podcast, sports medicine surgeons Mary K. Mulcahey, MD, FAAOS, and Nick Colyvas, MD, FAAOS, explain the most important things patients should and shouldn’t do after suffering a sports-related injury.

The conversation covers a lot of ground. Dr. Colyvas explains why rest and ice are important “do”s and alcohol is a big “don’t” in the immediate aftermath of an injury. He and Dr. Mulcahey also break down the difference between anti-inflammatory medications and painkillers and how both can provide pain relief – just in different ways.

The discussion then turns to warning signs patients should never ignore. Pain with weightbearing and significant swelling both come up as red flags, especially when they point toward something like an ACL tear. A key takeaway is that it’s always a bad idea to play through pain, especially when there are visible signs that something is wrong.

Concussions are a key focus of the episode. Dr. Colyvas walks through the symptoms of a concussion, the dangers of returning to play too soon, and why even a small chance of a head injury means an athlete should be pulled from the game.

Drs. Mulcahey and Colyvas also discuss the value of physical therapy in recovery, common mistakes patients make with braces and crutches, and why rushing back into a sport before both the injury and muscle strength have recovered can lead to new, sometimes worse, injuries.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• What to avoid in the first few days after an injury, including alcohol

• Why you shouldn’t try to play through an injury

• The difference between anti-inflammatory medications and painkillers

• Red flag symptoms that mean a patient should seek medical attention, including pain with weightbearing and, especially, swelling

• Signs that a knee injury could be an ACL tear

• Concussion symptoms, why every head injury must be taken seriously and evaluated, what to avoid during concussion recovery, and the dangers of returning to play too soon after a concussion

• Why it’s important to fully recovery before returning to play after any injury, even seemingly minor ones

• The role of physical therapy in recovery, with or without surgery

• Common challenges patients face with braces and crutches, and how to address them

Listeners walk away with a clear takeaway: Healing takes patience, and rushing back into activity – whether after a concussion or musculoskeletal injury – can set recovery back further and possibly lead to additional injuries.

Host: Mary K. Mulcahey, MD, FAAOS, Professor and Chief of Sports Medicine Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center

Guest: Nick Colyvas, MD, FAAOS, Professor of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Francisco