Athletes recover very quickly after muscle tears / sports injuries with the treatments applied and return to the field. Why don’t I recover this fast?
- Your initial muscle mass is very low compared to athletes. There is a serious muscle strengthening with intensive sports.
- When an injury develops, our muscle strength before the injury determines our muscle strength that will remain after the process in which we have to rest due to the injury. Because our muscles weaken every day we rest. If our initial muscle structure is good, we will still have a good muscle structure even if it is lost after rest.
- You do not take precautions by having your controls done as early as an athlete.
- You do not pay attention to your nutrition, weight and do not pay attention to vitamin and mineral supplements as much as an athlete.
- You do not think of spending the money that will be spent by him/her/his club/sponsor for the health of an athlete on his/her own health.
- While the athlete receives many treatments together in order to return to his/her professional work as soon as possible, you only have one treatment and expect to recover.
- You may not have the determination and time to adapt to the treatment and do your exercises as much as the athlete, or if you do, you may not allocate it.
The athlete has to terminate his treatment as soon as possible for his job, in order to continue his life. Because his professional life is his job; and if he cannot return on time, he may not be able to return to the same position. There may be serious opportunities he will miss in his life.
This does not mean that every athlete can quickly return to their previous performance after treatments. In fact, we are not very aware of the stories we do not listen to. There are many athletes who had to quit sports due to injuries. There are also people who have to suffer from pain at a young age with joints worn out during sports, quit sports and have to undergo many treatments including surgeries for many years. The good side of the stories is always reflected or we want to see it that way.
I remember athletes who had torn ligaments in their knees during a sports competition, who faced the risk of brain damage due to a blow to the head, who could not return to normal walking for a long time due to an ankle fracture and oedema.
Some athletes also put themselves at risk in order to return to their early professional life. For example, they take many treatments to shorten the healing process after meniscus surgery or anterior cruciate ligament surgery and start sports early. As a result, they may encounter the same ligament rupture or repetition of meniscus injury and may have to take a longer break from sports.
It is important to have a heart for sports. Not everyone can be an athlete. Discipline, work and perseverance are required. It requires strain to progress. You need to take the risk of injury. You risk overloading and straining your joints and body. You may even risk injury during sports training. Like my patient who was paralysed in his arms and legs with a cervical vertebral fracture during gymnastics training at the beginning of my residency many years ago….
In order to get well, you need to start on the road to recovery, find the right person to accompany you on this road, adapt to what is required and be determined.
“A physician is not a healer, but a guide.”
See you in good health.
