• Healthy State
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search magnifying glass icon
Close Search X icon
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Female athlete runner

Sports Injuries: When to See a Doctor

Feb 21, 2018 |
By Kevin Doulens, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

It is often difficult to determine if a sports injury is bad enough to go to the doctor. Did you sprain or strain something, or could it be a broken bone? So, how do you know?

First, you should have an understanding of the three main types of sports injuries: sprains, strains and fractures.

  1. A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments. The most common place to get a sprain is your ankle, but you can also sprain your wrist, knee or other joint.
  2. A strain is a stretching or tearing of a muscle or tendon. A tendon is a tissue connecting muscle to bone. Common places to get strains include your back and your thigh.
  3. A fracture is a broken bone. It can be a complete or partial break. Common fractures seen in sports injuries include collarbone, arm and foot.

Schedule an appointment with our sports medicine experts.

If you have a minor strain or sprain, you may experience pain, swelling, bruising and limited motion. These types of injuries may be successfully treated at home, but you should seek medical attention if the area is still severely painful after 3-4 days or if you have decreased strength or range of motion after 1-2 weeks.

There are some injuries that require immediate medical attention. If you can’t bear weight on the injured area, hear something pop, show signs of a concussion or have a severe injury such as a dislocation, go to the ER or seek a sports medicine specialist immediately. Sports medicine specialized physicians are trained to help you maximize your function and minimize time away from sports.

Tags
sports injuries

You may also be interested in:

play button icon
Conditions & Treatment
August 9, 2022

Ochsner Doctor's Note: Knee Injuries - Benjamin Guevara, MD

Learn how you can help alleviate pain from minor knee injuries, such as mild strains and sprains, in your own home.
By Benjamin Guevara, MD
Istock 187343513 Sports Injuries
Food & Fitness
August 5, 2022

How to Prevent Pediatric Sports Injuries

An emphasis on proper warmups, technique, diet and rest can all help prevent pediatric sports injuries in young athletes.
By Benjamin Guevara, MD
6 10 16 Bicycling Couple
Food & Fitness
August 9, 2022

Concussion Risks for the Weekend Warrior

There has been a lot of interest in the media related to sports concussions. However, adult weekend warriors are also at risk.
By Jose Posas, MD

email envelop icon Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok Twitter Follow Ochsner Health on Twitter LinkedIn Visit Ochsner Health's LinkedIn page Instagram Follow Ochsner Health on Instagram YouTube Subscribe to Ochsner Health on YouTube Pinterest Follow Ochsner Health on Pinterest TikTok Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok

Healthy living tips newsletters, delivered to your inbox.

Sign Up

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Healthy State
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

newsletter icon

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

newsletter icon

Select the newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition
newsletter icon

Let us know where to send your newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:
To Your Health-Mental Health Monthly":
To Your Health- Skin Deep:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:
newsletter icon

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox.

Ochsner Health System
magnifying glass icon
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide