For athletes, sports injuries are inevitable. No matter how well you stretch, and what preventative measures you take, sometimes accidents happen and you end up with an injury. No one wants to sit out, so a proper and timely recovery is incredibly important. Here are a few things that you should make sure you implement so you can get back on top of your game as soon as possible.

Eat Well

Maintaining a healthy diet is important for an athlete at the best of times, but it’s especially crucial when you’re dealing with an injury. As your body devotes energy to healing, it’s vital that you provide it with fuel that will allow it to heal you quickly and thoroughly. Make sure you are taking a multivitamin so that you are getting all of the nutrients that your body requires.

Try Chiropractic Treatments

In addition to any physical therapy you are undergoing, consider seeing a chiropractor, especially if your injury affected your back. By gently working with your body’s musculoskeletal system, a chiropractor can relieve pain that’s based on your muscles and bones. As an added bonus, chiropractic often eliminates the needs to take as many painkillers, which can be addictive and have a negative impact on your overall health.

Keep Up with Treatment

The biggest mistake that a recovering athlete can make is to stop treatment when they feel better. If your physician has advised you to go to physical therapy for four weeks and you’re feeling better after week three, it’s imperative that you complete the final week of therapy.

While your injury may start to feel better before you’ve finished your treatment, it’s likely that you haven’t completely healed yet. You still have to strengthen the injured area, or you risk having a repeat injury. Make sure you continue to take any medication, and that you monitor your body for any signs of problems.

Rest

This is perhaps the most difficult step for athletes, but you simply can’t force an injury to heal. Only by letting your body rest and recuperate will you be able to return to your full strength. If you push it, however, you’ll quickly find yourself with a more serious injury that may make it impossible to play your sport again.

When your trainer or doctor approves you to start practicing again, don’t go full out the way you did before your injury. Easing back into will be kinder to your body and your injury, and will allow you to notice before you reinjure yourself.

A Speedy Recovery

Regardless of your sport, almost all athletes will eventually be forced to deal with the realities of a sports injury at some point in their lives. Nobody wants to deal with an injury, but you can take control of the situation and help your body heal as quickly as possible.