Sports Injury Treatment and Prevention in Urbandale, Iowa
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Kyle Ruehle, DC — Advanced Spine Health Center, Urbandale, Iowa
A sports injury can happen in an instant — a bad landing, a collision, a wrong step on uneven ground — or it can build slowly over weeks of practices and repetitive motion until one day it just won't go away. Both types are common, and both tend to respond better to a clear plan than to guesswork or "playing through it."
This guide covers how sports injuries are typically classified, what current research actually supports for prevention, what's changed about immediate injury care in recent years, and how Advanced Spine Health Center evaluates and treats sports injuries for athletes and active people throughout Urbandale and the greater Des Moines metro. This is written for injuries that benefit from evaluation and rehabilitation, not for emergency or sideline trauma care — if you suspect a fracture, dislocation, or head injury, seek immediate medical attention first.
Table of Contents
What Is a Sports Injury? | Common Sports Injuries | What to Do Right After an Injury | How Sports Injuries Are Evaluated | Evidence-Based Injury Prevention | Sports Injuries at Every Age | How We Approach Sports Injuries | Returning to Play Safely | FAQ | Sports Injury Care in Urbandale
Key Takeaways
- Sports injuries fall into two broad categories — acute and overuse — and that distinction changes both treatment and recovery timeline.
- The old "just RICE it" advice has been updated. Current guidance favors brief protection followed by progressive loading, not prolonged rest.
- The prevention strategies with the strongest research support are neuromuscular/balance training, targeted strength training, and sport-specific warm-up programs — not static stretching or generic warm-ups alone.
- Research specific to chiropractic care and sports injuries is still a relatively young, limited body of evidence. We think it's worth being upfront about that.
- Advanced Spine Health Center evaluates and treats both recent and long-standing sports injuries that need rehabilitation-focused care, with an emphasis on identifying what's actually driving the problem — not just where it hurts.
What Is a Sports Injury?
Most sports injuries fall into one of two categories, and figuring out which one you're dealing with is usually the first step toward treating it correctly.
Acute Injuries
Acute injuries happen suddenly, usually from a single identifiable event — a hard tackle, an awkward landing, a fall, or a joint twisted past its normal range. Ankle sprains, hamstring strains, and shoulder dislocations are typical examples. The onset is sudden, the cause is usually obvious, and there's often noticeable swelling, bruising, or immediate pain.
Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries develop gradually from repeated stress on a tissue without enough recovery time in between. Stress reactions in the shin, patellar tendinopathy ("jumper's knee"), and rotator cuff tendinopathy from repetitive overhead motion are common examples. There's rarely a single moment you can point to — instead, symptoms build over days or weeks, often starting as mild soreness that becomes harder to ignore.
The distinction matters clinically. An acute injury usually needs an initial period of protection followed by progressive loading. An overuse injury usually needs the underlying training error, movement pattern, or structural contributor identified and corrected — simply resting until it feels better often means it comes right back once activity resumes.
Common Sports Injuries
No single article can cover every sports injury, but a few categories account for the large majority of what shows up in clinics and training rooms.
| Type | What It Is | Typical Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sprain | A stretched or torn ligament (connects bone to bone) | Ankle sprain from rolling the foot inward |
| Strain | A stretched or torn muscle or tendon (connects muscle to bone) | Hamstring strain from sprinting |
| Overuse injury | Gradual tissue breakdown from repeated stress without adequate recovery | Shin splints, patellar or rotator cuff tendinopathy |
Beyond these categories, the injuries seen most often in active patients include ankle sprains, hamstring and quadriceps strains, knee injuries (ligament sprains and patellar tendon irritation), rotator cuff and shoulder strain, low back strain, and shin splints or lower-leg stress reactions. Some of these — particularly persistent knee and shoulder pain — are discussed in more depth on our knee pain and shoulder pain pages.
What to Do Right After an Injury
Many people still hear "R.I.C.E." — rest, ice, compression, elevation — as the standard advice for a fresh injury. That guidance has evolved. A widely cited 2020 update in the British Journal of Sports Medicine introduced the "PEACE & LOVE" framework, which reflects a meaningful shift: protect the injury and manage early symptoms, but avoid excessive rest, and start moving again sooner than older advice suggested.1
In the first few days (PEACE): Protect the area from further damage, avoid unnecessary anti-inflammatory medication or icing beyond short-term pain relief (both can slow the body's natural repair process if overused), compress to limit swelling, elevate the area, and educate yourself about a realistic recovery timeline rather than expecting an instant fix.
After the first few days (LOVE): Stay optimistic — anxiety and fear of movement are associated with slower recovery — gradually reintroduce blood flow through light activity, and load the tissue progressively through exercise rather than continuing to rest it. Clinical practice guidelines for common injuries like lateral ankle sprains similarly emphasize early, guided movement over prolonged immobilization once serious injury has been ruled out.2
None of this replaces professional evaluation. Seek same-day medical care if there's visible deformity, you can't bear any weight on the injured area, you have numbness or loss of sensation, you suspect a fracture, or there's any concern for a head injury or concussion.
How Sports Injuries Are Evaluated
A proper evaluation starts with a history — how the injury happened, what it feels like, what makes it better or worse — followed by a physical exam assessing swelling, range of motion, strength, and stability. Imaging isn't automatic for every injury; X-rays, MRI, or other imaging are generally reserved for cases where a fracture, ligament tear, or significant structural damage is suspected, and the decision depends on the specific injury and exam findings rather than a blanket rule.
Just as important as diagnosing the injury itself is understanding why it happened. For many overuse injuries in particular, factors such as leg length differences, pelvic tipping, arch collapse from sitting to standing, thoracic hyperkyphosis (excess rounding of the upper back), or general strength and movement deficits can quietly overload a joint or tendon long before symptoms appear. Identifying those contributing factors — not just treating the painful spot — is a meaningful part of preventing the same injury from returning.
Evidence-Based Injury Prevention
Injury prevention has been studied extensively in sports medicine, and the research is fairly consistent about what actually works — which isn't always what conventional wisdom assumes.
Neuromuscular and balance training has some of the strongest supporting evidence. A 2021 review summarizing 129 systematic reviews and meta-analyses found that neuromuscular training programs — combining plyometrics, strengthening, flexibility, agility, and movement feedback — reduced ACL injury risk by roughly 51–62%, and that balance and proprioception training reduced ankle injury risk by 31–46%.3
Strength training also has strong support. A 2025 meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 7,500 athletes in contact sports found that consistent strength training reduced overall injury risk by about 30%. The effect varied by body region and training type: isolated strengthening exercises cut hamstring injury risk by roughly 63% and groin injury risk by about 31%, while multicomponent training programs (combining strength with balance and movement work) reduced ankle injuries by about 32% and knee injuries by about 29%. Notably, the same review found no clear protective effect for shoulder injuries from either approach — strength training isn't a universal fix, and its benefit depends on the joint and the type of training used.4 Eccentric hamstring strengthening in particular is specifically recommended in current physical therapy clinical practice guidelines as part of reducing hamstring strain recurrence.5
Sport-specific warm-up programs, such as the FIFA 11+ program used widely in soccer, have shown reductions in injury rates of roughly 30–70% compared with a standard warm-up in the studies reviewed.3 Ankle bracing and taping for athletes with a history of ankle sprains has shown a reduction in re-injury risk of 60% or more.3
What the evidence does not clearly support is worth mentioning too, since it contradicts a lot of common advice: static stretching by itself and generic, non-sport-specific warm-ups have not been shown to meaningfully reduce injury risk in the same way targeted neuromuscular and strength programs have.3 That doesn't mean stretching is pointless — it may still help with mobility and comfort — but it shouldn't be relied on as a primary injury-prevention strategy.
| Prevention Strategy | What the Research Shows |
|---|---|
| Neuromuscular/balance training | Reduces ACL injury risk ~51–62%; ankle injury risk ~31–46% |
| Strength training | Reduces overall contact-sport injury risk ~30%; effect varies by joint |
| Sport-specific warm-up programs | Associated with ~30–70% fewer injuries vs. standard warm-up |
| Ankle bracing/taping (prior sprain) | Reduces re-injury risk by 60% or more |
| Static stretching alone / generic warm-up | Limited evidence of injury-prevention benefit on its own |
Sports Injuries at Every Age
Injury risk and the right approach to prevention shift somewhat across the lifespan.
Youth and Growing Athletes
Because growing bone, tendon, and growth-plate tissue respond differently to repetitive stress than adult tissue, overuse injuries are a particular concern in young athletes. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting training to no more than 5–6 days a week, taking at least 2–3 months off from a given sport over the course of a year (not necessarily all at once), increasing training loads gradually — no more than roughly 10–20% at a time — and avoiding early single-sport specialization and same-day participation on multiple teams.6
Adult Recreational Athletes
Adults returning to a sport after time off, or ramping up training too quickly for an upcoming event, are prone to overuse injuries for a similar reason: tissue that hasn't been conditioned for a given load doesn't tolerate a sudden increase well. Gradual progression and adequate recovery between sessions apply just as much to a weekend soccer league or a first half-marathon as they do to youth sports.
Masters and Older Athletes
Tendons and other connective tissue naturally become somewhat less resilient and slower to heal with age, and pre-existing joint changes can make some injuries more likely. That's not a reason to stop being active — quite the opposite. Given that strength training has shown a meaningful, measurable effect on injury risk across age groups, staying strong is one of the more useful things an older athlete can do to stay both active and resilient.
How Advanced Spine Health Center Approaches Sports Injuries
We evaluate and treat both recent and long-standing sports injuries that call for rehabilitation-focused care — this isn't sideline or emergency trauma care, but ongoing management once any urgent concerns have been ruled out or addressed.
Our evaluation looks beyond the painful spot itself. As a Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) practice, we place real weight on structure and biomechanics — spinal curvature and alignment, leg length, pelvic tipping, posture, and arch drop from sitting to standing — alongside strength, movement patterns, and neurological function, to understand what may actually be contributing to an injury or slowing its recovery. Depending on the individual case, treatment may combine chiropractic adjustments, corrective exercise and rehabilitation, spinal decompression, custom orthotics, and supportive therapies such as red light therapy. For certain chronic tendon or ligament injuries that haven't fully responded to rehabilitation alone, biologic injections such as PRP may be considered as one part of a broader plan — not a stand-alone fix. Not every patient needs every service; the combination depends on the specific injury and what's driving it.
We also think it's worth being honest about the state of the research here. Chiropractic-specific studies on sports injury treatment are still fairly limited — a 2019 systematic review of randomized controlled trials found only a handful of small, high-quality studies on chiropractic care in sports contexts (covering things like ankle rehabilitation and grip strength), several with sample sizes under 20 participants.7 That's a preliminary evidence base, not a settled one. Our approach draws on general orthopedic and rehabilitation evidence alongside our own clinical experience with structural and functional assessment, rather than presenting chiropractic care as a proven solution for every sports injury.
Returning to Play Safely
Going back to a sport before an injury has adequately healed is one of the more common — and preventable — causes of re-injury. In general, a reasonable return should involve pain-free range of motion and strength that's comparable to the uninjured side, the ability to tolerate sport-specific movements (cutting, jumping, sprinting) without symptoms, and a gradual reintegration into full activity rather than jumping straight from rehab back into competition. The right timeline depends heavily on the specific injury, its severity, and how the individual is progressing — there's no single number of days that applies to every athlete or every injury.
FAQ
Should I ice or heat a new sports injury?
Ice is generally more appropriate in the first day or two for pain relief and swelling control, though it shouldn't be relied on excessively or as a substitute for appropriate movement once you're able to tolerate it. Heat is typically more useful later, for muscle tightness rather than fresh swelling.
Is RICE still the right approach?
Current guidance has moved beyond RICE toward briefly protecting the injury, then progressively loading it rather than resting it for an extended period. Prolonged rest and immobilization can actually slow recovery for many injuries.
Can a chiropractor treat a sprain or strain?
Many sprains and strains, once any serious injury has been ruled out, can be appropriately managed with rehabilitation-focused care, including chiropractic evaluation and treatment. The right approach depends on the specific injury and its severity.
When does a sports injury need an X-ray or MRI?
Imaging is generally reserved for injuries where a fracture, significant ligament tear, or other structural damage is suspected based on the history and exam — not every sprain or strain requires it.
Are sports injuries treated differently in kids vs. adults?
The general principles of evaluation and rehabilitation are similar, but growing athletes have some unique considerations, particularly around training load and overuse injury risk, that don't apply the same way to adults.
How soon can I return to my sport after an injury?
It depends on the injury and how you're progressing rather than a fixed timeline. Returning before you have pain-free strength, motion, and tolerance for sport-specific movement raises the risk of re-injury.
Sports Injury Care in Urbandale, Iowa
Whether you're dealing with a fresh sprain, a nagging overuse injury that won't fully resolve, or you simply want a movement and structural assessment to reduce your injury risk going forward, we'd be glad to help you figure out what's actually going on and what to do about it. Advanced Spine Health Center evaluates and treats sports injuries for athletes and active patients throughout Urbandale and the greater Des Moines metro, including West Des Moines, Waukee, Clive, Johnston, and Grimes.
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About the Author
Dr. Kyle Ruehle, DC, has practiced chiropractic care in the Des Moines area since 2016, specializing in Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP), a structural correction technique focused on restoring proper spinal curvature and alignment.
References
- Dubois B, Esculier JF. Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(2):72–73. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377722/
- Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. Ankle Stability and Movement Coordination Impairments: Lateral Ankle Ligament Sprains Revision 2021. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2021;51(4):CPG1–CPG80. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33789434/
- Stephenson SD, Kocan JW, Vinod AV, Kluczynski MA, Bisson LJ. A Comprehensive Summary of Systematic Reviews on Sports Injury Prevention Strategies. Orthop J Sports Med. 2021;9(9). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23259671211035776
- Chen Z, Wang J, Zhao K, He G. Adherence to Strength Training and Lower Rates of Sports Injury in Contact Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Orthop J Sports Med. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40416997/
- Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. Hamstring Strain Injury in Athletes: Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2022;52(3):CPG1–CPG44. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35164536/
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Overuse Injuries, Overtraining, and Burnout in Young Athletes. Pediatrics. 2024;153(2):e2023065129. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38247370/
- Thiele R. Chiropractic Treatment in Sports: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Int J Clin Med Res. 2019;6(2):6–12.
This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you suspect a fracture, dislocation, or head injury, seek immediate medical attention. Always consult a qualified physician or licensed provider regarding your specific condition.
