Being a professional athlete is an incredibly rewarding and exciting job. Having the opportunity to entertain people and getting paid for doing something you love everyday is very appealing to us all. However, there are various downsides to being a professional athlete. Long hours spent traveling, difficult training and strict diets are all issues for professional athletes, but it is work related injuries which are the biggest problem. Injuries can cause massive disruption to an athlete’s career and even have the potential to end a career altogether.
Here is what professional athletes should know about getting injured in their line of work.
1. A Lawyer Can Help You Get Compensation for an Injury at Work
As with any work related injury, if an athlete gets hurt doing their job, they may be able to claim compensation to help pay for their recovery. Whilst NBA and NFL players have plenty of financial resources and expert medical treatment available to them, not every professional athlete is so well paid. As these South Carolina personal injury lawyers explained, you may be entitled to a significant compensation pay out which will help you to pay for medical treatment and to potentially rescue your sporting career. South Carolina has produced many excellent athletes and so lawyers in the State know how crushing a bad injury can be. Your attorneys will ensure that your rights as both an athlete and a worker are protected and that you get all of the money which you are eligible for. If your injury is unfortunately so severe that you are forced to retire from professional sport, they may be able to secure compensation which will help to financially support you long into the future.
2. Prevention is More Effective than Treatment
For professional athletes as with anyone, it is always far better to take the steps to prevent an injury from happening than it is to sustain one and have to take treatment. There are various factors which can contribute to you getting injured and whilst some like genetics or previous injuries are out of your control, others can be addressed directly. Making sure that you warm up and stretch properly before any exercise is vital, as is making sure that you eat the right diet. Be sure to listen to your coaches and that you are always systematic in your preparation.
3. Rest and Recovery are Vital to Overcome Injuries
Being out injured for a long time is the worst possible thing for a professional athlete. It is only natural to want to get back to performing as quickly as possible but it is so important that you give yourself the time you need to rest and to make a full recovery. Far too many athletes try to rush back after an injury and this often results in making the injury even worse and causing another lengthy spell on the sidelines. It is vital that you remain patient and realistic about the time it takes to recover. Listen to your doctors and other medical experts and make sure that you come back stronger than ever.
4. Specialists Can Be Game Changers in Injury Prevention and Treatment
There are many athletes who have had injuries which they were told were career ending. Athletes who have had multiple surgeries or treatments on the same injuries are often advised to stop altogether before they do some permanent damage which could affect them for life. Whilst you should always take medical advice seriously, there is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion, and there are various specialists who have helped athletes come back from injuries which were previously written off as a lost cause. Speak to other athletes who have managed to move on from a similar injury as yours and find out who treated them.
5. An Injury Doesn’t Need to Be Career Ending
Even if your injury means that you are unable to play anymore, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your career in the sport. There are many top athletes who have gone into coaching following a bad injury, or who lend their knowledge and experience to their sport in other ways. Whilst forced retirement can be a very emotional time, try and use the experience to look for a new career path which may be just as enjoyable and rewarding as your previous one.
Unfortunately, injuries are a work-related hazard for all professional athletes. The impact of regular training and competition on the body can be enormous and so it is vital that athletes take all the correct steps to avoid injury and to recover properly if an injury does occur. If you are a professional athlete who has sustained an injury, keep this information in mind and it will help you to make the right decision about what to do next.
