Sports Injuries

Sports injuries and recovery

Sports injuries can happen suddenly or develop over time due to repetitive movement. If not managed properly, they can set back your activity levels and affect your day-to-day life.

Common examples of sports-related injuries include:

• concussion and other head injuries (which require urgent medical attention)
• muscle strains and ligament sprains
• joint injuries, including shoulder, knee and ankle problems
• overuse injuries such as tendon pain
• fractures and other impact injuries

Treatment will depend on the type and severity of the injury. Your doctor or allied health professional (such as a physiotherapist, exercise physiologist or myotherapist) will advise on the most appropriate plan for you. This may include:

• rest, activity modification and rehabilitation exercises
• physiotherapy or other manual therapies
• immobilisation (such as a cast, brace or splint)
• the use of heat, ice or compression as recommended
• pain relief and other prescribed medicines
• surgery in the case of serious injuries

Following professional advice is important to support your recovery and reduce the risk of ongoing problems or recurrent injury.

How a compounding pharmacist may help

If your doctor prescribes medicines as part of your sports injury management, they may sometimes consider using a compounding pharmacy. Compounded medicines are prepared individually by a pharmacist on the instructions of your prescriber.

This approach may be considered in situations such as:

1. You need an alternative dosage form

In some cases your prescriber may prefer a medicine to be used in a different form – for example:

• a topical cream, gel or ointment for application to the skin
• a lozenge (troche) that dissolves in the mouth
• a liquid preparation
• a nasal spray or suppository

Your doctor or specialist will decide whether an alternative dosage form is appropriate for you.

2. You require a different strength or combination

Standard, commercially available products come in fixed strengths. Where clinically appropriate, your prescriber may ask a compounding pharmacist to:

• prepare a medicine in a specific strength
• combine certain prescribed ingredients into one product to simplify your regimen

This can help tailor your treatment to your individual needs as part of your overall injury management plan.

3. You’re managing multiple medicines

For some patients, particularly those taking several prescribed medicines, supplements or vitamins, remembering multiple doses can be challenging. In suitable cases, and only when recommended by your prescriber, a compounding pharmacist may be able to prepare a combined formulation to reduce the number of separate products you need to take.

Do I need a prescription?

Most medicines prepared for sports injuries are prescription-only and require a valid script from a registered health professional.

Our pharmacists work closely with your GP, specialist and allied health team to:

• understand your diagnosis and treatment goals
• review any other medicines you are taking
• prepare a customised medicine in the dosage form and strength requested by your prescriber

Once a formulation has been agreed with your prescriber, the details are kept on file to make future repeats more straightforward.

If you’d like more information about whether compounded medicines may be suitable as part of your sports injury management, speak with your doctor, specialist or allied health professional, or contact our team for general information about compounding services.

Contact us for more information on how we can help you better manage treatment for your sports injury.