Professional and elite athletes rely on sports-med doctors to stay in the game. They don't wait for an injury to become so bad that they can't play -- they can't. Their jobs depend on it.

The rest of us might not be so quick to see a doctor when we feel a little pain -- we tend to rely on RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), often focusing on the "rest" part more than anything else. And that might be totally fine, but some injuries require attention from someone whose medical credentials don't rely solely on their love of Grey's Anatomy.

Shape magazine has some great tips on how to treat some injuries at home as well as information on what kinds of injuries might require further medical attention. There's even a list of some of the most commonly treated injuries as well as suggestions for avoiding these injuries in the first place.