Staying in the Game

Even if you’re a weekend warrior, you’ve got to make it your business to avoid sports injuries.

It’s important for people of all ages to stay active, but you can’t participate in the sports you love if you get hurt. Although it’s impossible to prevent all sports injuries, you can reduce risks by being resourceful in designing workouts, protecting vulnerable joints and other body parts during exercise, and making time for proper warm-ups and cool-downs.

Stick With Cross-Training

The most effective way for adults and children to decrease their chances of athletic injuries is to have a consistent, balanced approach to sports, according to William Montgomery, M.D., a Brown & Toland orthopaedic surgeon and the current head team physician for the University of San Francisco athletic department. “The best thing is to have a long-term exercise program in which you are doing cross-training,” Dr. Montgomery says. “Don’t just run or just swim. Do multiple sports and stay with it. If you go crazy working out one week, and then do nothing for four weeks because you got too busy, and then work out again, you are going to get injured because your body has not adapted.”

Playing different sports is particularly important for kids, adds Dr. Montgomery. If kids focus on one sport all year, they’re more likely to have overuse injuries. (Check www.stopsportsinjuries.org, created by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, for a wealth of sport-specific tips on preventing injuries among young athletes.)

Protect Your Joints

A particularly vulnerable joint for athletes of all ages is the knee. Jennifer van Warmerdam, M.D., a Brown & Toland orthopaedist who specializes in joint injuries, says one of the keys to avoiding knee injuries is learning how to jump. Actually, how to land.

“When you jump and land, you should always have your knees flexed,” says Dr. van Warmerdam. “And you should avoid pivoting as you land. Come straight down.” That’s especially important, she adds, for female athletes, who are more likely than males to suffer injuries to their knee ligaments. Researchers have identified an array of possible causes for this gender factor, everything from differences in anatomy and strength to hormonal effects on ligaments during menstruation.

Dr. van Warmerdam says the most common injury she sees is the sprained ankle, and one of the main causes is ill-fitting or worn-out shoes. Shoes must fit snugly and have ample support and spring in the sole. “Running shoes should be changed very frequently, every three to four months,” she says. Wearing appropriate protective equipment (from helmets to knee pads to elbow pads) is another simple way to prevent many injuries.

Be Mindful of Your Starts and Finishes

Stretching before and after exercise, as well as a gentle warm-up and cool-down, is also believed to help prevent some muscular injuries. Although Dr. Montgomery says the benefits of stretching vary depending on the sport, “it certainly doesn’t hurt.” A warm-up can be helpful even before less vigorous activities like golf, he adds. “When you have a light sweat going, your body temperature increases and that can increase the blood supply to the muscles, which can prevent injuries.”

Laying Down the Law on Concussions

Concussions are among the most vexing sports injuries because the symptoms can be so mild, while the results can be so serious. It is a particularly important concern for young athletes because kids are more susceptible to concussions than adults.

Now, the California Legislature has weighed in, passing a new law that creates more stringent regulations in dealing with concussions in school-sponsored sports. The law, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2012, prohibits an athlete from returning to action on the same day he or she suffers a suspected concussion. The athlete must receive written clearance from a doctor before returning to play. Athletes and parents will also be required to sign a concussion information sheet once a year. The law is intended to help prevent young athletes from being exposed to repeated concussions. Second impact syndrome, which strikes when another concussion occurs before the last has healed, can be fatal.

A concussion should be suspected any time a bump or blow to the head is accompanied by other physical, emotional or cognitive changes. If someone has headaches, fuzzy vision, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or sensitivity to noise or light, a concussion is possible. Difficulty thinking, concentrating or remembering is also a warning sign of a concussion, as well as dramatic mood changes.

Given what’s at stake for young athletes, the mantra for parents, coaches and other onlookers is simple:
When in doubt, sit them out.

For more tips about concussions, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.