Sports Injuries Bloom in Spring

Spring is here, and along with the flowers, sports injuries are inevitably on the rise.

"Weekend warriors" have been rushing back into activity without giving their bodies a chance to get into shape, and the results can be strains, acute soreness, and even muscle tears, warns Craig C. Young, MD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery & Family and Community Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Young practices at the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Medicine Center.

Patience before Going Flat-Out
"The key thing for athletes getting back to what they want to do: simply taking it easy," says Dr. Young. Show a little patience before going all-out, he suggests. "The point of what we do here is to help people have fun and get in shape, and avoid an injury that will be with them for the rest of their lives," he says. "Particularly as you get older, pre-season conditioning becomes more and more crucial."

Dr. Young has worked with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Milwaukee Ballet, and numerous college and high school teams to help keep them fit and healthy. He urges amateur athletes to follow the example of the professionals. Dr. Young is an avid amateur himself, as he actively participates in rock climbing, hockey, scuba diving, skiing, triathlons, and, he adds with a laugh, ballroom dancing.

"Keep in mind what the pros do. They have spring training before they go all-out. They remember to take things a step at a time early on. They let their bodies get back to being accustomed to what they are doing.

"It's hugely important to be in condition. The pros don't go out and go 100% right from the start," he notes. "Instead, they step up the pace gradually. Weekend warriors should do the same."

Adding Flexibility
A period of light stretching or jogging is essential before exercise to loosen up, but is actually more important afterward for during the "cool-down" after the activity. "It's the stretching afterward that adds flexibility. If you want to increase your flexibility, the best time is during the cool-down phase."

Cool-down activity is also needed to counter the "Venus pooling" - the collection of blood in the lower extremities - that occurs among runners. "Doing some work to squeeze the muscles gets the blood circulating to the brain. It also prevents cramping and prevents muscle tears.

"I've learned the importance of cool-downs myself after cramping up after marathons," Dr. Young admits. Simply five to 10 minutes of walking and stretching after a run will accomplish the needed cool-down.

Early-season aches and pains are likely to occur at virtually all ages, Dr. Young observes. If you encounter soreness as you begin your favorite activity like tennis or bicycling, don't just give up on exercise. Try taking things a little slower, or do cross-training - find another activity that keeps another set of muscles working. That will help to build endurance while resting the specific muscles or joints that are aching.

Protective Equipment Is Essential
Protective equipment is another part of Dr. Young's prescription for enjoying sports. While sports-related activities continue to produce "the vast majority" of eye injuries, says Dr. Young, the growing popularity of protective equipment has made a huge difference. "In racquetball, everyone now wears goggles, so there's no long any significant risk to the eyes. These injuries used to be very frequent and included loss of sight."

Dr. Young stresses that parents need to set an example by using protective gear themselves. "Parents must show that protective gear is something you don't grow out of," he advises. "Yet you see parents riding bikes without helmets, while their kids do. That's the wrong message.

"Parents can make a big impact by pointing out that the pros are wearing protective stuff," says Dr. Young. Associating protective equipment with a more serious approach to sports has helped to increase the level of use. Where hockey players once played with minimal protection, they now wear helmets, padding and mouth guards that have eliminated many of the missing teeth and concussions that marred the sport.

Even less-formal sports like in-line skating call for protective equipment like helmets and wrist guards to ward off nasty head injuries and broken wrists. "These really help to reduce the risk," Dr Young states.

Assess Your Goals
Before launching an exercise program, he emphasizes, you need to assess your current condition and establish reasonable goals are compatible with your personality.

"If you're a person turning over a new leaf and you're over 40, and looking at something more rigorous than walking, you first need to see your doctor to make sure you're in condition to do what you want.

"Then you need to look at your goals. Do you want to improve your heart condition? Do you want to lose weight? These are important in finding the right activity. "The next step is asking, what are my resources? Do I have a bicycle? Do I have access to a swimming pool.? Can I afford a gym? "

You also have to consider your personal style, Dr. Young says. "Do I require a social setting like basketball to get moving, or do I use exercise as a time to get away for some personal time?

Adults should strive to meet either of the following physical activity recommendations:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults should engage in moderate-intensity physical activities for at least 30 minutes on 5 or more days of the week. This means the activity should cause some increase in breathing or heart rate, for instance, the effort a healthy individual might expend while walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming, or bicycling on level terrain, for example.

  OR

• Healthy People 2010 recommends that adults should engage in vigorous-intensity physical activity 3 or more days per week for 20 or more minutes per occasion. This is defined as "Vigorous-intensity physical activity may be intense enough to represent a substantial challenge to an individual and refers to a level of effort in which a person should experience large increase in breathing or heart rate (conversation is difficult or "broken"), for instance, the effort a healthy individual might expend while jogging, mowing the lawn with a non-motorized push mower, participating in high-impact aerobic dancing, swimming continuous laps, or bicycling uphill, carrying more than 25 lbs up a flight of stairs, standing or walking with more than 50 lbs.

"Whatever activity you choose, get into a general fitness program," says Dr. Young.

The most important step you can perform is the one that will get you started on a regular program of exercise. Consistent physical effort will go a long way toward improving your health and longevity.

MCW Health News presents up-to-date information on patient care and medical research by the physicians of the Medical College of Wisconsin.