Summer in Wisconsin is a time take advantage of all of the outdoor activities the state has to offer. For some, the season is motivation to get in shape, while for the more experienced athlete, the season means better weather and more daylight to focus on a specific sport or skill. Whatever your fitness level, the message from orthopaedic experts is the same — don’t overdo it. Summer is a time when orthopaedic providers typically see an increase in sports-related overuse injuries.
“Muscle strains, tendonitis and stress fractures all fall into the category of overuse injuries,” said Beth Weinman, DO, sports medicine physician at McKinley Health Center (as well as Drexel Town Square Health Center and Center for Advanced Care at Froedtert Hospital). “For example, as soon as it is nice out, runners who don’t like to run on treadmills are running long distances outdoors every day. If the body is not prepared for that amount of work, an injury is possible.”
In order to prevent overuse injuries, Dr. Weinman recommends gradually increasing the activity level, cross-training and taking adequate rest before retraining the same muscle group. This serves to alternate the muscles, bones and joints under stress in a given workout and gives them time to recover from the physical stress of new activities. A good rule of thumb is to increase length, frequency and intensity of your physical activity by 10 percent each week. For the already experienced athlete, over-working certain parts of the body is a serious concern.
“Cross-training means taking a break from your primary sport. A soccer player may want to swim to give the legs a break,” Dr. Weinman said. “However, swimming would not be an appropriate secondary sport for a volleyball player because that would still involve repetitive overhead motion.”
“Research shows cross-training is becoming increasingly important, particularly to keep young athletes healthy,” Dr. Weinman said.
Case in point, 29 of 32 first-round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft were multisport athletes in high school. Nearly half of all of the athletes drafted played at least two sports in high school. Some of the most popular sports played by those athletes were track and field, basketball and baseball.
According to a 2017 study that tracked more than 1,500 high school athletes, students who specialized in a single sport were at least twice as likely to sustain a lower-extremity injury while participating in sports than those who did not specialize. The most common injuries included ligament sprains, muscle/tendon strains and tendonitis. While the majority of these injuries were acute, 34 percent occurred gradually, which means they might have been preventable.
“Even if you’re focused on reaching an elite level in a particular sport, your muscles need to rest,” Dr. Weinman said. “I recommend choosing a particular time of year when you can focus on your primary sport and setting aside the rest of the year for a secondary sport. This way, you can stay fit without risking overuse.”
Signs of an overuse injury can be overlooked, especially for the dedicated athlete who may ignore pain or play through it. Dr. Weinman recommends taking notice of aches, sharp pains, tenderness and swelling. If the pain does not subside after simple measures such as anti-inflammatory medications, rest and ice, it is time to see your primary care provider or a provider who specializes in sports medicine orthopaedic care.
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