Avoiding injury and staying in the game
As with every season, spring sports are getting underway, and spring sports injuries aren’t far behind. Sports injuries usually fall into one of two categories: overuse or traumatic. The vast majority of sports injuries are due to overuse, meaning a tissue—usually bone, muscle, or tendon—becomes painful when it is subjected to multiple, repetitive stresses that it can’t withstand. Eventually, the tissue’s normal structure is disrupted, ultimately leading to inflammation and pain.
Some common athletic overuse injuries are bursitis, tendinopathy/tendinitis, and stress fractures. Understanding what to watch out for will give you a competitive edge in staying healthy.
Bursitis results when a bursa—fluid-filled sacs acting as pressure-reducers between two tissues, usually tendon and bone—is subjected to repetitive stresses, which it is unable to handle properly. Eventually, the bursa becomes inflamed, painful, and swollen.
The body has multiple bursa strategically located around major joints. The two most common joints affected by bursitis are the shoulders and hips. Because bursitis appears directly related to muscle weakness and tightness, treatment includes anti-inflammatory measures and appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises.
Tendinopathy and Tendinitis involve issues with tendons—long rope or sheet-like structures connecting muscles to bones, which enable muscles to move bones. Although tendon ruptures occur commonly in the older athlete, tendinitis or tendinopathy is the more common injury. Inflammation is the body’s attempt to heal an injured tissue and is the reason why the initial symptoms—usually pain and swelling—result.
When a condition becomes chronic, inflammation becomes less prominent, and tissue degeneration predominates. Some of the more common tendinopathies involve a shoulder’s rotator cuff, a knee’s patellar tendon, and an ankle’s Achilles tendon. Tendinopathy treatment may last several months and includes relative rest, ice or heat (to decrease the initial inflammation and pain), and eventually stretching and strengthening exercises. Some tissues (e.g., muscle and bone) have abundant blood supplies and, thus, heal quickly upon injury. Other tissues (e.g., tendons and cartilage) have limited blood supplies and may take months to repair.
Lack of symptoms does not necessarily mean lack of a problem, and recurrences of overuse tendon injuries are common. In order to prevent a reappearance of symptoms, the athlete can benefit from an evaluation by a sports medicine specialist. In addition, a biomechanical evaluation can correct his or her technique or equipment.
Stress (or Fatigue) Fractures occur when a bone is subjected to unaccustomed stresses for an extended period. Small microfractures form, eventually leading to localized pain. Stress fractures occur most commonly in runners’ lower limbs, particularly when training for an event or when just starting a new program. Stress fractures require rest, time, and the appropriate strengthening exercises to heal. If an athlete suspects a stress fracture, evaluation by a sports medicine expert may prevent further injury.
Macrotraumatic Injuries result from a one-time event in which the tissue is acutely overloaded and fails. Some examples of macrotraumatic injuries include: muscle strains; ligament, tendon, and cartilage tears; and bone fractures. Outside of most muscle injuries, macrotraumatic injuries usually require evaluation by a sports medicine specialist and often necessitate surgical treatment to repair the structure.
As you start any kind of sports training, you can increase your chances of preventing injuries like the above, common ailments by taking an interval approach. Your musculoskeletal tissues need to adjust to the new sport-specific stresses coming their way. Never hit the ground running when beginning an exercise program or starting a new sporting activity. You should develop in a step-by-step, graduated fashion in order not to overload these susceptible tissues. Your body will adapt to repetitive exercises in moderation, enabling you to eventually participate in your sport injury-free and ready to take it to the next level.
For more information:
Peachtree Spine Physicians
404-843-3323
5555 Peachtree Dunwoody Road
Suite 201
Atlanta, GA 30342
www.peachtreespine.com
