Download Sports Medicine News-September 2014

V4.9
9.2014
SAINT FRANCIS
SPORTS MEDICINE
Making athletes of all ages BETTER, STRONGER, FASTER since 1995.
Why do the Best Conditioned Athletes Still Get Hurt?
Here is How to Treat the Most Common Sports Injuries
Patient Rehabilitation is the Fastest Way Back to Competition
Why do the Best Conditioned Athletes Still Get Hurt?
Overuse Injuries and Sprains Outnumber Catastrophic Injuries
College and high school athletes have the benefits of
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youth and fitness on their side, yet that doesn’t make them
immune from some of the same injuries that befall weekend
Injury Screening.....................573-331-5153
warriors. Paying attention to proper warm-up routines and
Impact Testing.......................573-331-5153
potential overuse injury symptoms can keep athletes out of
the training room.
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“Minor sprains, strains and other nontraumatic injuries
David Enderle, ATC
are much more common at every level than catastrophic
injuries such as complete ligament tears,” says
David Enderle, ATC, Certified Athletic Trainer at Saint Francis Medical Center. “The
good news is many of these overuse injuries are preventable.”
What are the Most Common Sports Injuries?
Sprained ligaments and strained muscles or tendons are easily the most common
sports injuries. Some of these injuries are more preventable than others.
Ligaments are the bands that connect bones in a joint, such as the four
major ligaments that hold together the knee structure. Sudden movements
can stretch ligaments past their tolerances and create tears that often require
surgical intervention.
“All the strength training in the world can’t prevent a ligament from tearing when
the joint is pushed beyond its limits,” Enderle explains. “For example, when a
football player has someone roll up on the side of his leg, that’s just bad luck.”
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For more information, please visit
www.sfmc.net or call 573-331-5153.
(continued)
Athletes have a little more control over injuries related to
muscles and the tendons that anchor muscles to bones.
Training for specific movements and performance levels is the
most effective preventive action, but try telling that to a sprinter
who suddenly feels their hamstring snap.
“Asking more performance from a muscle than it’s able to
provide can cause a tear in the fibers,” Enderle says. “We
find that strength training, flexibility exercises and other
sport-specific activities best prepare an athlete’s body for the
demands of competition and high-stress workouts.”
Here is How to Treat the Most
Common Sports Injuries
Some Respond to Rest and Ice, While Others
Require Surgery
No two injuries are exactly alike or heal at precisely
the same rate. However, there are actions you can take
during the initial treatment stage for some of these
common sports injuries:
Warming up properly increases blood flow to the muscles and
Shin splints
prepares the body for ramping up effort levels. Muscle fatigue
This lower-leg injury is common with distance runners and
increases the risk of injury, illustrating the benefits of strength
athletes who run or jump on a hard surface, such as tennis and
training in prolonging competition-level performance.
basketball players.
Treatment Strategies for Common Injuries
Rest, ice, shoe inserts for extra shock absorption, and non-
A common acronym for treating common sports injuries is
PRICE. The goal of these strategies is to limit swelling and begin
the healing process as quickly as possible.
P – Protect from further injury. This may include splints, walking
boots or even crutches.
R – Restrict activity. This minimizes the chances of making the
injury more severe.
I – Ice. Applying ice immediately after the injury provides an
anti-inflammatory without drugs. Apply ice for about 20 minutes
every hour or two for the first two days after an injury. Do
not use heat, as this encourages the swelling you’re trying to
eliminate with the ice.
prescription pain medications are effective if symptoms are in
the early stages. More severe cases will require prolonged rest
to heal and may even signal the presence of a stress fracture.
See a doctor if pain persists.
Ankle sprains
This injury occurs when the ligaments of the ankle stretch
or tear, especially on the relatively weaker outside part of the
ankle. Ice is the best initial treatment, along with elevation and
rest. Once the initial swelling subsides, consult with a certified
athletic trainer or sports medicine physician to determine what
types of exercises you can do to maintain fitness and strength.
ACL tears
Female athletes are particularly susceptible to this severe knee
C – Compression. Apply pressure with an elastic bandage to
injury occurring in a noncontact setting, while male athletes are
help reduce swelling.
more likely to experience a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament
E – Elevate. Elevating the injured area higher than the level of
the heart also helps minimize swelling.
Seek medical attention if pain is so severe that the athlete
can’t use the affected limb or bear weight, there is excessive
swelling, the limb appears misaligned or PRICE therapy does
not appear to be helping after a few days.
(ACL) in contact sports such as football.
Apply ice and see a doctor immediately if you or your trainer
suspect an ACL tear. A completely torn ACL usually requires
surgery and about nine months of rehabilitation.
Patellofemoral syndrome
The name of this knee injury may not be common, but the
For more information about sports injury prevention and
symptoms are all too familiar for many athletes. This syndrome
treatment, please call the Sports Medicine team at Saint
results from the repetitive movement of the kneecap against the
Francis Medical Center at 573-331-5153.
thigh bone, damaging the tissue under the kneecap.
The stop-and-start action of basketball, volleyball and tennis is
a common contributor, with the potential for both knees to feel
the effects. Anti-inflammatory medications and rest are keys
here, with patience the critical element.
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Elbow tendinitis
Also known as “tennis elbow,” this repetitive-motion injury is
common with tennis players and golfers. Epicondylitis affects
the tendons on the outside of the elbow. Anti-inflammatory
medications and rest are the best treatments for tendinitis
occurring anywhere on the body. Be patient with the amount of
time that healing may require.
Groin strains
Certified Athletic Trainer at Saint Francis Medical Center.
“Patience, rest and limited activity are not how athletes are
wired to live their lives, but they are required components of a
successful rehab journey.”
Depending on the severity of the injury, early mobilization
will speed the healing process. The training staff will be
cautious to start the athlete’s rehab program with gentle
range-of-motion exercises before moving to stretching
and strengthening exercises.
Groin muscles provide the power for many sports movements.
The best preventive action is proper warm-up to prepare the
Monitoring pain levels and avoiding movements that cause pain
body for movements that may not always be straight ahead.
are important considerations. Not only does pain serve as a
Side-to-side motions are common triggers for groin strains.
communication vehicle for the body, it protects it from further
damage. Favoring an injury also can result in an injury to
Compression, ice and rest are the best treatment options. See a
another part of the body picking up the slack.
physician if significant swelling is present, as that may indicate
a complete tear in the muscle.
“The worst thing an athlete or coach can do is hurry an injured
performer back into competition too quickly,” Enderle says.
Hamstring strains
“The injured muscles and tendons will be weaker than normal
The three muscles in the back of the thigh are prone to over-
during the recovery period. Pushing too hard, too soon can be a
stretch injuries during high-impact actions such as sprinting and
hurdling. Unfortunately, hamstring strains can occur when an
athlete is running relatively comfortably, as well.
Hamstring strains can recover relatively quickly, while severe
strains or tears can end an athlete’s season. Apply ice and take
recipe for even more serious injury.”
Scar tissue that forms as damaged tissue heals causes the site
of the injury to become stiff. This is why stretching is such an
important part of the rehab process. The most effective rehab
programs include exercises for flexibility and strength, as well
it easy, knowing even walking can stress the injured tissue.
as endurance to maintain fitness.
For more information about sports injury prevention and
“When an athlete is ready to resume more strenuous activities,
treatment, please call the Sports Medicine team at Saint
Francis Medical Center at 573-331-5153.
Patient Rehabilitation is the Fastest
Way Back to Competition
Recovering From Injury Requires Athletes to Listen
to Their Bodies
You trained hard in the offseason and were in the best shape of
your life before “it” happened.
A season-wrecking, heart-wrenching injury has you on the
sidelines and the training table rather than participating in
the sport you love best. Now you face an extended period of
rehabilitation before your body will be ready to perform at the
high level you expect.
“Rehabilitating from an injury is one of the most frustrating
parts of the athletic experience,” states David Enderle, ATC,
they should take care to start slowly and gradually build their
intensity level,” Enderle adds. “Your body will tell you if you’re
good to push yourself or not.”
For more information about sports injury prevention and
treatment, please call the Sports Medicine team at Saint
Francis Medical Center at 573-331-5153.