How to Prevent Injuries for the Weekend Athlete
Many office workers live a sedentary workweek and become weekend athletes, be it getting in 36 holes at the golf course or hitting the weights at the gym. But like professional athletes whose lives largely revolve around strenuous physical training, weekend athletes can also experience common sports injuries like ankle sprain, groin pull, and hamstring strain. Fortunately, there are measures that can be adopted to prevent injuries and treat these common sports medicine symptoms.
- Strains and sprains
Strains are injuries that occur in the tendons, which anchor the muscles to the bones, or to the muscle fibers. These are also called “pulled muscles” because overstretching or overusing your muscles can result in tears in their fibers or tendons.
Sprains are injuries that happen to the ligaments, which are the tough bones connecting several bones in a joint. Sudden stretches on the ligaments can tear or deform them.
In some instances, preventing sprains and strains will be beyond your control but in most instances, these are preventable. Your first step is to ensurethat you are conditioned for the physical activity by adopting these measures:
- Always warm-up before engaging in sports activities. Getting warmed up has several benefits including increasing blood flow, improving flexibility, and decreasing the risks for injuries.
- Gradually increase physical activity a few weeks before engaging in your chosen sports full-time, known as pre-participation training. This is true for team sports, hiking, and running especially after you have not played for a while.
- Stop when your muscles become fatigued.
Doctors recommend the RICE therapy method. But when your sprain or strain becomes severe in scope, such as when your entire tendon, muscle, or ligaments becomes torn, then you have to seek medical attention from Healthpointe doctors in any of their clinics, such as the Colton clinic near Rialto, Bloomington, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Highgrove, and Grand Terrace.
- Groin pull
Sports like soccer, hockey and football have the highest risks for groin pull. It is an injury that usually results from pushing off in a side-to-side movement, which causes extreme strain on the groin (i.e., inner thigh muscles).
Rest, compression, and ice will heal most types of groin injuries. But be sure not to return to full activity too soon, too fast as your injury can be aggravated, even become a long-term problem. You should also see a doctor when your groin has a significant swelling.
Come to any of the Healthpointe clinics, such as the one at Garden Grove, which is conveniently located near Stanton, Santa Ana, and Westminster, for more information about common sports injuries.
About Healthpointe:
Healthpointe is a leading multidisciplinary healthcare organization offering a full range of medical services in practice locations throughout Southern California (Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County). Healthpointe has locations situated in over 10 cities in Southern California including Colton, which is conveniently located by Rialto, Bloomington, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Highgrove, and Grand Terrace. As a highly regarded musculoskeletal group, we have a personal investment in the highest level of service, and we are proud of our record of excellence over the last four decades with private patients, injured workers, urgent care, personal injuries, and professional and non-professional athletes. Leading our organization is a dynamic team of healthcare professionals who continually strive to be at the forefront of medical innovation and healthcare service delivery. For more information, a complete list of services, and Healthpointe locations, visit Healthpointe.net.