\WW ORTHOPAEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE. SEATTLE‘ ‘CLINICAL SERVICES (/PATIENT-CARE/CLINICAL-SERVICES HTML} SPORTS MEDICINE (/PATIENT-CARE/UW-MEDICINE-SPORTS-MEDICINE-CENTER.HTML) ‘COMMON SPORTS INSURTES AND SPORTS INGURY PREVENTION TIPS Common Sports Injuries and Sports Injury Prevention Tips With the start of a new school year it's a good opportunity to remind anyone thinking about participating in sports of some simple things you can do to prevent some common injuries. Check back regularly, we will be adding new sports regularly! « Football (American) Gymnastics Cheerleading Football (American) Football (American) is one of the most watched and played sports played by athletes of all ages. SearchQ SearchQ Make an Appointme In this Section Find a Doctor (/services/find- doctor.html) Clinic Locations (/patient- care/clinic~ tocations.html) According to the U.S. Consumer Ciiicat #R Product Safety Commission services the care/etinical- were Wied in services.htm) medical clinics for Arthritis related injuries) most of ai could have Qe vi e i patent ees e Some of the most common football iniuries include: m a Re pertOveruse Injuries - Lower back or overall Baek pain isacommon (4 |\ complaint in Football (American) players dueitoreverise. Oftena "| ((i/\ leading cause is overtraining syndrome. This is when a playertrains \e4 beyondthe ability for the body to easity recover. Knee pain is another {| problem that football players complain of, this can usually be dealt with by a @UadFiceps-strengtheningprogram. Concussions - One of the most common injuries in Football (American). A concussion occurs due toa traumatic impact. Some >| © signs of concussion are; headache, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, loss | \ of balance, numbness, burry vision, and difficulty concentrating. Ree Concussions can be a very serious injury, if you think you may have < & suffered from one seek medical care immediately. Nex Heat Injuries - With the start of training camp this is a large concern. Most often occurs with the intense physical activities associated with (ong outdoor training sessions in the height ot summer. Sweating depletes the body of salt and water. Some of the symptoms you may note are cramping, if not treated with'simple Body €d0ling and fluids you can suffer from heat stroke or heat exhaustion which can if untreated lead to death. ‘Traumatic Injuries - Knee injuries in football are the most common, especially those to theanterior or posterior cfiiciateligament (AGLPPEL) ana to the menusct (cartilage of the knee). These knee injuries can adversely affect a player's longterm involvement in the sport. Football players also have a higher chance of ankle sprains due to the surfaces played on and cutting motions. Shoulder injuries are also quite common and the labrum (cartilage bumper surrounding the socket part of the shoulder) is particularly susceptible to injury, especially in offensive and defensive linemen. In addition, injuries to the cman or shoulder are seen in tootball player: high amiumy oF gar cin vit) 7 hig L ) Footballl Injury Prevention Tips « Perform proper warm-up and cool-down routines vo? * Consistently incorporate strength training and stretching. Rane il ne Se StereNNBN rm ‘care/foot- Fractures and Trauma Vpatient- care/fractures- trauma.html) tang ano Upper fase tient tare/hand/univer of- washington- Ronde center.html) up ana Knee Upatient- care/hip- knee.htm)) Oncology (patient- care/oncology.htn Pediatrics (/patient- care/seattie- cuca ital- pediatries.htmi Shoulder and Elbow Upatient- care/shoulder- elbow. html) Spine patient- care/spine.html) ‘Sports ~ Medicine (/patient- care/uw-Stay active during summer break to prepare for return.to sports in 1 the fall Vey * Wear properlyifitted protective equipment, such as a helmet, pads, w\" and mouth guard * Tackle with the head up and do not lead with the helmet * Have a preé+seasomihealth and wellfiess evaluation * Speak with a sports medicine professional or athletic trainer if you have any concerns about football injuries or football injury prevention strategies Gymnastics Gymnasts must consistently prepare for the rigorous physical and emotional toils that the sport requires. With the complexity of routines, the risk of potential injury increases.dnjuties most commonly occur in the ankles, feet, lower back, knees, witists, and Hands, often from Hydrate adequately to maintain health and minimize cramps medicine- aaa sports- medicine- wr center.html) su Sports Injury Prevention Upatient- care/articles/sp sports- iniuries- and- sports- iniurv- prevention- tips.html), Sports Medicine Preoperative Information (/patient- care/sports/spc medicine- pre- operative- information.htmr UW Sports overuse or simple stress. Injuries are rarely Medicine severe, but if left untreated they can lead geneee to chronic pain and bone fractures. Each House ; Upatient- year, more than S6{000igymnastics- Care/sports/uw felated injuries are treated in hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics, and medicines sports- ambulatory surgery centers. eteiie: center- ca 4 open- ‘Some of the most common gymnastics injuries include: pee an Often the upper body is used as a weight-bearing joint in gymnastics, | 2019 ose injuries to the SRoulder, elbow, and wrist are common and may include: \0! Bow! = ‘ay rte ‘Superior Labrum, Anterior-Posterior (SLAP) Lesions in the Shoulder, dy \l patents Elbow Dislocation and Wrist Sprains. The most common gymnastics wt care/sports/20: rose- injuries to the lower body involve the knee and ankle. Lower extremity on y bowl. html) iniuries usually result from the landing and dismount activities and mav 0 (\Y include: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury, Achilles Tendon Articles tor Injury, and Lower Back Injuries. (oatient-‘Wabrat'tears - (sometimes called SLAP tears) may occur during any care/patient- 4, articles) gymnastic exercise, but'ing and Har'specialists seem particularly vulnerable. It is characterized by pain that initially resolves but tends Videos for to recur with return to sport. An MRI can be helpful in establishing a i Upatient- definitive diagnosis. mn Arty AKU care/videos- wo W Br HOF ss git Wristnjuries - The Wiist is subjected to forees that can exceed twice _-_—~Patients.htm) the badyweight. The first step in treating wrist pain is to reduce the ‘About Us training volume of the athlete, relieve symptoms, and to participate in (ape eee only pain-free activities. After an injury, gymnasts should avoid usd extensive pressure on the wrist joint for six weeks. If the gymnast is Make a Referral experiencing pain with non-gymnastic activities of daily living, using a perl = brace or cast to immobilize the wrist temporarily may be helpful. referral.html) ‘AGE injunes - can resutt wnen a gymnast ianas “SOFT or 1s over- Vepariment * Soop” eNews rotated while tlimbling, dismounting, or vaulting. A "pop" may be heard (about/department or felt followed by knee swelling with hours. MRI is often used to enews.html) confirm ACL injury. As with other sports, ACL reconstruction is, recommended for gymnasts who wish to return to full sports participation. Achilles Tendons - Gymnasts can suffer from a variety of injuries to the Achilles tendon located just above the back of the heel, as a result of the repetitive stress of jdimping and landing. Achilles tendinitis results in calf soreness that is aggravated with jumping and landing. Treatment should initially consist of ultrasound, stretching, activity modification, and calf exercises. Foot immobilization for seven to ten days may be beneficial for severe symptoms. Foot &Ankle - Injuries to the foot and ankle are common in x S gymnastics. Acute injuries are usually sprains which can be minor or \hed @ more serious. Swelling, bruising and tenderness directly over the » < bones are signs of a more serious injury. Minor injuries typically have we? tenderness limited to one side of the joint without significant swelling. & yeh Serious injuries require evaluation by a qualified professional while we return to participation after a minor injury is often possible within a week if there is no pain (or limping) with weight bearing activity.Protection withitaping or a BRAG can aid recovery and reduea'thetrisk >‘ rau roy for resinjiry. Chronic ankle pain or repeated injuries are worrisome and > ~oatlurt) ' require evaluation before continuing with participation. yeatcr O ugall ‘MUSEIS'SHFain - The cause of low-back pain can include muscle strain, i ligament sprain, fracture, and/or disc disorders. Frequently, low-back pain will worsen with activity, especially with extension movements, Such as arching the shoulders backwards. Low-back pain in gymnasts related to muscular strain or ligament sprain usually responds toitest and physicalltherapy exercises. Persistent back pain is uncommon and should not be ignored. An MRI or a bone scan are often helpful to rule Out more significant injuries, Gymnastics Injury Prevention Tips: uA © Insist of Spotters when learning new skills a? © Warmup muscles with light aerobic exercise, such as jumping jacks or running in place, before beginning training or new activities ‘© Inspect equipment to ensure that it is in good condition, including padded floors, secured mats under every apparatus, and safety harnesses for learning difficult moves © Wear all required saféty gear whenever competing or training — special equipment may include wrist guards, hand grips, footwear, ankle or elbow braces, and pads © Déhhot “playthrough thepain" — if you are hurt, see your doctor and follow instructions for treatment and recovery fully Make sure firstiaid is available at all competitions and practices Less ‘Cheerleading > eeCheerleading is considered an athletic activity that incorporates elements of dance and gymnastics along with stunts and pyramid formations. Cheerleading competitions at the high school and collegiate levels have created a whole new dynamic, including increased risk for injury. Some of the most common cheerleading injuries include: dne study estimates that cheerleading led to 28,000:emergency room visits{in2009 (the latest year for data). While not as frequent as injuries in other sports, cheerleading injuries tend to be more severe, 9,5 making up more than-half of the catastrophicinjuriés in female athletes. Cheerleading injuries affect all areas of the body — most commonly the wrists, shoulders, ankles, head, and neck Cheerleading Injury Prevention Tips: stunt fSetrictions - In an attempt to curb the amount of catastrophic injuries in cheerleading, restrictions have been placed on stunts. They range from height restrictions in human pyramids, to the thrower-fiyer ratio, to the number of spotters that must be present for each person lifted above shoulder level. For example, the limit for pyramids is two body lengths for the high school level and 2.5 body lengths for the college level, with the base NY cheerleader in direct contact with the performing surface. Base supporters must remain stationary and the suspended person is not \ allowed to be inverted or rotate on dismount. Basket toss stunts in which a cheerleader is thrown into the air (sometimes as high as 20 feet) are only allowed to have four throwers. of The person being tossed (flyer) is not allowed to drop the head below a horizontal plane with the torso. One of the throwers must remain behind the flyer at all times during the toss.Mats should be used during practice sessions and as much as possible uring competitions. Cheerleaders should not attempt a stunt if they are tired, injured, or ill, as this may disrupt their focus and cause the stunt to be performed in an unsafe manner. rw Training - The importance of a qualified coach is also critical. céaching rn" Meson is encOuraged. Precautions should always be taken during, 7 wit inclement weather forall stunts, Also, astunt should not be attempted“ 2 without proper training, and not until the cheerleader is confident and comfortable with performing the stunt. Supervision should be provided atalltimes during stunt routines. ‘As with any sport, proper conditioning and training are important to minimize injury, including: yn a Lwin «Resistance exercises to gainistrength in the lower back, stomach, any and shoulders «Regular stf@tehing, Yoga, or pilates instruction to improve flexibility {\ «Speaking with a sports medicine professional or athletic trainer if you have any concerns about injuries or cheerleading injury prevention strategies + Returning to play only when clearance is granted by a healthcare professional Share this Page e 6 //twitter.com/intent/tweet? 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