http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/ en kentyngrey@yahoo.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-02T19:23:09+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/preventing-basketball-injuries/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/preventing-basketball-injuries/#When:19:23:09Z The first and most important thing you can do to help prevent injury during a basketball game is to ensure that you are in top physical conditioning before hitting the court. This includes maintaining a routine of cardiovascular and weight training throughout the year. Many amateur athletes find themselves sustaining injuries when they engage in “weekend warrior” games without proper training. A good level of physical fitness and strength will prevent many major injuries from occurring. If you are going to be playing on an outdoor court in the summertime, make sure you take steps to protect against heat and sun-related illnesses such as heat stroke, dehydration, sun burn among others. If a player’s body is not in good conditioning, these heat related illnesses can take a serious toll on them and can result in serious symptoms such as difficult breathing, higher than safe body temperatures, muscle craps, nausea, tingling of limbs, and even death. Making sure you are properly hydrated can help keep heat related illness at bay along with mitigating the risk for muscle strains and sprains. Every player should hydrate before the exercise period by drinking 16 ounces of water and continuing with approximately 4-8 ounces of water for every 15 or 20 minutes of physical exertion. For most sports activities plain water is great! If you are planning on exercising or playing a sport for several hours, then you might consider a commercially available sports drink which supplies carbohydrates, sodium and potassium. One interesting way to determine if you are keeping yourself hydrated during a sporting event is to weigh yourself before playing and then weigh yourself directly after finishing. You should aim to stay the same weight. If you find that you lose weight during play, you need to hydrate more frequently; if you find you gain weight during play, you can reduce your fluid intake. Another way to guard against injuries during a basketball game is to wear braces or supports on any part of your body that has been previously injured or is weakened. The extra support that a brace or other support can give may be enough to prevent muscle strains and sprains from happening in the first place. A doctor will be able to help you understand where you may need a brace and can help fit a brace properly if you need one. Sports Injuries, Basketball 2012-05-02T19:23:09+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/ankle-sprains-and-rice/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/ankle-sprains-and-rice/#When:19:16:10Z The most common basketball injuries are ankle sprains which can occur because of the rapid directional changes of the game along with the continual jumping and landing. While many people believe that ankle sprains are not serious injuries, they can be seriously detrimental to the athletic well being of either a professional or an amateur player on the court. The most common type of ankle sprain in basketball is the inversion sprain which is most commonly caused by one player landing on another player’s foot, with the first player’s foot rolling on to its outer edge. This can tear or stretch the ankle’s outside ligaments and cause significant pain and weakness in the ankle. Minor sprains and strains can be treated using the RICE method which includes Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This will help to limit the amount of pain, bleeding, and swelling in and around the ankle joint. R: Rest When an athlete receives an injury, the player should stop playing immediately in order to reduce the chances of further injury. This also gives professionals a chance to evaluate the injury and ensure that it is not something more serious like a muscle tear or a bone break. I: Ice An ice pack should be applied immediately following injury to reduce swelling of the injury and reduce pain. Ice should be applied hourly in intervals of 15 minutes over the first four hours and then once every four hours over the next two days. C: Compression The injury should be bandaged in conjunction with the icing and elevation in order to support and compress the joint. This will help to reduce swelling and bleeding. E: Elevation Elevation of the injured limb (in this case the ankle) will help to reduce the flow of the blood to the ankle and encourages drainage. It, like the other steps of RICE, will help to reduce swelling, bleeding and pain. RICE can be used to treat all manner of other injuries including jammed fingers, which can occur if a player’s finger makes contact with the ball in an unnatural way. This can cause the joint to swell along with significant pain. In most cases the application of ice and taping or splinting the finger to an adjacent finger will provide relief. If the finger is broken, it is recommended that you see a doctor and have an x-ray of the finger if deemed necessary. Additionally, if a player experiences deep thigh bruising (which may occur during a collision with another player), RICE can be used to treat it.   Sports Injuries, Basketball 2012-05-02T19:16:10+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/basketball-injuries/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/basketball-injuries/#When:19:05:25Z Basketball was first introduced to the world in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a physical education professor at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield Massachusetts. On a rainy day during a particularly long, rainy winter, he sought to find an activity to keep his students engaged. He fashioned a basketball net from two peach baskets and used a soccer ball. Today, the game has evolved wildly away from the original form and is now a high intensity, fast-moving, team sport with some of the most talented (and highest paid) athletes in the world. As with many of today’s high-intensity sports, basketball has its fair share of common injuries given the incidence of fast-moving start and stop movements, a ball passed to other players forcefully, running and jumping associated with moving the ball down the court, and other injuries related to the blocking shots and other player’s movements around the court. The movements of the game, when played intensely or during a casual weekend game, exert a wide variety of forces on the athlete’s body, resulting in a wide variety of injuries sustained. Common injuries include ankle sprains, jammed fingers, knee injuries, deep thigh bruising, facial cuts, foot fractures and, of course, all sorts of other injuries. One factor that contributes to injury in many basketball players is size – in the NBA the average player is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs approximately 225 pounds. With this sort of height and weight along with the fact that they are some of the fastest and most agile athletes around, players can see injuries to their bodies magnified when compared to other sports. What might be a twisted ankle in soccer can result in a sprained ankle or torn ligament in basketball because the force of impact is greater given the average player’s size. Even for smaller players, there is greater risk of injuries because the game is played with so many large athletes. Because of the risk of injury, it is important that amateur players are wary of the “weekend warrior” game and that they are fully conditioned before going out on the court with more experienced players. By keeping up a regular routine of cardiovascular and weight-training exercise, players will be better prepared to cope with the stresses and strains that basketball can put on the body. Sports Injuries, Basketball 2012-05-02T19:05:25+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/exercises-to-prevent-back-injury-in-golf/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/exercises-to-prevent-back-injury-in-golf/#When:19:52:49Z As with any sport, it is always better to try to prevent injuries than to try and fix an injury once it has already occurred. There are some general tips to improve your physical conditioning along with some simple exercises to prevent both back and elbow injuries. General Tips: There are some very simple exercises that you can do to help ensure that you will remain uninjured. One of the best ways to get ready for a round of golf or a day at the driving range is to do some simple stretching exercises before starting. Make sure you stretch out your back, arms, shoulders and legs in particular. Dynamic stretching is currently the preferred method of stretching that includes stretching while moving rather than static stretching. After you finish stretching, you should make sure to hit a few practice balls on the range in a controlled manner. Make sure you are well-hydrated before, during, and after your game. Proper hydration will make your muscles more flexible and less likely to be injured. Back Exercises: There are many exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles in your back. Rowing. Firmly tie the ends of rubber tubing. Place it around an object that is shoulder height (like a door hinge). Standing with your arms straight out in front of you, grasp the tubing and slowly pull it toward your chest. Release slowly. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at least three times a week. Pull Downs. With the rubber tubing still around the door hinge, kneel and hold the tubing over your head. Pull down slowly toward your chest, bending your elbows as you lower your arms. Raise the tubing slowly over your head. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at least three times a week. Yoga and Pilates. These exercise programs focus on trunk and abdomen strength, as well as flexibility. Elbow Exercises: follow these simple exercises to help strengthen your forearm and reduce the instances of Golfer's Elbow. Squeeze a tennis ball. Squeezing an old tennis ball for 5 minutes at a time is a simple, effective exercise that will strengthen your forearm muscles. Wrist curls. Use a lightweight dumbbell. Lower the weight to the end of your fingers, and then curl the weight back into your palm, followed by curling up your wrist to lift the weight an inch or two higher. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, and then repeat with the other arm. Reverse wrist curls. Use a lightweight dumbbell. Place your hands in front of you, palm side down. Using your wrist, lift the weight up and down. Hold the arm that you are exercising abo your elbow with your other hand in order to limit the motion to your forearm. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, and then repeat with the other arm.   Sports Injuries, Golf 2012-04-05T19:52:49+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/back-and-elbow-injuries-in-golf/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/back-and-elbow-injuries-in-golf/#When:19:48:31Z Injuries can occur in just about any stage of a golf game, but injuries commonly occur when golfers backswing. This is particularly prevalent either if the golfer is new to the game or if he or she has a very advanced swing in which the lumbar spine extends beyond the point of proper support. The backswing is most likely to cause injury because it is the one aspect of the game that occurs at a high-velocity. Did you know that a professional with a solid golf swing can generate club head speeds of over 120mph. With this sort of force, even the slightest inconsistency in swing technique can result in injury. This can lead to back injuries and often-chronic lower back pain. A badly formed swing and an improperly preformed rotation can place considerable pressure on the spine and muscles. Additionally, for non-professional golfers or weekend-warriors, poor conditioning, flexibility and muscle strength can cause minor strains in the back that can quickly escalate to more serious injuries. Even professional golfers experience swing related lower back pain - in fact, 33% of professional golfers admitting to experiencing two or more weeks of lower back problems in the last year. The majority of these injuries among professionals are overuse injuries. The elbow is the second most prevalent injury in golf. The most common elbow injury is called medial epicondylitis (or golfer's elbow). It is thought to occur as a result of poor swing technique as many of the overuse injuries in golf tend to be. Golfer's Elbow is the inflammation of the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the inside of your elbow bone. These muscles can be damaged from overuse and can cause both pain and tenderness on the side of the elbow. It is commonly caused by hitting shots "fat" (which means when a golfers swing hits the ground before making contact with the ball). While injury becomes more prevalent as a golfer increases in age, most golfer's can prevent injury if they take the proper precaution by keeping up with his or her general conditioning, by learning proper technique from the start, and by ensuring that all equipment fits properly and is used correctly.   Sports Injuries, Golf 2012-04-05T19:48:31+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/golf-injuries/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/golf-injuries/#When:19:02:58Z Golf is a wonderful sport that has seen a huge increase in popularity in the last decade. Today there are more than 35 million golfers in the United States alone and over 16,000 golf courses, driving ranges, and other facilities for these golfers in the US. Given the number of golfers (and perhaps the average age of the sport that tends to attract athletes on the older side of things, especially compared to contact sports such as football and basketball or high velocity sports such as skiing or tennis), it is no surprise that golfers find themselves with a variety of injuries. A study from several years ago suggests that approximately 60% of professional golfers along with 40% of amateur golfers have suffered either a traumatic or overuse injury. Even with these statistics, golf is seen as a "low-risk" sport that men and women can continue to participate in well into their 50s, 60s, and even 70s. Still, even as a low-risk sport, in 2009 alone there were over 55,000 visits to hospital emergency rooms. As with many other sports such as skiing and tennis, the primary causes of golf injuries are: Equipment: Injuries are more likely to occur if using golf clubs that are not fitted for the golfer including improperly fitted clubs, clubs that are not long or short enough, clubs that have too little or too much torque, etc. Additionally, equipment such as properly fitting golf shoes and gloves can prevent minor injuries. General athleticism: Even though golf is thought of as a low-impact and low-risk sport, weekend-warriors are suggested to keep their general physical conditioning up to speed. Going to the gym several times per week, participating in cardio sports or exercises such as running or swimming can help you maintain your general athleticism and reduce the instances of injury in golf. Proper technique: the majority of golf injuries today are caused by improper techniques. It may be a backswing that tweaks something in your lower back or causes a strain in your shoulder. Learning the right way to swing and hit a golf ball is absolutely key in remaining uninjured.   Sports Injuries, Golf 2012-04-05T19:02:58+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/muscles-strains-and-acute-tennis-injuries/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/muscles-strains-and-acute-tennis-injuries/#When:21:29:54Z Acute injuries occur after a sudden trauma, such as a fall or collision. These injuries are often quite serious and can involve torn ligaments that may require surgery to repair. Additionally, more minor injuries such as sprained wrists and ankles are also common.  Because amateur tennis players are often less conditioned than professional players and are not as likely to have the constant strain and stress on their bodies as do their professional counterparts, acute injuries are more common among casual players.  Muscles strains are a very common injury among tennis players. Muscle strains occur when players make quick, sudden moves before their muscles are properly warmed up. A good warm-up will encourage the muscles to stretch out and will decrease the likelihood of pulled or strained muscles. Proper stretching should be slow and deliberate - today "dynamic stretching" is becoming an important and highly popular stretching method because it mimics many of the movements associated with sports. For example, a player may want to swing his or her leg forward and backward to stretch or swing his or her arms around their body to stretch.  The most common muscle strains are Wrist Strains and Ankle Strains. Most everyone has had an experience of rolling an ankle or falling on a wrist in an uncomfortable position. If there is enough force behind this impact, it can cause the muscle, tendon or ligament in the wrist or ankle to strain. Most sprains and strains are fairly moderate and can be treated using the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) but if you believe you might have torn a muscle, it is important to see a doctor and begin rehabilitation immediately.  Tennis players may find themselves with a myriad of shoulder injuries due to the repeated impact on the shoulder from serving and returning balls. One of the more serious conditions is a Torn Rotator Cuff. Contrary to a strained Rotator Cuff Muscle, a tear is more serious and may require surgery to ensure proper healing. Symptoms include serious pain, a decrease in the range of motion, weakness, and a deep ache. Most usually, players will feel the muscle tear after a fall or collision where the majority of impact is on the shoulder joint. Those who suffer from Rotator Cuff tears are in for several months of rehabilitation before properly healed. Sports Injuries, Tennis 2012-02-24T21:29:54+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/tennis-injuries-from-overuse/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/tennis-injuries-from-overuse/#When:19:49:02Z Overuse Injuries occur as a result of stress on the muscles, joints, and soft tissues over time. These injuries most often occur in older adults as their bodies begin to feel the wear-and-tear of age or among athletes who haven't given past injuries enough time to heal. These injuries begin a small, nagging pain but can grow into serious injuries if they aren't properly treated early on.  Approximately two-thirds of all tennis injuries are overuse injuries while the other one-third is due to a traumatic injury or an acute event.  The most common overuse injury is "Tennis Elbow," also called lateral epicondylitis, a condition that affects tennis players due to the constant strain on the elbow joint and the overuse of the tendons and muscles around the joint. Symptoms include minor and localized pain in the joint and restricted movement in the wrist. The pain may increase when the fingers are fully straightened or the wrist is bent backwards. Many players find themselves with tennis elbow after practicing and playing with poor technique, including using wet balls or racquet strings that are too tight. In order to avoid Tennis Elbow and other overuse injuries having to do with the forearm, players should work to strengthen the muscle and the muscles surrounding it. This, along with proper warm-ups, will help to decrease injury to this area. Additionally, making sure that you are using proper gear, including a properly sized racquet and grip along with new tennis balls will help to prevent this condition. Another common injury is called Frozen Shoulder or adhesive capsulitis, an inflammatory condition that cause a limited range of motion in the shoulder joint. Tennis players may find that in the case of certain injuries or overuse of the joint, the shoulder becomes tight, stiff, and painful (especially in the evening). Pain from this injury is usually associated with overhead motions such as serving. Another very common shoulder injury to be aware of if you believe you have an overuse shoulder injury due to tennis is Rotator Cuff Tendonitis. Generally speaking, shoulder overuse injuries are usually due to poor conditions and strength of the rotator cuff muscles. This muscle helps to make sure that the shoulder joint rotates properly and when it is fatigued or weakened by lack of conditioning, a player may find that there is increase "play" in the joint, which can irritate the surrounding muscles and cause the inflammation.  Nearly twenty percent of junior tennis players suffer from stress fractures at some point in their play (compare this to only 7.5 percent of professional tennis players who experience the same injuries). Stress fractures are the result of unconditioned or under-conditioned players training too rapidly. Especially when starting a new sport or physical activity the muscles become tired and worn out. If you continue to push yourself without giving your muscles time to gain their strength back, this can cause the additional stress to be applied directly on to the bones. If this occurs quickly and in rapid succession, it can cause the bones to break. These tiny breaks are more like small cracks in the bone and not like a serious displacement of the bone (as you might see when someone falls and lands on an arm which can "snap."). Most stress fractures occur in the leg or in the foot. It is important to remember that these injuries are very preventable given enough time to properly condition before training intensively. Sports Injuries, Tennis 2012-02-24T19:49:02+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/tennis-player-injuries/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/tennis-player-injuries/#When:19:39:12Z Tennis is a complex sport requiring a host of quick-moving, high intensity movements along with hand-eye coordination, and full body use. In a tennis match, a player must serve the ball, which puts pressure on the elbow and shoulder joints; must return a serve, which can put pressure on the knees, ankles along with upper body joints; a player must position himself or herself in order to return a ball, which can put pressure on the knees. And of course, as with any high-intensity and high-velocity sport, accidents, falls, and collisions can always cause injury.  Tennis injuries can occur in just about any part of the body, but the most common injuries have to do with the rotator cuff, the elbow, the wrists, the knees, the ankles, and the back. Injuries are defined as either cumulative as a result of overuse or acute as a result of a specified trauma. For the most part, acute injuries occur to players who are not well conditioned or are just getting back into the sport after a long hiatus while overuse injuries occur to long-term or professional players or older athletes whose bodies are feeling the wear and tear of aging. In both these cases, it is important for players to have a good base level of conditioning before hitting the courts, to ensure that all gear fits properly, and to always have a good warm-up program. A five or ten minute warm-up including dynamic stretching can help prevent injuries from happening. Several movements are commonly the culprits for tennis injuries. If too vigorous or done without proper training and technique overhead swing (or serve) can cause rotator cuff injuries and other shoulder injuries. Faulty backhand technique is often the cause of tennis elbow as the forearm muscles become overloaded with pressure, which is then transferred to the elbow.  A wrist-heavy serve (rather than a serve whose power comes from the shoulder) can also cause a similar overloading of the forearm and elbow injury. Wrist strains and sprains are often associated with a "laid-back" grip of the racket where the palm is positioned too far upward and the wrist is turned slightly when hitting. A swaybacked posture can contribute to both chronic and acute back pain. Improper or ill-fitting shoes, or those that don't provide adequate support can increase the likelihood of ankle strains and sprains. In addition to these specific postures or techniques, acute injuries can occur as the result of sudden (and likely unpreventable) falls and collisions. As tennis is a fast-moving sport that requires quick-thinking and fast-reactions, falls are not uncommon.  The best solution to tennis injury is to avoid them with proper training, conditioning, practice, and gear. Prevention is a far easier task than injury rehabilitation. Sports Injuries, Tennis 2012-02-24T19:39:12+00:00 http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/injury-prevention-for-football-players/ http://cposm.com/index.php/blog/details/injury-prevention-for-football-players/#When:23:49:56Z Given the prevalence of injury in the sport, understanding the steps that can be taken to prevent injury is of the utmost importance.  A warm-up is a vital part of injury prevention in any sport, but is especially important when the sport involves so many high-intensity sudden start-stop movements. A warm-up should increase the player's heart rate in order to increase blood flow to all parts of the body; it should also stretch the muscles slightly to ensure that they are neither cold nor inflexible when intense movements begin.  Ideally, a warm-up consists of 5 minutes of cardio activity such as jogging, cycling, or other high-heart rate activities. This should be followed by stretching. Today, most physiotherapists recommend dynamic stretching which involves high-intensively movement combined with stretching, to more closely resemble movements made in sports. This sort of stretching involves drills like running with high knees, heels to bum and cariocas.  Given the prevalence of tackle in football and other high-contact activity, proper protection and gear is highly important. High quality helmets, shoulder, thigh, and knee pads, gloves, mouth guards and everything else will help decrease the change for injury during a game or practice.  Although often disregarded by amateur athletes, rest is an important part of any training program. During play, football player's bodies need rest to recuperate from the damage done to cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems. Generally over-training and a lack of adequate rest between training sessions, results in poor technique and overuse injuries. Highly-trained athletes rely as much on their physical training as they do on proper nutrition and hydration. Without a good diet, specifically fit to your training needs, you'll find your muscles depleted, unable to fully recover after training, and prone to injury. Dehydration prevents adequate blood flow to your muscles and, likewise, makes you prone to injury. Sports Injuries, Football 2012-02-03T23:49:56+00:00