With less than two months before the start of football season, many players are training on the field and in the weight room. Athletes in other fall sports, such as cross-country, volleyball, soccer and basketball, are right alongside them as they also prepare for their seasons. Doctors at Ochsner LSU Health said this kind of physical activity in the summer can be crucial to prevent the risk of in-season injuries.
“Don’t wait until the season to get in shape. We see a lot of overuse injuries from players who try to do too much, too soon. Things work better if you gradually ramp up activity so it’s not a big shock to your system,” said Dr. Peter Seidenberg, a family medicine physician at Ochsner LSU Health and professor and chair of family medicine at LSU Health Shreveport. “At the same time, if you are training outside, make sure you are aware of potential heat risks, take breaks and stay hydrated.”
Dr. Seidenberg and Dr. Shane Barton, orthopedic surgeon at Ochsner LSU Health and endowed professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at LSU Health Shreveport, encourage athletes to cross-train in multiple sports to avoid the risk of overuse injuries and work muscles in different ways. Dr. Barton noted that it has become common for youth athletes to want to focus on one sport year-round and play in multiple leagues as they seek college scholarships or professional opportunities. However, that strategy can ultimately do more harm than good.
“If you spend at least a few months of the year doing something other than your primary sport, it’s a great way to maintain your health and longevity,” Dr. Barton said. “It reduces the chances of getting burned out or having common overuse injuries in areas like the shoulder or elbow. Any kid around age 14 or younger can particularly have their growth plates affected by overuse. Most of the time, they will just need rest and rehab. It can be hard to get kids to stop playing, especially if they are thinking about their future, so it’s important for them to know that injuries will keep them out of the game longer.”
While just about every injury is painful and requires some recovery time, research has shown that concussions can cause lasting neurological damage, especially if they are left untreated. Dr. Seidenberg said the number one key to preventing concussions and other head injuries is to follow the rules of the sport. In addition, doing exercises to increase neck strength has been shown to decrease concussion risks. However, if an athlete suspects they have a concussion and experiences symptoms like headaches, dizziness or nausea, it’s important to take steps to address those. These symptoms can appear immediately, or several hours after the injury takes place.
“A concussion is more of a microscopic injury that is a functional disturbance of the brain. The injury itself is a lot more subtle for most people,” Dr. Seidenberg said. “That’s why returning to play once someone recovers from symptoms needs to happen in a progression depending on how the athlete tolerates each step in a recovery program. It takes at least a week to get back to normal after a concussion. It’s not a situation where you go to a doctor and they clear you immediately. There are evidence-based protocols that we follow.”
When it comes to injuries to other parts of the body, Dr. Seidenberg said he reminds people that “sharp is bad.” Muscle soreness and a slight decrease in range of motion is normal about 24 to 48 hours after heavy physical activity. But, anything more intense should be evaluated by a doctor.
“If the soreness persists for more than a few days and it is affecting your normal activities, that’s when you start to think about an injury,” he said. “It’s also incredibly important to get adequate sleep and nutrition. If you don’t have that as part of your recovery plan, the muscles will break down much faster.”
Ochsner LSU Health offers a comprehensive sports medicine program that is designed to take a holistic approach to health, offer preventative treatment and appropriate rehabilitation when injuries occur. Services include on-site advanced imaging, diagnostic ultrasounds, a rehabilitation gym and an outdoor turf field. The care also includes nutrition and performance issue assessments, recommendations on appropriate strength training and conditioning activities, weight loss management and injury risk assessments. Doctors also work with those who have conditions such as asthma or diabetes to help them manage their health care needs while still staying physically active.
“It truly is a combination of care from primary physicians, trained sports medicine physicians, orthopedic surgeons and other specialists,” Dr. Barton said. “We offer services for kids and adults in both operative and non-operative cases. We have dedicated research labs that are doing really advanced work with biologic injections, stem cells and platelet-rich plasma. It’s very comprehensive.”
Visit www.ochsnerlsuhs.org/services-departments/sports-medicine for more information or to schedule an appointment.
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