• Wear proper eye guards (lensed polycarbonate protectors) for racket sports, basket ball, tennis or volleyball;

• Use batting helmets with polycarbonate face shields for baseball and softball;

• Use helmets and face shields approved by the U.S. Amateur Hockey Association when playing hockey.

It is important for parents to know that regular reading glasses, sunglasses, or even safety glasses do not provide the adequate eye protection for many sports. Eye guards can be purchased at sports stores or local optical store. But, be sure to ask someone familiar with your child’s eyesight to fit them properly, making certain that the eye guard contains cushioning along the eyebrow and the edge of the nose to help prevent your young athlete from cutting or damaging his or her face.

Source: Pennsylvania Association for the Blind

Technorati Tags: child safety, eye injuries, sports injuries, Where:Santa-Clara-CA

Sports Safety Tips:

• Warm up with light activity, then progress to moderate activity at least 5-10 minutes before exercising or participating in sports. You should feel “hot” and have a little sweat going if you are properly warmed up.

• Cool down and stretch after every workout. Never just walk away from a sport or activity. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds to one minute without bouncing.

• For safe training, never increase your exercise intensity or the amount of weight lifted by a factor of more than 10 percent every two weeks.

• Train specifically for your sport. Each activity uses different muscles and patterns in the body; make sure your body is trained for your sport

• Use heart-rate guidelines in training for endurance sports. Certain formulas can be used to help calculate safe heart rates for training children, teens, and adults. These ranges can be used to train specifically for longer endurance, short bursts of heavy exercise, etc. Talk to a fitness professional to help you find these ranges.

• Give your body a break. Always take one to two days off per week to let your muscles heal and your body repair.

• Cross-train with different activities. This allows your body to repair and helps you gain strength and endurance at the same time. Your body adapts to an exercise program every four to six weeks. Change exercises or types of workouts every four to six to help improve your performance and also to avoid overuse injuries.”

• Don’t use thirst as a guide to drinking. By the time you are thirsty, you are already more than 3 percent dehydrated. Guidelines:

• Drink at least 64 ounces (eight 8 oz. glasses) of water per day

• Drink two to three cups of fluids up to two hours before exercise

• During intense and prolonged exercise sessions, or when exercising in an environment that is hot and/or humid, drink 8-10 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes.

• After exercise, drink enough fluids to quench your thirst plus extra. (A good guideline for hydration is urine. Urine should be clear, if it is dark colored you have dehydrated and need to drink more.

Dr. Solecki advocates using what he calls a “periodization schedule of training” for serious and competitive high school athletes who focus year-round on their fitness and sports training. What does this mean? According to Dr. Solecki, it means that your training should be very different in your off-season versus pre-season. In other words, give yourself periods of time with more strenuous exercise and periods with lighter/recovery types of exercise.

Dr. Solecki also wants you to be aware that if you change workout types or start a new sport, some muscle soreness is normal and even good. The soreness from lactic acid build-up is an indication that you are building stronger muscles. But, not all pain is “gain.” He suggests that if you find yourself much more sore on day two than you were on day one, or if you’re only getting sore on days two or three, this is an indication that you are pushing too hard and need to back off.

And, finally, Dr. Solecki advises that children age 12 and under should avoid using weights or heavy lifting because the growth plates at the end of children’s bones may be damaged by lifting weights too early, which will affect later growth and development. The alternative? Dr. Solecki recommends that younger athletes stick with exercises using only body their own body weight until their growth plates have closed.

Source: National University of Health Sciences, www.nuhs.edu

Technorati Tags: sports injuries, Where:Santa-Clara-CA, youth health and fitness

According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission exercise-related injuries and injuries sustained through the use of exercise equipment sent more than 166,000 people in the 45-64 age group to the emergency room, clinic or doctor’s office in 2008. Though middle-aged people today are a lot more active than their parents were, and are basically more fit and athletic longer into their lives, older athletes need to take a few precautions to protect themselves from injuries like rotator cuff tears, tendonitis and stress fractures.

Though most of the injuries in the Consumer report appear to be due to people not giving themselves enough time to rest up after tough workouts, Monto and AAOS offer a number of helpful tips to avoid exercise injuries: Check with your physician before starting any type of exercise program (your doctor can make sure you’re healthy and offer advice on sports and activities that fit your fitness level). Don’t do the same workout day after day (this will help to avoid repetitive stress injuries and eliminate chronic injury patterns). Work on your flexibility (it’s crucial to stretch and warm up before a workout, and cool down and stretch again, the AAOS advises). And, be sure to schedule days off into your exercise regimen, especially after a particularly intense workout.

So, Baby Boomers, even though you may feel young, it’s still wise to take extra precautions to protect your body when you’re active. After all, wisdom comes with aging.

Full article by Anne Harding (Reuters Health)

ORIGINAL SOURCE: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, June 22, 2009.

Technorati Tags: exercise, rotator cuff tears, sports injuries, stress fractures, tendonitis

The majority of injuries fall into two categories: 1) traumatic injury, such as a slip, fall, or collision and, 2) repetitive stress or overuse injury.

Traumatic Injuries

These injuries cause the debilitating problems often associated with trauma. As a rule injuries to the ligaments (the tissue that connects bones to bones) and to muscles are the most common, though the trauma of fractures and dislocations often occurs in contact sports. A strain is any injury to either a muscle or its tendon, and a sprain is an injury to ligaments.  The most common areas for these types of injuries are the ankles, knees, and shoulders, although other areas can be affected including the low back and neck. Because the spinal cord and/or spinal nerves can be involved, injury to the neck and low back can be very serious.

A traumatic injury may be mild, such as a “muscle pull” or ankle twist. But, some can be serious enough to require surgery. It all depends upon the degree of tearing of the tissues, the location, and the age of the person. Some degree of swelling occurs with most sprains and strains. However with certain injuries, especially those of the ankel and knee, there can be some internal bleeding as well. Strains and sprains require proper attention, especially during the initial stages of an injury,to insure proper healing and no future disability. Treatment from a healthcare professional, such as your Santa Clara Chiropractor, is highly advisable.

The following is an acronym for the post-injury management of sprains and strains expressly if no professional help is available: PRICE
P    Protect injury from further damage
R    Rest the injury
I     Ice injury to reduce swelling, bleeding, muscle spasm, and pain
C    Compress injury with a specialized support or elastic bandage to support injured tissues
E    Elevate the injury, especially when dealing with ankles and knees

Of course it is important to get the injury properly assessed by a chiropractor or other professional to find out the extent of damage. When proper care is given during the various stages of healing, most individuals who have sustained sprain and strain injuries will recovery. If not managed carefully, some sprains and strains can result in long-lasting problems such as joint instability, painful or weak joints and muscles, and lack of mobility. Good management of your sports injury by a chiropractor highly experienced in sports injury treatment will insure that your injury heals properly. Call your Santa Clara Chiropractor if you have sustained a traumatic injury.

Repetitive Stress, or Overuse, Injuries

These injuries are becoming more and more common, especially among people pursuing sports such as golf, tennis, bowling, and any other activity that requires the same activity over and over (repetition). Something as simple and healthy as running, particularly on a treadmill, can also be a factor.

Basically, overuse or repetitive stress injuries occur when a person is involved in a repetitious activity that causes a very slight strain to tissues, especially tendons and muscles, that alone would not cause a problem, but done many times has an accumulative effect.  carpal tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common types of overuse injuries. Over time the muscle or other affected tissue develops changes that no longer allow it to function properly resulting in pain, stiffness and disability. Certain factors predispose a person to these types of injury. Some are “intrinsic,” meaning the factor is found with a person’s own body. Others are “extrinsic,” which means that the factors are external and can often be changed or controlled by the individual.

Some of the most common intrinsic factors for injury

Age is the most common intrinsic factor for injury. The older a person is, the easier it is for that person to get injured. Congenital abnormalities are another factor. Some people are born with joint or muscle problems. And, previous injuries are a factor as they often keep the joints or muscles from functioning properly.

Extrinsic factors for injury

Extrinsic factors are numerous.  An improper grip size of a tennis racket, worn out running shoes, an uneven treadmill surface or a too-hard surface for soccer are all examples of faulty sports equipment that can cause problems. Improper technique in any sport, such as an improper golf grip is, as they say, an injury waiting to happen All sports activities require some pre-conditioning, which is why people who are out of shape, those who continue to increase the duration of an activity without building up slowly, and those who lack flexibility, are injured most often. Warming up is essential prior to sports activities, and lack of warm-up, that is, not stretching or preparing for an activity is a common cause of injury.  And, finally, but perhaps surprisingly to some, stress is a factor. Being tired or stressed can cause tense, inflexible muscles that are too tight for most activities.

There are many more factors that are extrinsic and, therefore, within a person’s control. Before beginning a new sport, or as a way to prevent injury in a current sport, it’s smart to get an assessment of your general body condition. If you’ve been injured, it is crucial to seek out a qualified professional, like a chiropractor, to assess the nature of the injury and prepare a plan of treatment. If left untreated, sports injuries can greatly affect a person’s life and limit a favorite activity. Treatment such as joint manipulation, massage, bracing, and specific exercises is often required to stabilize the condition. A chiropractor is a good source of help. Call a chiropractor if you’re either thinking of beginning a new activity, you’re feeling pain related to a current sports activity, or you’ve sustained a sports injury. Your Santa Clara Chiropractor has years of experience helping people just like you.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic care, overuse injury, Santa Clara Chiropractor, sports injuries