MOVE
Posted March 31, 2024
Spring and summer are a great time to get back into an active, outdoor life. Whether you’re trying a new activity like pickleball, hopping on your bike or growing a garden, a lack of conditioning can lead to sore muscles and joints and sometimes a more serious orthopedic or sport injury. That’s why it’s important to start out slow and incorporate stretching into all of your summer outdoor activities.
ACL injury – your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four main knee ligaments that connect your thigh and shin. A tear in your ACL is common to people who play sports with sudden changes in direction such as soccer and basketball.
Concussion – a brain injury caused by a sudden impact to your head. While we often think of sports such as football as a common cause of concussions, even low impact sports like baseball and softball can result in a concussion. Stop the activity and seek medical care immediately if you suspect you have had a concussion. ImPACT concussion testing is available to help figure out when it’s safe to return to activity.
Shin splints – inflammation and pain in the muscles, tendons and tissue in your shin. Shin splints happen most often in the inner portion of your shin. Shin splints are common to dancers, runners and gymnasts and people who participate in activities that are high impact and repetitive.
Sprains – a sprain is an injury to a ligament. A minor sprain happens if a ligament is stretched. A major sprain happens when your ligament is torn or ruptured. Sprains are common in activities that use your shoulder, knee, ankle, elbow and hands.
Strains – a strain is an injury to a muscle and are common in your legs (hamstring, quadriceps, calf), groin, shoulder (rotator cuff) and low back.
Tennis elbow – swelling and pain in the tendons caused by overuse. It is common in sports such as golf, tennis and pickleball. Also known as tendonitis, tendonitis often affects the elbow, wrist and hands.
As tempting as warmer summer weather can be, jumping into physical activity after being sedentary for months can be dangerous. Avoid orthopedic and sport injuries by including a warm-up and stretching before, and sometimes after, any outdoor activity or sport.
So, you’ve warmed up, followed the rules, used the right equipment and still get an injury? For minor sprains, strains and pain follow the RICE treatment: Rest, Icing, Compression and Elevation. You can also try taking an over-the-counter pain medication.
If your injury is severe or home treatment is not helping, consult your doctor. Allina Health Orthopedics can help you get moving again.
Allina Health urgent cares and orthopedic clinics are located throughout the Twin Cities. For a same-day appointment, call 952-946-9777.
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