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July 3, 2013
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Men In Business 11
With the upcoming weather change, many men change from weekend warriors to daily
exercise participants. Although great for overall fitness, it does come at an increased risk of
obtaining an overuse injury.
It is recommended to discuss any major change in
activity with a physician to discuss injury prevention.
Summer usually means more time on a golf course.
Golf
is relatively
low risk in terms of traumatic injuries, but does see its fair share of
overuse wrist, elbow and back injuries. Traumatic injuries are more
common in contact sports, but golf is unique in that it requires the same
precise movement multiple times in a row. This, as well as the weather
driven tendency to play lots of golf in a short time frame, exacerbates
overuse injuries. Common conditions noted in golfers include
wrist
tendonitis, golfers elbow and lower back strains.
If caught
early enough, these conditions can be treated fairly easily and allow
the athlete to return to golf only missing a week or two. However, if
ignored, the pain can become chronic and require limits to the very
activity that produced them.
Golfers elbow
is characterized by pain on the inner part of the elbow
that is worsened with trying to lift and turn the wrist. It is usually treated
with a combination of rest, stretching and ice. Rarely would the pain
require invasive treatment.
Most runners will experience plantar fasciitis at one point in their lives. It usually occurs as a pain near or at the heel.
This pain is worsened by walking, running and other activity. The pain can be treated fairly easily early with the proper
stretching regiment and avoidance of painful triggers.
Another condition brought about by running is aptly called
runners knee
. This pain is usually localized to the front
part of the kneecap and is worsened by maneuvers which entail squatting or bending the knee. Again, it is worsened
by increasing activity without the body being ready for it. As with most injuries, it can be treated with the proper
stretching program and activity modification.
Physical therapy
is often necessary to improve flexibility safely while
maintaining strength. Physical therapists are trained to evaluate each
individual injury and tailor a program to improve both strength and
performance.
We often see men avoiding the doctor until a problem has worsened and
become chronic. It is better to
visit your physician before you start
on an exercise program
, rather
than go after the annoying pain
experienced once every other week
becomes a daily problem. My advice
is to seek the help of a physician to
tailor an exercise program for your age
and health. They may advocate some
testing to make sure that ones heart
is up to the stress of physical activity.
Work with your doctor before
an injury so that you can avoid
them later
.
Men and Their Health
By Barry Rhodes MD
Family Care Sports Medicine
NW Primary Care
Milwaukie Office
503.659.4988
A lot of men also take up
running in the summer
because the days are long
and rain is fairly sparse.
However, running is one
activity that needs to be
eased into slowly to avoid
many common knee and
foot problems.
Another common injury in
golf is lower back pain.
The culprit of this is usually
poor flexibility and core
strength. Golfers also have
to watch out for injuries due
to weather exposure. It is
very important to combat
dehydration with lots of
water intake and playing at
times to avoid the suns heat.
Wrist tendonitis can
occur in both wrists,
but is more common
in the non dominant
hand. The pain worsens
throughout the activity
and usually improves
with immobilization and
complete avoidance of golf.
384685.062911 CRMIB