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You’re crushing your last set of kettlebell swings or battle-rope slams when—yowch—you feel a catch in your shoulder. Or you wrap up your run feeling great, only to develop a nagging ache in your knee the next day. Some athletic injuries strike quickly and others sneak up slowly, but they all have one thing in common: They suck. They can knock you out of your routine, keep you up at night, and just all around make you miserable. And unfortunately, thanks to things like anatomy and movement patterns, some are more likely to occur in women than men.
[post_ads] Knowing your vulnerabilities and working to shore them up can go a long way toward reducing your risk. But if you do get hurt, know this: It probably isn’t your fault, and fear of injury shouldn’t keep you from working out, Armin Tehrany, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and founder of Manhattan Orthopedic Care, tells SELF. “The advantages of being fit, happy, and having a good endorphin level greatly outweigh the drawbacks,” he says.
There’s also a difference between an ache and an injury. A dull, nagging pain might be a sign that you have a muscular imbalance or are doing too much, too soon—both things that can lead to overuse injuries, such as shin splints, down the line. But don’t panic if you start feeling a tinge here or there. When in doubt, see a sports-medicine doctor or physical therapist who can help you figure out what’s going on and help you ward off bigger issues.
Recognize that injuries are sometimes part of a fit lifestyle, and then get help when they occur, Dr. Tehrany advises. A trained professional—such as a physical therapist or sports doc—can often get you moving pain-free again with minimal downtime. Here are the biggest athletic injuries to watch out for and how to ward them off.
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1.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.
On average, women are three and a half times as likely as men to tear their ACL, the tendon that runs diagonally across the middle of your knee. Some of the difference comes down to the way our bodies are shaped, sports chiropractor Carlo Guadagno, D.C., C.C.S.P., assistant professor of clinical sciences at National University of the Health Sciences, tells SELF. Women have wider pelvises, creating a greater angle between our hipbones and kneecaps. As a result, our knees drift inward, placing extra strain on the joint.
Videotape of athletes like basketball players shows that when women jump or change directions, we’re more likely to land stiff-legged and off-balance, Joanne Halbrecht, M.D., board-certified orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Boulder Institute for Sports Medicine, tells SELF. Often, that’s when the tendon tears (and why this can happen even when you don’t fall or collide with another athlete).
[post_ads]Experts have developed protocols of muscle-strengthening moves, plyometrics (jumping exercises), and training in proper landing and pivoting that one recent meta-analysis suggests protect the ACLs of female athletes. The Santa Monica Sports Medicine Foundation offers a description and video of an ACL-focused program called Prevent injury and Enhance Performance, or PEP, for free online. These programs are worth considering if you play soccer, basketball, or any other sport or activity that involves a lot of cutting or jumping, Dr. Halbrecht says.
Knee pain, specifically patellofemoral pain syndrome and iliotibial band syndrome.
The same hip-knee angle that contributes to ACL tears also boosts women’s odds of more gradual, nagging knee aches, Guadagno says. A minor misalignment between your hips and knees can drive your kneecap ever-so-slightly off track, causing bones and soft tissue to rub where they shouldn’t and creating inflammation with repetitive movement.
As a result, you might develop patellofemoral pain syndrome, the ache behind the back of your kneecap that’s more commonly referred to as runner’s knee. Or, the iliotibial band (IT band)—which runs from your hip to your knee on the outside of your leg—can grow tight or inflamed, causing soreness on the side of your knee.
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Activities like running and hiking worsen the problem by working your outer leg muscles more than those on the inside, Halbrecht says. If those are your jam, she recommends weekly cycling or other cross-training sessions to rebalance your body. Foam rolling the muscles surrounding your knee—including the hamstring and calves—can reduce pressure on the joint, Tehrany says. Knees already hurting you? Strengthening the muscles in your hips and core may help relieve it, according to a recent meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
3.
Rotator cuff (shoulder) injuries.
Thanks to that handy ball and socket, your shoulders can move more than any other joint in your body. However, that freedom comes with a price. Your rotator cuff—the complex network of muscles and tendons that keep shoulders stable—can easily be thrown off balance with repetitive or stressful overhead movements, Dr. Tehrany says.
[post_ads] Women face an added risk because we tend to be more flexible than men, he adds. The same looser ligaments that help you nail yoga poses also make it easier to hyperextend the shoulder joint, causing tendon inflammation, tears, and even dislocation. Plus, the way our shoulder bones are shaped can increase the risk they’ll trap and squeeze already irritated tendons, a painful condition called impingement, Dr. Tehrany says.
4.
Ankle sprains.
Sports docs see more sprained ankles than essentially any other complaint, Drs. Halbrecht and Tehrany say. And a recent review and meta-analysis by Irish scientists found women were about one and a half times as likely to sustain them as men.
Activities like running and hiking worsen the problem by working your outer leg muscles more than those on the inside, Halbrecht says. If those are your jam, she recommends weekly cycling or other cross-training sessions to rebalance your body. Foam rolling the muscles surrounding your knee—including the hamstring and calves—can reduce pressure on the joint, Tehrany says. Knees already hurting you? Strengthening the muscles in your hips and core may help relieve it, according to a recent meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
3.
Rotator cuff (shoulder) injuries.
Thanks to that handy ball and socket, your shoulders can move more than any other joint in your body. However, that freedom comes with a price. Your rotator cuff—the complex network of muscles and tendons that keep shoulders stable—can easily be thrown off balance with repetitive or stressful overhead movements, Dr. Tehrany says.
[post_ads] Women face an added risk because we tend to be more flexible than men, he adds. The same looser ligaments that help you nail yoga poses also make it easier to hyperextend the shoulder joint, causing tendon inflammation, tears, and even dislocation. Plus, the way our shoulder bones are shaped can increase the risk they’ll trap and squeeze already irritated tendons, a painful condition called impingement, Dr. Tehrany says.
Swimmers and those who play overhead sports—think softball and tennis—face
the greatest risk of rotator cuff injuries. If those are your workouts
of choice, it’s worth spending some time with an expert trainer or coach
to assess your movement and fine-tune your technique. And as with
almost any overuse injury, maintaining strength and balance in the
muscles surrounding a joint can help; a trainer or physical therapist
can help you develop a plan to build both, Dr. Tehrany says.
4.
Ankle sprains.
Sports docs see more sprained ankles than essentially any other complaint, Drs. Halbrecht and Tehrany say. And a recent review and meta-analysis by Irish scientists found women were about one and a half times as likely to sustain them as men.
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Doctors aren’t yet sure why—the reasons haven’t been as precisely pinpointed as those underlying ACL tears, Dr. Halbrecht says. But it’s likely the same loose ligaments and differences in alignment apply, since the effects on your movement patterns likely continue down the entire length of your legs, Guadagno says. Overpronation, an excessive turning in of your feet as you walk or run, may also play a role.
For adequate ankle support, choose shoes made specifically for your sport, Guadagno says. For instance, running shoes don’t provide stability for side-to-side movements you need in a game of tennis, nor will they hold your feet in the right position when you squat or lunge with heavy weights. Foam rolling tight muscles in your calves can also enable your ankle joint to move more freely, potentially reducing your risk of a bad step or turn.
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Doctors aren’t yet sure why—the reasons haven’t been as precisely pinpointed as those underlying ACL tears, Dr. Halbrecht says. But it’s likely the same loose ligaments and differences in alignment apply, since the effects on your movement patterns likely continue down the entire length of your legs, Guadagno says. Overpronation, an excessive turning in of your feet as you walk or run, may also play a role.
For adequate ankle support, choose shoes made specifically for your sport, Guadagno says. For instance, running shoes don’t provide stability for side-to-side movements you need in a game of tennis, nor will they hold your feet in the right position when you squat or lunge with heavy weights. Foam rolling tight muscles in your calves can also enable your ankle joint to move more freely, potentially reducing your risk of a bad step or turn.
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