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How to Prevent Sports-Related Injuries

March 22, 2018

Spring is here and it’s time to get yourself in shape for warmer weather. Stefanie Bourassa, the sports health program director at the Hartford HealthCare Bone & Joint Institute, offers tips on how to prevent sports-related injuries after a long winter’s hiatus:

Q.  What areas of the body are the most common for injuries? What kinds of injuries usually occur in these areas? 

A.  The most common body parts for injuries will depend on the age groups and activity levels. But overall, in no particular order, in the orthopedic and musculoskeletal field we see a lot of shoulder, hip and knee injuries.  In the shoulder the injuries could be a rotator cuff tear or strain, shoulder instability and sprains of the AC joint or the acromioclavicular joint.  The hip’s common injuries are hip flexor tendonopathies or strains, gluteus medius syndrome and femoral acetabular impingements or labral pathologies. The knee we have seen a 200% rise in ACL injuries in competitive sports, but we also see a lot of patellofemoral pain syndromes, meniscal tears, and quadriceps/patella tendonopathies and overuse injuries. 

Q.  How do treatments vary for these specific areas?
A.  The orthopedic and physical therapists work together to address these common injuries.  When the orthopedic physician initially looks at these injuries, they use tests and imaging to address whether the treatment can be non-surgical in nature or would be best served with surgery.  Even in the course of surgery, pre-hab, or preparing the body part by improving range of motion, strength and flexibility, is often recommended.  If the team decides that the injury would best be served non-surgically, a collaborative, individualized approach will be discussed with the physical or occupational therapist.  We work to get you better based off of what is the best evidence in research but also based off of what your individual goals may be. 

Q.   Are there ways to prevent such injuries?
A.  There are ways to prevent injuries.  We utilize screens and tests that can identify movement patterns and body parts that may be at risk of an injury.  Once we identify these patterns, we then can work with you on a strength and conditioning program and/or a mobility program to improve those movements.  We actually know that the No. 1 indication of being at risk for an injury is a history of a previous injury.  And we also know that the inability to balance on a single limb for 30 seconds is also a strong correlation. Currently, we have a research project that is grant funded that is working on injury prevention and performance enhancement.  Dr. Ware and I will be talking more about common injuries and ways to prevent them in upcoming community talks.