For Weekend Warriors, Injury Prevention Is Still the Best Medicine

Whether you’re a Weekend Warrior or a part-time athlete, preventing sports injuries is half the battle.

“‘Weekend Warriors’ often develop repetitive, overuse injuries from improper mechanics or techniques related to their respective sport,” said Eric K. Holder, MD, a physiatrist at Yale New Haven Hospital and assistant professor of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Holder treats patients with sports injuries as well as spine and other musculoskeletal conditions at Yale New Haven Health’s North Haven Medical Center, 8 Devine St., and at Yale New Haven Hospital’s Spine Center.

“Additionally, recreational athletes commonly injure themselves when they try to do too much too quickly, especially when they do not precondition directly prior to the sporting activity, or if they do not maintain a baseline level of fitness through regular, targeted exercise,” he said.

To prevent sports injuries, Dr. Holder recommends maintaining a baseline level of fitness by exercising regularly throughout the year. Guidelines recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise as a good goal. “Exercising regularly is very important,” he said. “Strength training is important; maintaining mobility and flexibility is also necessary to reduce your risk of injury.

“As an example, if you’re a golfer, you should have a pre-golfing warm-up routine where you are stretching for at least 10 minutes before,” Dr. Holder said. “Make sure your body is warmed up prior to golfing and have a cool-down routine after.

“The same thing goes for running,” he said. “Running is a linear, repetitive movement in a singular plane, so you want to make sure you cross-train to engage other stabilizing muscles to maintain muscular balance and reduce risk of injury. Variety is important,” he added.

Get back in the game

As a physiatrist – a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation – Dr. Holder focuses on treating problems with the muscles, joints and nerves without surgery to improve function and quality of life. This may include targeted physical therapy protocols, non-narcotic medications and minimally invasive injection-based procedures that can help reduce pain and improve function.

For individuals reporting injuries associated with exercise or sport, “we perform a thorough exam to put a name to their pain,” Dr. Holder said. “For example, is it tendinitis, muscle injury, a stress reaction or fracture, arthritic pain or something else?”

Physiatrists often will assess for any muscular, flexibility and movement imbalances that may predispose to the patient’s injury. For many diagnoses, having the patient work with a physical therapist is often first line and quite effective, he noted.

Begin care at home

Injured? Dr. Holder says many injuries can be treated with activity modification and conservative measures. For some, the initial recommendation is often to try what is called RICE:

• Rest—take a break from the activity
• Ice – apply ice to the area regularly, two to three times a day for 10-15 minutes
• Compression – certain types of braces can be beneficial
• Elevate – raise injured part of the body above heart level to reduce swelling and pain

“If you do not have any medical contraindications, a short course of anti-inflammatory medication, like Aleve® or ibuprofen, taken with food may also help,” he said. “With any injury, it is never too early to seek a medical evaluation.”

Learn more about physiatry at Yale New Haven Health.