Nebraska PT: Avoid Surgery after an Injury

Nebraska PT: Avoid Surgery after an Injury

Nebraska Orthopaedic Newsletter As A Student Athlete You Can Avoid Surgery After an Injury

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. For many people, playing sports is a fun way to burn extra calories, socialize, and get fit. Unfortunately, this also means the occasional sports injury or a flare up of an old injury or condition.

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Nebraska Orthopaedic Newsletter

You Can Avoid Surgery After a Sports Injury

Amy Hoffman, PT, DPT

tendonitis and iliotibial band syndrome (pain on the outer side of the knee). Severe knee injuries often include bone bruises or damage to the cartilage or ligaments. SHIN SPLINTS: Shin splints occur when there is a pain along the large bone in the front of the lower leg, known as the tibia or shin bone. Shin splints most commonly occur in runners, especially those who are just starting a running program. This is usually due to poor alignment of the body, or weakness in the leg muscles. The team at Nebraska Orthopaedic PhysicalTherapy can treat many orthopedic and repetitive motion injuries without the need for invasive surgeries or medications. In fact, most doctors have their patients try physical therapy first before recommending any other procedures. The licensedphysical therapistsandphysical therapist assistants at Nebraska Orthopaedic PhysicalTherapy cancustomizeaprogramthataddressestheweakness of your particular musculoskeletal system, allowing you to recover quickly and remain active. Even if you haveanold injury, it is important tohave itevaluatedby our physical therapists to prevent long-term damage like arthritis. If you have sports or orthopedic injuries like tendonitis, arthritis, a stress fracture or low back pain, our therapists can design a treatment plan to promote improved function, wellness and minimize the risk of re-injury.

Youdon’thave tobeaprofessionalorevenanamateur athlete to suffer a sports injury. In fact, many times, those most susceptible to sports injuries are people who have just started exercising or participate on a recreational level. Sports injuries in this article will be defined as injuries to the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, bones and tissues such as cartilage. The most common sports injuries include: SPRAINS: A sprain occurs when the connective tissue that joins the end of the bone with another is stretchedor torn. Thoseconnective tissuesareknown as ligaments. Sprains are caused by trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knocks a joint out of position. Ankles,kneesandwristsaremostvulnerable to sprains. However, back, neck and shoulder sprains are very common too. STRAINS: A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is pulled, torn or twisted. Strains are non-contact injuries, such as those that occur from overstretching. A common example of a strain is a muscle spasm. A back or neck strain is a very common injury treated in physical therapy. KNEE INJURIES: According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the knee is the most commonly injured joint. Orthopedic surgeons see more than 5.5 million people annually for knee injuries, which can include runner’s knee (pain or tenderness close to the knee cap at the front side of the knee),

• Physical Therapist with Nebraska Orthopaedic

Physical Therapy for 5+ years • Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Creighton University in 2009 • Trained in Graston Technique • Trained in Kinesiotaping • Forward on the Creighton Bluejays women’s basketball team from 2002-2006

402-620-4605 CALL TODAY! www.NEOrthoPT.com

Print sudoku http://1sudoku.com • Do coordination training • Do endurance training Preparing your body… It is important to do sports activities, fitness and a host of other physical activities to keep you healthy and happy. Witha littlebitofpreparation, you can easily do these activities and decrease your risk for injury. • Do stretch often • Do strength training

Don’t Let PAIN Sideline You

9 There is nothing more exciting than taking on a new challenge, sport or activity. For most of us, the thrill of accomplishing a physical goal is what we live for. However, areyoupreparedfor it?Theterm“weekend warrior”meansapersonwhodoesn’treally train for what they are doing; they just go out and do it on the weekend. How do most injuries occur? M ost sports injuries occur from ill-prepared individualswho just jump intotheactivitywithout first increasing their strength, endurance and flexibility. Your muscles, tendons, ligaments 6 5 http://1sudoku.com

5 8 and other tissues need to be warmed up to workproperly.Theytakeenormousstrainduring running and sports activities. Therefore, if they are not in top condition, they are more prone to injury. Injuries increase as you age… If you think back to when you were in your late teens,youcouldgo intoafullsprintnoproblem, takeaflying leapanddoawhole lotwithoutthe slightestthoughtabout it.Asyougetolder,your tissues become less elastic and in fact a little “drier”.Whenyourmuscle,tendonand ligament tissueshaveenoughwater,theyaresuppleand stretchy, allowing you to do a lot of activities. Keep yourself hydrated and s retch of en t 5 2 1 7 9 8 6 1 7 4 9 3 9 2 3 n° 417872 - Level Expert

1 8 maintain elasticity in your muscles. Before and after

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3 Knowingtherightexercisestoprepareforfitness activities is key. Our physical therapy experts have years of experience rehabilitating people after injuriesandreturningthempain-freetothe activities they enjoy. What some people might notknow isthatphysicaltherapistsputspecific exerciseplanstogetherbasedonyourneedsto prevent injury. Ifyoudostarttoexperiencepain with activities, Nebraska Orthopaedic Physical Therapy can get you back to enjoying your activities pain-free. Call today to learn more how our programs can help you feel great! 5 4 9 7 6 6 9 8 6 4 7

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4 6 1 This Month’s Sudoku! EXPERT LEVEL The goal of Sudoku is to fill in a 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, row, and 3×3 section contain the numbers between 1 to 9. At the beginning of the game, the 9×9 grid will have some of the squares filled in. Your job is to use logic to fill in the missing digits and complete the grid. 5 9 4 1 6 2 3 8 9 8 5

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IS YOUR CHILD’S BACK PACK GOING TO CAUSE INJURY?

Patient Success Spotlight

“I have no pain and I gained strength inmy arm.”

Finding a Safe Pack Despite their potential problems, backpacks are great when used properly. Before you buy one, though, consider a backpack’s construction.

“I came in with elbow pain. The pain started 9 months earlier and I went to three doctors and a different physical therapy place. None of them worked until I came here. Within the first week I could tell I wasn’t having as much pain. After a couple months of reducing pain and gaining strength in my arm, we started a throwing progression. The therapists helped to correct my throwing mechanics. After four month, I have no pain and I gained strength in my arm. Working with the therapists at Nebraska Orthopaedic Physical Therapy has been a lot of fun!” - Kailey Treatments for athletes: • Modalitytreatmentssuchasice,compression, electrotherapy • Graston technique • Other pain relief techniques for awide variety of sports injuries. • Kinesiotaping • Throwing programs and technique trainings • Strength and balance training

Look for the following to choose the right backpack:

• Lightweight pack: get one that doesn’t add a lot of weight to your child’s load; for example, leather packs look cool, but they weigh more than canvas backpacks • Two wide, padded shoulder straps: straps that are too narrow can dig into shoulders • Padded back: it not only provides increased comfort, but also protects kids from being poked by sharp objects or edges (pencils, rulers, notebooks, etc.) inside the pack • Waist belt: this helps to distribute the weight more evenly across the body • Multiple compartments: to help distribute the weight throughout the pack Although packs on wheels (which look like small, overhead luggage bags) may be good options for students who have to lug around really heavy loads, they’re very hard to pull up stairs and to roll through snow. Check with the school before buying a rolling pack; many don’t allow them because they can be a tripping hazard in the hallways. Using Backpacks Wisely To help kids prevent injury when using a backpack: • Lighten the load. No matter how well-designed the backpack, less weight is always better. Use the bathroom scale to check that a pack isn’t over 10% to 15% of your child’s body weight (for example, the backpack of a child who weighs 80 pounds shouldn’t weigh more than 8 to 12 pounds). • Use and pick up the backpack properly. Make sure kids use both shoulder straps. Bags that are slung over the shoulder or across the chest — or that only have one strap — aren’t as effective at distributing the weight as bags with two wide shoulder straps, and therefore may strain muscles. Also tighten the straps enough for the backpack to fit closely to the body. The pack should rest evenly in the middle of the back and not sag down to the buttocks. You may need to adjust your kids’ backpacks and/or reduce how much they carry if they : • Struggle to get the backpack on or off • Have back pain • Lean forward to carry the backpack If your child has back pain or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, talk to your doctor or a physical therapist.

Exercise To Help With Pain:

Helps With Back Pain

PRAYER STRETCH While in a crawl position, slowly lower your buttocks to- wards your feet until a stretch is felt along your back and/ or buttocks. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.

Exercisescopyrightof

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Always consultyourphysical therapistorphysicianbefore startingexercisesyouareunsureofdoing.