No one can deny the popularity of sports in this country. In 2023, the National Football League's 32 teams collectively generated over $20 billion in revenue. That doesn’t even include other professional sports where fans are equally passionate, like basketball, baseball and ice hockey. It’s not just professional sports that Americans love. Most people have a favorite college team, and everyone enjoys watching their children play sports at the grade school and high school levels.
Many of us continue to play sports as we age. While an athlete in his 50s is not likely to play contact football, he might like to play tennis, golf or a pick-up game of basketball. Athletes sustain injuries at both professional and developmental levels. OrthoSouth's Owen Tabor, MD quotes his mentor as saying, "if you are going to compete, you are going to get hurt. That's just a part of the game." Because of this, there is much research in the medical industry on injury prevention and recovery. The doctors at OrthoSouth and an athletic trainer at Memphis University School ("MUS") share their opinions and expertise on what it takes for an athlete to avoid and recover from injury. It takes a village to keep our athletes healthy on and off the playing field.
With the rise in popularity of competitive sports at an earlier age, it is more important than ever to understand the importance of taking care of our athletes before an injury occurs. The same sentiment applies to older amateur athletes. There is a difference in treating an injured high school athlete versus an injured 50-year-old athlete, but the prevention techniques are quite similar.
According to Tyler Cannon, OrthoSouth MD, "cross-training is universally believed to be the key to injury prevention at any level or any age. As for older athletes, or weekend warriors, many of the same prevention techniques apply. For adults, cross-training should involve a mix of cardio, strength training and flexibility each week. The best way for adults to avoid injury is to spend some time working on balance and flexibility, like taking yoga and Pilates classes. A person is unlikely to incur an injury in those classes, and it helps decrease the chances of getting hurt while playing other sports."
Katie Upchurch, athletic trainer at Memphis University School ("MUS"), says their athletes “lift weights frequently in order to develop muscle structure that can handle the physical demands of the sports we offer.” Many high schools supplement these practices with yoga, Pilates and even ballet. At MUS, they tailor their lifting and stretching exercises to support each specific sport’s movements.
According to Tom Giel, OrthoSouth MD, "nutrition is vitally important for all aspects of life and sport. Fortunately, a well-balanced diet provides all the key nutrients most people need to recover appropriately. Early in an injury, I will often recommend a brief 2-3 day period of rest. Beyond that, I encourage most people to cross train in a different sport that helps you meet your fitness goals. "
Even with the best preventative practices, injuries occur from time to time. Depending on the age and fitness of the athlete, the treatment varies for the individual. For instance, when a high school football player incurs an injury, there is a team doctor and an athletic trainer on the sidelines. The doctor evaluates and diagnoses the injury on the spot then later determines the course of action for the best healing. Injuries to high school athletes are typically acute injuries, mostly sprains and fractures. It is rare for younger people to require surgery, as they tend to heal more quickly and their bones straighten out as they grow. After the injured high school student receives a diagnosis and treatment from the orthopedic doctor, an athletic trainer can implement the long-term approach to the athlete’s recovery. Upchurch combines strength and conditioning exercises with electric stimulation, hypervolt massage gun, heat and/or ice along or anything else to aid in recovery.
Orthopedic doctors are seeing more repetitive stress injuries in young athletes due to specialization in one sport at a young age. A lot of young athletes focus on a single sport and play it virtually year-round without much time off. The “Tommy John” phenomenon, the drastic increase in the number of Tommy John elbow surgeries, is due to young baseball pitchers throwing too many hard pitches during the extended competitive baseball seasons. Giel says, “the most common advice I give young athletes is to play multiple sports through the high school age if possible. By the very nature of the different sports, different stresses will be encountered and mitigate the risk of over-use issues. It’s not uncommon for a teenage athlete’s repetitive stress injury to force him to quit the game he loves before entering high school. It’s most common in tennis and baseball, but it can happen in other sports as well."
According to Cannon, "more common injuries in adults include chronic injuries, like tennis elbow or Achilles’ tendonitis. For older people, the path for healing is slightly different than a high school athlete. Of course, assessment and diagnosis are similar, but surgery may be necessary and physical therapy is almost always part of the healing process. The most consistent rehabilitation policy is to understand and accept the natural rate of healing and tailor the rehab to the stage of the healing process. It’s important not to push too hard too early or wait too long."
Orthopedic specialists, like the doctors at OrthoSouth, are key in recovering from sports related injuries. Equally important are the athletic trainers who help implement the preventative and healing processes. To earn their qualifications, these trainers must earn at least a master’s degree, complete a stringent training process and pass a national board test. They create programs to prevent injury, treat acute injuries on the sidelines and help rehabilitate those same injuries so the athletes can return to play. Katie Upchurch points out that the state of Tennessee does not mandate that there be an athletic trainer on the sidelines of high school games and notes, “if you wonder how important that care can be, ask Demar Hamlin. Athletic trainers literally saved his life.” The importance of these specialists is paramount in keeping athletes healthy and competing in the sports they love…they are “the village” looking out for their good health.
"Cross-training is universally believed to be the key to injury prevention."
"Even with the best preventative practices, injuries occur."