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Sports Medicine Briefs

Injury Prevention is A Stretch

A regular stretching program can help weekend warriors stay in the game. Tight, inflexible muscles
are likely to become pulled muscles unless they are properly warmed up with stretching.

"Strained and pulled muscles are the most common injuries among people who try to cram a week's
worth of exercise into a weekend," said Dr. Lon Castle, a staff physician with the Baylor Sports
Medicine Institute at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Stretching, even just five to ten minutes
a few times a week, can help athletes avoid many of these injuries."

The key is to develop a routine that targets the major muscle groups in both the arms and legs.
Hamstrings, groin, quadriceps (thighs), biceps, and shoulders should all receive attention.

"Stretching needs to be done slowly and deliberately, holding each stretch for five to ten seconds,"
said Castle. "Don't use fast, bouncing, or jerking movements. That can lead to the injuries you're
trying to avoid."

Exercising Under the Weather

If you come down with the flu this winter, skip the trip to the gym or your run. "If you can't make it to
work, you certainly shouldn't be exercising," said Dr. John Cianca, a sports-medicine specialist at
Baylor. Aerobic activity that increases the heart rate also raises your body temperature. This can make
a bout with the flu worse."

Even after you are feeling better, it is best to ease back into your normal routine. "The flu can really 
take a toll on your energy level," he said. "When resuming your exercise regimen, adjust both the
duration and intensity of the workouts. If you had symptoms for three or four days, your body needs
at least a week of short, low-intensity workouts to completely recover." Pushing too hard too soon
can land you back in bed.

Shortening the Road to Recovery

Advances in surgical techniques and new approaches to rehabilitation are getting athletes back on
track faster than ever before. A tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a devastating knee injury.
Just a few years ago, an ACL tear meant a year on the sidelines following surgery and extensive
rehabilitation.

"Today, with the use of arthroscopic surgery and new reconstruction techniques, we are able to get
athletes who experience severe injuries back on their feet more quickly," said Dr. David Lintner, a staff
physician at the Baylor Sports Medicine Institute at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "This type
of surgery requires smaller incisions and reduces the amount of trauma to the injured area. The result
is that athletes often begin intense rehabilitation hours or days after surgery, instead of months."

Orthopedic surgeons are also using a new technique to repair shoulder injuries. Thermal Capsulorrhaphy,
which uses small cuts and radio waves to repair the damaged joint, has been effective in returning full
range of motion to patients-with less pain.

For additional sports medicine information, log on to the Baylor Sports Medicine Institute Web site at
www.bcm.tmc.edu/ortho/bsmi

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