Getting back into sports? You might not be ready
You may blame your age for your knee buckling while playing a sport
It’s easy to blame your age for aches and pains you may feel when getting back into sport, however, you may actually be experiencing a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
“A common misconception is that an ACL tear is a contact injury that requires you to get tackled or hit. However, ACL tears are more commonly a non-contact, twisting injury,” explains Dr. Paul Metzger, an orthopedic surgeon at Advocate Health Care.
If you have knee pain or think you have an injury, it’s important to get your knee evaluated to prevent further injuries.
“If you wait too long, it can lead to further injury to the knee and even arthritis,” says Dr. Metzger.
He sees many people injure themselves when returning to a sport too quickly because they’re unaware of how their bodies have changed during a long break. Dr. Metzger encourages people who are returning to sports and exercise to start lighter and gentler.
“If you’ve taken a prolonged break from a sport that you love, a good place to start is by ramping up your cardiovascular fitness,” Dr. Metzger says. “As you return to play, make sure that you read your body and take rest breaks when needed. You can still be active and in shape, but there are safe ways to do it.”
Focusing on cardiovascular fitness can look like going for a walk every day, light jogging, biking and swimming, he says. Then, as you get back into your sport of choice, don’t forget to start with light drills before diving into a game scenario. It’s also important to improve your strength with light weights and your flexibility with a stretching program or yoga.
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
Castro hit the trifecta. Hope my consultation in October is not that bad.
Dr. Metzger is the best. After trying noninvasive procedures he did a knee replacement. I flew thru with flying colors. I did my physical therapy everyday as recommended by physical therapy and Dr. Metzger I am pretty close to being healed and planning on getting the other knee done.