Most families enjoy outdoor sports during the summer months – swimming, golfing, and volleyball are some of the common ones. New Orleans orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard Meyer encourages children and adults to stay safe and avoid painful injuries while playing.
Roughly 15.6 million visits are made each year to orthopedic surgeon’s offices for shoulder issues including pain, achiness, soreness, discomfort, cramps, spasms, stiffness, and limitation of movement. Of those, roughly 9.6 million visits had shoulder symptoms or complaints listed as the primary reason for their visit.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) show the following results for individuals treated in emergency rooms and doctors’ offices in the U.S. during 2015:
- More than 131,000 were treated for injuries related to golf;
- More than 265,000 were treated for injuries related to swimming;
- More than 183,000 treated for injuries related to volleyball.’
Sports such as swimming, golfing, and volleyball require repetitive overhead motion, and the rotator cuff muscles are often the target of injuries and can get irritated or fatigued with overuse. Your New Orleans orthopedic surgeons warn that it’s important to practice safe techniques with each sport to safeguard against injuries and to use periods of rest to recover.
Dr. Meyer offers the following safety tips for preventing shoulder injuries in golf, swimming, and volleyball.
Golf
Before your round of golf, do some simple stretching exercises; focusing on your shoulders, back, and legs.- Get a bucket of balls before you get on the course and hit on a driving range. It not only will help your game but will prevent injuries in the long run.
Swimming
The best way to prevent swimming shoulder injuries is with a general exercise program to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder and upper back. Speak with your New Orleans orthopedic surgeon to help develop appropriate exercises.- Warm-up with jumping jacks, stationary cycling or running, or walking in place for 5 to 10 minutes. Then slowly and gently stretch your shoulders and arms, holding each stretch for 30 seconds.
Volleyball
Shoulder injuries in volleyball are common due to the overuse motion of serving, spiking, setting, and blocking and include rotator cuff tears, dislocations, and separations.- Strengthening shoulder muscles and tendons through a regular exercise routine helps stabilize shoulder joints and prevents injuries.
- If a player has pain, swelling decreased range of motion, or strength they should rest and seek further medical evaluation, by your New Orleans orthopedic surgeon.
If you experience any pain during or after summer sports – don’t hesitate – call the office of New Orleans orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard Meyer to schedule a consultation!