Doctors are seeing a significant increase in orthopedic injuries this year, compared to last year. Here are some tips to prevent these injuries in summer.
The summer weather is ideal to go on a vacation with friends and family and enjoy sports. Many are engaged in certain outdoor activities like cycling, trekking, swimming, running, etc. However, the flurry of action raises the risk of orthopedic injuries and mishaps. Back, knee, shoulder pain, strain and sprains, fractures and falls are common occurrences. To avoid orthopedic injuries, it is important to stretch and warm up before any activity, wear appropriate shoes and clothes, stay hydrated, and rest enough to recover from any kind of injury.
A steep rise in orthopedic injuries
As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer during summer, a large number of people become active and choose various activities to improve their fitness levels. People tend to go swimming, cycling, gymming, trekking, running, football, basketball, beach volleyball, tennis, water sports, and cricket. Though these activities help one to improve his/her health, they can also lead to serious orthopedic injuries.
Dr. Hitesh Kubadia, Orthopedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon, said, “Due to the flattened COVID curve, people have started coming out in huge numbers and are undertaking activities. They are opting for activities without even knowing their fitness levels and health status. Hence, shoulder pain, knee pain, wear and tear of the cartilage, ligament (ACL) tear, fractures, sprains, strains, falls, ankle injuries, back pain, leg pain and hip pain can give a tough time to children and adults.”
He added, “A lot of young adults, especially in their late 30s and early 40s, have come to me with quite a few back, ankle and knee injuries and some of them have been quite trivial but have taken time to recover. With men: women ratio about 2:1, this number is quite significantly larger than last year, although I don’t have exact stats, but there has been a significant increase in this number especially in last 2 months.”
Causes oforthopedic injuries and prevention tips
Dr. Kubadia noted that people don’t do enough warm up or stretching before any workout, they aren’t getting enough sleep/rest prior and are not staying well hydrated.
“In a city like Mumbai, where the humidity is so high, enough hydration with electrolytes is of prime importance (lemon water with salts or naturally available coconut water can help),” he stated.
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Dr. Dhananjay Parab, Joint Replacement surgeon, Zynova Shalby Hospital, also cautioned that overusing or overstraining a muscle can lead to muscular tears and inflammation, such as tennis elbow and tenosynovitis.
“It is essential to prevent these muscular injuries by taking care and caution. One will have to warm up before any activity and cool down after exercising, eat a balanced nutritious diet, and stretch before any activity. Dehydration can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, increased heartbeats, fatigue, and fainting. Hydrate enough and eat a nutritious diet, rest properly, and wear the right equipment to protect your body, good shoes, helmets, gloves, and protective pads of good quality. If you are in pain, tired, or know you have an injury then take a break immediately and do not resume any activity unless the doctor tells you.”
Remember that injuries take time to heal and sometimes neglecting injuries can cause permanent damage. So, stay vigilant when it comes to your health.
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