How to stay in the game

How to stay in the game

Spring is a great excuse to get back into your favorite sports. Unfortunately, ‘tis the season for sprains, twists, pulls, scrapes and other sports injuries. Stan Kalter, head of Huntington Memorial Hospital’s emergency room, knows what can happen when people play a little too hard. His expert advice can keep HMF patients at the top of their game.

“Warming up and stretching your muscles are very good ideas” says Dr. Kalter. “The better shape they’re in, the less likely you are to get hurt in the first place.” Stretching everything from your hamstrings to your neck muscles keeps you limber and helps avoid cramps and strains.

In addition, he believes proper padding and other protective gear can save you an ambulance ride. Whether your idea of exercise is an intense game of football or inline skating around the Rose Bowl, padding is key. “Rollerbladers should definitely wear helmets and wrist guards. All it takes is a simple fall to snap a wrist.”

Protection doesn’t stop there. “I see lots of people who play racquetball come through the ER,” says Dr. Kalter. “I recommend eye goggles if you’re going to play any sport where your eyes could be in danger.”

Still, accidents do happen. You warmed up, wore your gear, took a nasty spill and hurt a lot more than your pride. What do you do when you’re in pain?

“Ice can be used on any type of injury” says Dr. Kalter. “It reduces swelling and in most cases, it numbs the pain. You should only use heat after a couple of days. Heat, especially moist heat, brings circulation back to the injured area.”

What if it still hurts . . . and the injured area looks funny? “When something doesn’t work or you see any type of deformity or if you can’t feel anything around the injury, it’s definitely time to come to the ER,” he says.

Dr. Kalter has special precautions for children and senior athletes. “Parents should know that kids can dehydrate more easily than adults. Make sure they have plenty of water throughout the day,” he says. “Kids who play Little League can also get what we call ‘Little League Elbow’ which results from the strains caused by repeated throwing.” He adds that kids can be reckless and should be supervised during sports practice and play.

For senior athletes, Dr. Kalter recommends taking an anti-inflammatory such as Motrin or Aleve before even starting to warm up. “Older bodies aren’t as strong and can injure much more easily than young people’s bodies. I’ve seen injured Achilles tendons and lots of strained muscles,” he says. “You can go out without stretching or swallowing an Aleve before you go out, but why take the chance?”