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Preventing Sports-Related Injuries Is Important at Any Age

By Kaiser Permanente, Statesman Journal, 11/30/18, 12:00PM PST

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“Maintaining good muscle balance and strength prior to competition is a great idea, and it’s been shown in research to reduce the risk of sports injuries on the field.”

Playing sports is fun and exercise is good for you. But sports related injuries are common and can take you out of the game. According to Scott Nasson, MD and orthopedic surgeon with Kaiser Permanente Northwest, most injuries occur in a sudden fashion when the muscle is overstretched. “We call that a muscle strain,” Dr. Nasson says. “If more energy is involved in the injury it can tear a ligament or even break a bone,” he says. 

Sports injuries can happen at any age. Dr. Nasson says those at greatest risk are in the younger age group –  with the most common injuries being bone or ligament-related. People in older age groups, on the other hand, are more prone to repetitive overuse injuries like a shoulder tendonitis or bursitis, which cause swelling in the connective muscle and bone tissue.