By Dr. Ira Shapiro
Director of the Plaza Chiropractic Center
Old Bridge
Injuries are a fact of life. Accidents happen every day. Whether at work, home or on the street, people in general get hurt doing anything from playing sports to turning the wrong way too quickly.
The most common sports injuries are ankle sprains, groin pulls, hamstring strains, shin splints, knee tears, and tennis elbow. Each year, more than 800,000 people are hospitalized for falls. Many others wind up in emergency rooms after being hit by falling objects. Three million individuals are hurt annually in car accidents.
On the truly freakish side, in 2016 the healthcare search site Amino reported that 43,000 Americans made an insurance claim after walking into furniture, the wall or even a lamppost. They also found that approximately 40,000 “animal-drawn vehicle accidents” were reported nationwide from 2012-16. Broken down by state, the researcher listed “sprained hand” as the most common injury in New Jersey, “knee injury” in New York and “spine dislocation” in Vermont.
Now, the question: Why do some people seem impervious to even basic aches and pains while others seem constantly afflicted with one form or injury or another?
First of all, it’s easy to avoid physical injury if you do little to nothing. You may believe that the couch may be the safest place in the world, but the truth is that long periods of inactivity bring along their own set of problems. These range from weakened muscles and decreased flexibility to reduced brain function, higher cholesterol and blood pressure rates, heart disease and diabetes.
Most sports injuries occur from poor and/or unsafe training practices. Too much, too soon, too hard are common culprits for those who infrequently engage in physical activities or push their limits after months of inactivity. Many others fail to take the 5 to 10 minutes needed to warmup before any class or sporting event.
Falls are another key concern. One out of four people aged 65 and older fall annually says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three million of these people are treated in emergency rooms. Even a study of college students by Purdue University found that 52 percent of those studied fell at least once during a four-month period. Most often, while talking and walking.
So, no matter age or gender, no one is immune to injury or accidents. But, there are things you can do everyday to reduce both their possibility and severity. Aside from just being more alert and paying better attention to your surroundings, here are some key tips for avoiding and quickly overcoming injuries as well as improving sports performances:
Improve balance. Few people realize when their coordination is starting to slip. After 30, muscles start to weaken, vision gets fuzzier and our steps get slower and shorter. Exercises focused on improving balance have been shown to significantly improve joint stability and greatly reduce the chance of falls and related incidents.
Warm up before working out. Too often, people show up at a gym for an hour class or exercise session without taking the time to warm cold muscles. Muscles subjected to abrupt starts and stops without preparation are more likely to suffer all forms of muscle, ligament and tendon damage.
Increase flexibility. Activities that lengthen and stretch muscles prevent injuries, back pain, and balance problems. There are numerous exercises designed to improve flexibility for every body part. Choose several targeted toward tight areas. Perform each two to three times for 30-60 seconds.
Combine cardio with weightlifting. Studies reveal that 150 – 300 minutes a week of moderate exercise are optimal for controlling weight, fighting disease, and improving mood and sex lives. Most experts recommend two to three days-a-week of cardio interspersed with two to three days of weight training for making a real difference noticed at the beach or pool.
For more information on creating better, fitter and healthier lives for the entire family, contact the Plaza Chiropractic Center at 732-723-0023 or visit www.plazachiro.com. Our trained staff will be happy to work with you, no matter your age or condition, to develop a safe and effective wellness program that complements your life style and offers long-lasting fitness rewards.
Dr. Ira A. Shapiro is the director of the Plaza Chiropractic Center, which he founded in Old Bridge in 1984. Recently selected to the American Chiropractic Association Sports Council (ACASC) Hall of Fame and a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic team medical staff, Dr. Shapiro has spent the past 30 years providing safe, gentle and effective chiropractic care to tens of thousands of patients ranging from community members to professional athletes competing at the world’s highest levels.