Athletes over 40 – even if they are hobby athletes – are increasingly faced with minor or major injuries that can make not only training, but even everyday activities difficult. In addition, the older we are, the slower and more difficult recovery can be. Dr. Gábor Magbade, orthopedic doctor at the Sports Medicine Center, drew attention to the most common sports injuries and their effective treatment.
Popular sports, common sports injuries, sports injuries
Bursitis – inflammation of the mucous membrane
Damage and overload can also be caused by the so-called bursitis, which can cause problems in the joints, very often in the hips and knees, for example. Under normal circumstances, the bursa is a kind of hose that is located at certain stress points. In case of overload or local irritation, the lining of the bursa produces an inflammatory fluid. The typical symptoms of bursitis are pressure sensitivity, swelling and pain that also occurs at night.
What sports is it typical for?
It occurs very often in connection with a fall in any sport and due to the overload associated with running.
Knee injury
The knee is a very vulnerable part of the body, sprains, knee ligament tears, cartilage injuries, or cartilage detachment often occur in this area. In older athletes, not only injuries, but also sports injuries are more common, and cartilage wear, which is not uncommon in people over 40, only worsens the situation.
What sports is it typical for?
It is typical in football and all sports that involve physical contact and sudden changes of direction
Golf elbow
Golfer’s elbow is elbow pain caused by overuse of the muscles that bend the wrist in the direction of the palm. It mainly occurs on the inside of the elbow and is often accompanied by forearm muscle weakness.
What sports is it typical for?
Due to its name, it often affects golfers, and it can also occur in javelin throwers, wall climbers, and handball players.
Tennis elbow
Tennis elbow develops when the flexor muscles are stronger at the expense of the extensor muscles, at the attachment point of the extensors, where the tendon attaches to the bone, so-called microtraumas occur, which can later create a permanent inflammatory condition. As a result, even small movements can be painful. At first, only bending the elbow causes pain, but later on twisting and squeezing movements and writing can also cause difficulty, it also happens that the affected person drops objects from the hand due to muscle weakness.
What sports is it typical for?
It is common in tennis players, and the risk is high in all sports where lifting, twisting and pulling movements have to be performed.
Rotator sheath injury
The pain caused by damage to the rotator cuff in the shoulder is especially excruciating when raising the arm. Over 40, instability of the joint, loosening of the shoulder muscles and weakening of the supporting ligaments are risk factors for injury.
What sports is it typical for?
It mainly affects athletes who play sports requiring loads above shoulder level, such as handball, water or volleyball players, tennis players, swimmers.
With treatment, recovery can be not only faster, but also qualitative
- Sports injuries and sports injuries often heal and subside by themselves, but this does not happen in all cases. This is especially true above a certain age, as studies prove that a 45-year-old person recovers from the same injury almost 15-18% more slowly than a 30-year-old, and the recovery period later extends even longer, explains Dr. Gábor Magbade, orthopedic doctor at the Sports Medicine Center.
- – That’s why it’s worth diagnosing the problem accurately and finding a way to treat it accordingly. A local pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory injection can be a quick and effective tool for pain relief, which makes it easier to get through even the most difficult period. In the case of injuries, medical collagen and hyaluronic acid injection therapy can be effective in the long term, although in some cases only surgery can be the solution. Over 40, especially in the case of vulnerability, it is worth asking for the help of a physiotherapist, a trainer, or a specialist experienced in exercise therapy to perform the appropriate movements. With proper treatment and prevention, recovery can not only be faster, but also of high quality, i.e. sports can be continued more safely, there is less need to worry about relapse or new injuries.
Source: Sports Medicine Centert
Source: www.patikamagazin.hu
