Published on April 10, 2024
Spring Sports Injuries Largely Preventable
By Joseph Russell, Messenger-Inquirer
As the weather warms up and spring sports kick into high gear, athletes of all ages are hitting the fields, courts and tracks, but the increase in physical activity brings with it a higher risk of injuries.
Some injuries occur naturally while playing sports and are unavoidable, but there are plenty that
stem from overuse, like baseball and softball players throwing too hard for too long, while others can pop up as a result of sudden activity after a prolonged period of rest. For example, even someone
who simply wants to start running after staying inside all winter can experience issues.
“We see a lot of injuries of sudden sprains and strains from picking up in intensity or duration too soon,” said Dr. Alexander Brown, sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Owensboro Health. “So, people who want to get back into running and haven’t done it for many years, and they remember being capable, but then you go back out and run too hard, too fast. We get a lot of runners’ knee, front-of-the-knee pain, hamstring strains, quadriceps strains — that ticks up in the spring.
“You get more throwing injuries in the spring because of baseball and softball. A lot of times, when people first jump back into their season, they may be overdoing it — they throw too much, too soon, and they get rotator cuff injuries, they can irritate the labrum in their shoulder, and the big ones you see an uptick in are ligament injuries of the elbow in throwers.”
Other common injuries doctors see during the spring include tennis elbow, a repetitive overuse injury that affects the outside of the elbow, or rotator cuff problems from swinging a golf club.
To avoid injury, athletes are urged to stay mindful of their bodies and not to push through their fatigue and pain, even when the game might be on the line.
“If you’re in pain, you do not need to be throwing,” Brown said. “You do not throw through pain unless it’s from surgery and there’s an expectation, but most injuries occur when somebody is fatigued and when they’re not able to control their muscles as well because they’re tired. You see it in football season, most injuries happen in the last minute of the game. That’s when everybody’s tired, people aren’t paying as much attention, mistakes are made, and that’s when injuries happen.
“If you are fatigued, you’ve got to let your coach know.”
That goes for athletes of all ages, and preventing injuries early can prevent long-term consequences down the road.
“We get young patients who have been throwing since they were 6, and they’re really wanting to be a pitcher,” Brown said. “They’re throwing almost year-round with travel ball, showcases, middle school leagues — so, it’s a lot on their elbow. We have to remind them if they’re starting to develop pain in their elbow, they need to finish growing before they do really intense throwing.
“You should focus on having good form, good technique and being accurate and smart with your pitches, as opposed to ‘We’ve got to get this certain mile-per-hour throw, or we’re not getting looked at [by colleges].’ ”
As spring sports seasons continue to unfold, athletes can minimize their risk by using proper training practices, listening to their bodies and seeking medical guidance when needed.
“Sometimes, sports injuries are unavoidable,” Brown noted, “but the preventable things are usually going too fast, too soon, too much intensity, too many throws, not getting enough sleep, not using proper technique — all those things can lead to injury, so paying attention to those little things can really pay dividends and let you enjoy your whole season injury-free.”
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.
On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.