Sports Medicine

Medically reviewed by Dr. Michael Brand The rapid rise of pickleball, a fast-paced and exhilarating sport, has been remarkable. With its blend of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, pickleball offers a unique avenue for recreation, athletics, and competition. However, like any physical activity, it comes with its share of risks, especially concerning bone, joint, and musculoskeletal injuries. Our orthopedic professionals recommend proper injury prevention techniques and treatment to avoid injury and maintain optimal health.

Medically reviewed by Angelo Ciminiello, M.D. Yes, children can get shin splints. Shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, can occur in children who engage in activities that involve repetitive impact on the legs, such as running, jumping, or playing sports like soccer or basketball. Shin splints can be a common source of discomfort and pain for young athletes, but with proper knowledge and proactive measures, they can be effectively managed. In this article, we will explore the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options for shin splints in kids. By understanding these key aspects, parents, coaches, and young athletes themselves can work together to ensure a safe and healthy sporting experience. So, let’s dive into the world of shin splints and discover how to keep young feet moving with confidence and comfort.

A hamstring strain, also known as a pulled hamstring, is a common injury that occurs when the muscles at the back of the thigh are stretched or torn. It typically happens during activities that involve sudden movements, excessive stretching, or forceful contractions of the hamstring muscles. The severity of a hamstring strain can range from mild to severe, affecting mobility and causing pain.

Now that temperatures are getting cooler, many of our patients halt their outdoor workout routines (running, walking, outdoor sports) to avoid the chilly temperatures.  While it’s tempting to take the cold weather months off and simply curl up by the fireplace with a good book or binge a series, the truth is there are many benefits to working out in colder temperatures. What Are The Benefits Of Working Out In Cold Weather? Studies have shown that working out in colder temperatures can actually improve your endurance and boost your metabolism. This is because your body needs to work harder to perform in colder temperatures to generate enough heat to keep your muscles and organs warm.  The result is burning more calories while performing the same tasks in warmer temperatures.  While working out in the heat causes you to sweat and become exhausted more easily, cold-weather workouts usually enable you to go longer without those factors, allowing you to build endurance and stamina. Moreover, getting a dose of sunlight when working out outdoors provides a dose of Vitamin D and a release of endorphins, both of which improve your mood and can help fight against Seasonal Affective Disorder (which can cause depression in the darker winter months). Studies have also shown that people who exercise in the cold experience improvement in decision-making, focus, and memory. When is it too cold to exercise outside? While the ideal cooler temperature to work out in is around 50 degrees, the American College of Sports Medicine has stated that “exercise can be performed safely in most cold-weather environments without incurring cold-weather injuries. However, they recommend avoiding an outdoor workout in wind chill temperatures lower than -18 degrees. What are the best outdoor exercises in cold weather? All “cardio” or aerobic exercises like running, fast walking, jogging or

A hamstring refers to a solitary ‘string’ comprising three muscles – semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris – situated on the backside of your thighs. An injury or tear of your hamstring resulting from overloading or overstretching could lead to partial or total tearing of the muscles. Hamstring muscle injuries are prevalent in athletes and tend to be quite painful. Hamstring muscles are essential to movement. They enable you to bend your knees, and together with the quadriceps muscles (at the front of the thigh), they let you extend your knees. These important sets of thigh muscles are used for performing physical activities such as squatting, striding, and walking. Intense athletic activity such as training vigorously for a marathon or a racing competition puts athletes at great risk of suffering a hamstring sprain, strain or injury. Other possible risk factors for a hamstring tear or sprain include: How to Know if You’ve Pulled a Hamstring: Hamstring Injury Symptoms We thoroughly address how to know if you’ve pulled a hamstring, as well as signs of injury and self assessment techniques in the article “How to Know If You Pulled Your Hamstring”. Symptoms and signs of hamstring injury or sprain are based on the severity or extent of the injury, which can range from mild to severe. Mild tears cause minimal discomfort. However with a severe tear, you’ll struggle to perform everyday activities like standing, sitting or walking.   A strain or sprain is graded based on the damage suffered by tendon fibers and muscles: Pulled Hamstring Treatment and Recovery Time Mild or minor injuries to the hamstring usually heal fairly quickly. To expedite the healing process, you can adopt the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) treatment method. It is the most popular therapeutic method for dealing with hamstring strains and sprains.