Tag Archive for 'Sports'

Running for Fun

Published on June 30, 2010 in Out and About and exercise. 1 Comment Tags: , .

This last weekend I was supposed to run the Rock and Roll Marathon in Seattle as I have done quite a few marathons over the years. Things did not work out as planned because about two months ago I developed an overuse injury that is slowly getting better. Having learned the lesson the hard way that my mind is stronger than my body on more than one occasion, like tearing muscles, for the first time I actually made the decision to let my body rest and not put it to that level of stress. It was the right decision.

This can be a hard thing for the teen athlete as well as there is so much pressure to compete. Often athletes can play through mild injuries but if things are getting worse then at some point rest is often the solution along with a hard look at what got them to that injury in the first place.

My wife and I both get out and exercise often as it helps to set an example for our children. They both enjoy going “jogging” around the block or taking walks. Our children see us both being active and want to engage in the activity as well. We also try to find activities to do as a family to get us all moving. Our latest new family activity is geocaching. Basically we use our GPS device to walk around parks and find little hidden treasures put there by other players. The kids really enjoy it.

Sports Physicals, Sports Injuries

Published on May 18, 2010 in Prevention, Safety and exercise. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Summertime is rapidly approaching and for a pediatrician, this means lots of well visits as parents bring in their children to get a check up. Sometimes parents will call it the sports physical which is fine, but it is really an opportunity to assess the child and cover a variety of topics ranging from nutrition and injury prevention to discussing high-risk teen behaviors and depression. Quite often this is the one time a year I may see a healthy teenager, so there is a lot to cover.

Certain injuries and ailments are much more common than others and they vary by the sport the child participates in. During the growing years, a child’s bones grow faster than Continue reading ‘Sports Physicals, Sports Injuries’

My Shins Hurt

Published on August 4, 2009 in Safety and school. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

School is just around the corner which means another season of sports and activities.  I am seeing lots of children coming in for their well visits which provides an opportunity to talk about injury prevention.  A common one in shin splints  which typically occur from a repetitive pounding type activity such as running. Starting the training period too aggressively does not allow the body to adjust. There is a lot to the old saying that slow and steady wins the race.

 

 

Shin Splints

Shin splints is a generic term referring to pain along the shin bone caused by an inflammation of tendons and muscles of the shin. Shin splints are very common and often preventable. Most cases of shin splints can be treated with RICE-Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. This treatment is easy …but hard. Hard because a big part of getting better is rest—not a fun thing for most kids. Also important is ensuring your child has properly fitting footwear with plenty of impact-absorbing material in the foot and heel area.