Sports Medicine Tips

with Omar Darr, M.D., Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery, Advanced Healthcare

Posted: April 1, 2004

With warmer weather beginning to approach, the same scene is being played out before many a Milwaukee-area mirror. The inner monologue goes something like this: “Before anyone sees me in a swimsuit, I’ve got some working out to do!”

Getting fit is a great idea in any season. But beginning an exercise program with more enthusiasm (or desperation) than sense, is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.

Omar Darr, M.D., a specialist in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery, has some advice for anyone setting out to get in shape, whether it’s for better cardiovascular health, to get stronger, or just to look better in a swimsuit.

Omar Darr, M.D., Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery, Advanced Healthcare "As a general rule, you don't want to increase your activity more than 10 percent a week. For example, if you're just starting off in a running program, you want to start out walking first, move to a walk-jog combination and only then do you want to go into full-time jogging."

Getting started
For starters, he urges anyone with a medical problem to see a doctor before beginning an exercise program. This is especially important, he said, for people with heart problems. In addition to giving you a physical, your doctor can also provide programs or suggestions depending on what your exercise goals are.

Once you’ve been given the green light, Dr. Darr said, the most important things to remember are warming up and not trying to do too much too soon.

Warming up, he said, is crucial, no matter what exercise program you’re following.

“People should warm up for at least 10 minutes before exercising,” he said. “First do something like jumping jacks, and follow that by stretching.”

The general principle behind stretching, he said, is to do constant stretches and to hold them for at least 20 seconds at a time. Avoid ballispic stretches, in which you pulse your body during the stretch.

Dr. Darr also recommends general upper and lower extremity strength training three times a week, which will help increase overall strength.

“Specific exercises can be sport-specific, but people who have access to weights or belong to a gym can get going with an exercise routine on their own,” he said.

Common sports injuries
Once you’ve gotten into a regular exercise routine, with good warm-up habits and moderate increases in intensity, you should be well on the way to achieving your initial goal. But how can you tell if the pain you’re feeling after a workout is regular fatigue, or something more?

Muscle strain occurs when a muscle is being worked beyond its capacity. The best way to avoid these injuries is to warm up and not overdo it.

Some of the most common sports injuries include muscle strains, sprains, tendonitis, and stress fractures; more severe sports injuries include ligament or cartilage tears.

Muscle strain occurs when a muscle is being worked beyond its capacity. The best way to avoid these injuries is to warm up and not overdo it.

R.I.C.E. treatment
Treat the strain with the R.I.C.E. method, Dr. Darr said. The acronym stands for “rest,” “ice,” “compression,” and “elevation.” Compression simply means putting an ace bandage on the affected area while you rest, ice and elevate it.

Tendonitis is an inflammation of the soft tissues that connect muscles to bones. As with muscle strain, R.I.C.E. and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication is the preferred treatment. If the problem persists, he said, make an appointment to see a doctor.

A sprain occurs when some of the fibers of the muscle/tendon complex are injured. Those fibers are tendons, which connect muscles to bones, and ligaments, which connect bones to bones. Again, R.I.C.E. and anti-inflammatories are the recommended treatments.

Stress fractures occur when the ability of a bone to repair itself is impaired by a sudden increase in activity. “It’s repetitive small injuries to the bone that lead to it not being able to heal itself,” he explained.

More severe injuries include ligament or cartilage tears, injuries for which a doctor should be consulted.

It’s highly common, Dr. Darr said, in military recruits. He advised anyone who planned on enlisting to begin an exercise program as soon as possible, in order to have the opportunity to gradually work up to the level of activity required in basic training. For those not heading for boot camp, he said, starting slowly and gradually increasing the intensity of your workout is the best way to avoid stress fractures. Rest is the recommended treatment.

More severe injuries include ligament or cartilage tears, injuries for which a doctor should be consulted.

“Achilles tendon rupture is a classic injury for a 40-year-old weekend warrior,” Dr. Darr said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean surgery, but recovery time from such an injury is months. This is unlike Achilles tendonitis which is a less serious problem.”

Other common tears include the medial-collateral ligament in the knee and the anterior cruciate ligament, an injury more common in women. The medial collateral ligament can heal without surgery; patients with an anterior cruciate ligament often have surgery in order to be able to resume their pre-injury level of activity.

Join Dr. Darr for a free presentation on Arthroscopic Surgery
Learn what it is and who benefits from it.
Monday, May 17 at 7 p.m.
Advanced Healthcare East Mequon Clinic
12203 N. Corporate Parkway, Mequon
Pre-registration is recommended. For more information, call (262)-512-2880 or 1-888-709-2080.

We Have Answers Do you have medical questions or need help finding a doctor? The experts at Columbia St. Mary's and Advanced Healthcare can help. Click here.