“Trauma season”, according to the experts the summer is the season of accidents: here is the vademecum to prevent and treat them.
Stay constantly hydrated, wear appropriate sports equipment, follow an adequate physical preparation and observe a balanced diet. These are some of the advice of the experts to avoid the most common summer injuries that during the "trauma season" affect 300 thousand Italians, so nicknamed because according to US statistics they increase among adults by 30% and by 100% among boys.
The summer season is the perfect opportunity to go outdoors and try to regain a perfect physical shape, but it is at the same time a period that might involve numerous traumas and injuries, especially if during the rest of the year a sedentary lifestyle has prevailed. This is shown by a survey carried out by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Superior Health Institute), according to which every year 300,000 Italians suffer injuries linked to the most common summer sports such as beach volleyball, beach soccer, surfing, windsurfing and beach tennis.
And again, according to research reported by the Department of Health and Human Services published by Boston.com, almost 2 million Americans annually turn to medical treatment due to injuries related to summer sports, to the point that summer is nicknamed "trauma season": moreover, according to what emerged from an interview with the experts of the UPMC Children's Hospital published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in the warm months the injuries double among the youngs, while they can increase of 30% among the adults.
A negative trend that involved both VIPs and professional athletes: from Jennifer Lawrence, who suffered a head injury while windsurfing, to Owen Wilson, who suffered an injury to his forehead on the surfboard, up to the italian beacher Daniele Lupo, stopped by a fracture of the fourth metacarpal, and to the Portuguese beach soccer player Bruno Torres, who suffered the detachment of the kneecap.
But what are the recommendations to avoid such injuries and treat them better? According to experts, prevention must begin at the table with a balanced diet and continue to the gym with adequate physical preparation during the year. Once at the beach, it is essential to have safe sports equipment, perform muscle warm-up exercises and stay constantly hydrated: “Practicing summer activities and sports without having undergone adequate physical training increases the risk of injuries, especially those related to a functional overload – explains Dr. Antonio Castelluzzo, medical coordinator of Mectronic – Experience shows that those who practice the most common beach sports such as beach volley, beach soccer and windsurfing tend to do so in an amateur way and to be a victim of muscle stress, sprains and injuries. For this reason the help of Theal Therapy becomes a valid ally in the rapid treatment of musculoskeletal pathologies thanks to its laser technology that maximizes the therapeutic effects and adapts perfectly to the phototype of each individual, guaranteeing a personalized thermocontrolled action. In any case, my advice remains that of knowing your limits in terms of age and muscle structure, balancing physical activity with resting phases and having an adequate knowledge of the sport technique you decide to practice”.
But what are the most frequent injuries related to summer sports?
According to the National Health Association, the most popular beach sport is beach volley which, if practiced incorrectly, can give rise to shoulder dislocations (50%), microtraumas in the elbows (32%), and finger fractures (18 %). Surfers tend to be more victims of head trauma (67%), bruises (20%) and tears in the lower limbs (13%). But there are not only beach traumas because more and more enthusiasts decide to practice physical activity at high altitude, practicing trekking, jogging and mountain biking. In this case the most frequent traumas concern the ankle sprains (43%), due to the instability of the ground, back muscle tears (36%), caused by an excessive workload that damages the spinal column, and phalangeal fractures of the feet (21%), due to incorrect use of trekking poles.
Finally, here is the expert vademecum for preventing and treating injuries related to summer sports:
01.
FOLLOW AN ADEQUATE PHYSICAL PREPARATION
Physical and athletic training must be spread throughout the year, avoiding being sedentary and training only around the summer season.
02.
OBSERVE A BALANCED FOOD REGIME
The correct satisfaction of food needs avoids exposure to the risk of injury and physical illness.
03.
STAY CONSTANTLY HYDRATED
Good hydration is essential to maintain a correct state of muscular health, avoiding the most common cramps and strains, especially during the hottest hours.
04.
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE WARMUP
Warmup and stretching activate the cardio-circulatory system and increase attention during sporting activity.
05.
BALANCE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND REST
Practicing intense physical activity during the summer, especially for those who do it in an amateur way without adequate preparation, increases the risk of injuries. For this reason it is necessary not to underestimate a period of rest.
06.
EQUIP YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT SPORTS EQUIPMENT
Wearing appropriate technical clothing and providing footwear suitable for sandy terrain is essential to avoid incorrect movements and injuries to the lower limbs.
07.
KNOW THE PRACTICED SPORT'S TECHNIQUE
Have the right mastery of the summer sport's techniques that you go to practice allows you to limit the risk of functional overload of ligaments, muscles and bones.
08.
RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN LIMITS
Listening to oneself and the signals of one's body becomes fundamental to understanding when to stop and start again with physical activity.
09.
STRENGTHEN YOUR MUSCULAR STRUCTURE
Strengthening the muscle districts with targeted exercises allows to improve the stability of the joint and limit the risk of injuries.
10.
IN CASE OF ACCIDENT USE LASER THERAPY
The use of the Theal Therapy laser has proved extremely useful in the treatment and recovery of acute and chronic pathologies more quickly.
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