About.com Sports Medicine

How to Train Like an Olympian

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:40:56 +0000

Training like an Olympic athlete requires a plan and a lot of dedication. By borrowing a few training secrets from Olympic athletes, you, too, can train smarter and get fit faster.

Learn Olympic Workout Fitness Secrets

_{Photo (c) Ezra Shaw/Getty Images}

How to Train Like an Olympian originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 15:40:56.

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Start Training for Winter Sports Now

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:52:39 +0000

Downhill skiing and snowboarding require specific preparations and conditioning routines to ensure safe winter fun. Learn how ski and snowboarding conditioning exercises may help you avoid injuries on the slopes.

If you do get injuries, fast treatment is important. You can be sure you know what to do by reading up on the most common skiing and snowboarding injuries.

Read More:

Start Training for Winter Sports Now originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 17:52:39.

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Abdominal Muscles - Where They Are and How They Work

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:31:00 +0000

It seems everyone who exercises is looking for the best ab-exercise routine for developing flat, tight abdominal muscles. If you want to avoid falling victim to unproven and misleading abdominal exercise claims, it's important to have an understanding about the function of your abs, including where they are and what they do and how they can be exercised with the least risk of injury. Let's look at each of the abdominal muscles...

Abdominal Muscles - Where They Are and How They Work originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 12:31:00.

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Have You Had a Sports Concussion?

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:25:18 +0000

Sports concussions are traumatic head injuries that can occur from both mild and severe blows to the head. Some head injuries may appear to be mild but research is finding that even a minor blow to the head can result in serious, long-term complications, especially if an athlete suffers repeated head injuries or cumulative concussions.

Share your story: What caused your concussion? What were your symptoms? Have you recovered fully? Could you have done anything to prevent your head injury? Share your sports concussion story so other athletes can learn from your experience.

Share Your Concussion Story

Have You Had a Sports Concussion? originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 18:25:18.

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Congress Reviews Head Injuries in Pro Football

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:02:09 +0000

A long list of former NFL players, executives and lawmakers appeared before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday to discuss the long-term effects of head injuries on current and former NFL players and to determine if the NFL is doing enough to protect the players.

Despite growing evidence showing long-term affects of even mild concussion and head trauma in former pro football players, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league's policies on concussions during his testimony before Congress. He did, however, state that they can do more, and they are taking steps to make the game safer. Read more about the hearing in the NY Times article.

The long-term effects of head injuries in pro football is an important issue, but it has implications far beyond the NFL. The real significance of this story is that head injuries in sport -- any sport -- can have long-term, severe consequences and athletes, coaches and parents need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of concussions and other head trauma in order to minimize the risk.

Even Mild Head Injuries Are Serious

Research shows that even mild concussions can have serious long-term effects, but one of the most serious complications of a head injury, an epidural hematoma, can occur with little warning and, if not treated promptly, can result in death.

Head Injury Warning Signs

All experts agree that wear safely equipment, such as a helmet and mouth guard, can reduce the risk of serious head injuries. If you suffer any head injury, stop playing and sit out the rest of the game. Even if you think it's a mild bump on the head, you may have minor damage that can be repaired. If you return to play, you risk making that mild injury a permanent one.

Read More about Head Injuries

Head Injury Research

The latest research on the effects of head injuries continues to support the fact that concussions, and even mild head injuries, can cause lasting damage to the brain

In September, 2009, the National Football League Player Care Foundation released the results of their Study of Retired NFL Players which revealed that the rate of dementia and cognitive disorders among retired NFL players was five times higher than among the general population.

In 2007, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine reported finding structural changes in the brains of head injury patients that correlate to cognitive deficits in thinking, memory and attention. They found that mild head injuries caused damage only to the outer surface of the nerve (the myelin sheath of an axon), which may be able to be repaired if allowed to heal. More severe head injuries tended to cause damage to the axon itself, which may not be as easily repaired. Read the study abstract, published in the journal Brain or the Read the study press release from the University of Illinois at Chicago

Learn about myelin and nerve structure

Congress Reviews Head Injuries in Pro Football originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 13:02:09.

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What Is a Sports Hernia?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:27:46 +0000

A sports hernia refers to an area of thinning or weakening of the abdominal muscles to the point that the underlying internal organs, particularly the intestines, push up against the muscular wall and cause significant pain. Unlike an inguinal hernia, a sports hernia rarely causes any visible bulge in the muscle wall, so it is often overlooked for some time before it is diagnosed.

What Is a Sports Hernia? originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 12:27:46.

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Calf Pull Stretching Program

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:23:28 +0000

Calf pain can be caused by many reasons including tight, weak muscles of the lower leg (gastrocnemius or soleus), or a calf muscle injury such as a calf strain or pull.� A� regular stretching program can help reduce calf pain and prevent future calf injury.

Calf Pull Stretching Program originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 12:23:28.

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What's the Best Advice You Got from Your Coach?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:21:50 +0000

Great coaches do more than just explain the rules of the game. A great coach is also a great teacher who inspires and empowers an athlete to realize and develop his or her full sports potential. In some cases, a coach's advice may extend far beyond the playing field and even shape an athlete's character off the field.

How about you? What's the best advice you ever received from a coach? Did it help your sports performance or did it extend beyond sports and change how you live your life?

Share Your Coach's Wisdom

_{Photo (c) Rana Faure / Getty Images}

What's the Best Advice You Got from Your Coach? originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 12:21:50.

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Stretching Exercises for Calf Pull

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:35:50 +0000

Calf pain can be caused by many reasons including tight, weak muscles of the lower leg (gastrocnemius or soleus), or a calf muscle injury such as a calf strain or pull.

A good stretching program can often help reduce calf pain and prevent future calf injuries. Here's a basic calf stretching routine you can start today.

Stretching Exercises for Calf Pull originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 12:35:50.

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Misssed and Misdiagnosed Sports Injuries

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:22:16 +0000

Some sports injuries can masquerade as less serious injuries and be overlooked by the athlete or brushed off as no big deal. In other cases, an athlete may believe they have a serious injury and a doctor may fail to find anything major or even misdiagnose an injury. Such missed or misdiagnosed injuries often result in delayed healing, and in some cases lead to chronic pain and an injury that never heals properly.

Have you ever had a sports injury missed or misdiagnosed?
--> Share Your Story

What do you think went wrong? How did it affect your long-term outcome? Do you think your sport performance suffered from the missed injury? What have you learned from the experience?

The 5 most commonly missed sports injuries include:

How do you tell if you injury is serious?

Learn the Sports Injury Warning Signs.

Misssed and Misdiagnosed Sports Injuries originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 17:22:16.

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