Sports « Weekly Gravy

If your knees crack when you walk or run, don’t be too worried, an expert says. “Knee cracking could mean lots of things,” said Harshvardhan Singh, assistant professor in the department of physical therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “If it is painful, then you should see a health care provider.” The cause can be a large kneecap that doesn’t fit well into the groove, producing cracking during activities such as running and jogging. And if the thigh muscle is too tight, it can pull the kneecap, causing an audible crack. Degeneration of knee cartilage can, too. “The degenerative changes can also lead to pain and/or locking of the knee joint,” Singh said in a university news release. “Typically, degenerative changes are common in older people.” Scans have shown that the displacement of joint surfaces forming the knee can cause a chain reaction in which natural gas bubbles collapse. The result: knee cracking. “You should not be worried if your knees crack often as long as it is not associated with pain,” Singh said. If you have had a recent trauma to the knee and it starts to crack, you should see a doctor even in there’s no pain, he said. “Do not allow these sounds to make you feel abnormal or mentally stressed, or limit your functional activities,” Singh said. “A knee… read on >

The odds are not good for college football conferences that have decided to press forward with their fall season despite the coronavirus pandemic, experts say. The Big 10 and PAC 12 have decided not to play sports in the fall, but the SEC, the Big 12 and the ACC say they will proceed with college football while still keeping players safe from the coronavirus. “I do predict, because we’ve already been seeing it in those sports that have been very diligent, that there will be transmission and they will have to stop their games,” said Dr. Colleen Kraft, an NCAA medical adviser and a professor of infectious diseases with Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. She was one of several experts who recently briefed the media on navigating college sports during the pandemic. Ultimately, the nationwide debate over college football is occurring because the United States has failed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in an effective manner, said Dr. Brian Hainline, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the NCAA. “When we started talking about return to sport in April, we were envisioning there would be a continued downward trajectory of COVID-19 new infections and deaths, that there would be a national surveillance system, national testing and national contact tracing that would allow us to really navigate this pandemic,” Hainline said. “That hasn’t… read on >

If you’re thinking about letting your child resume sports while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage, a leading pediatricians’ group says there are a few things you should consider. To help families make informed decisions, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released guidance based on the most current research. “We recommend that parents talk to their pediatrician about the type of sport and setting, local disease activity, and individual circumstances, such as an underlying health condition that places the athlete or family members at high risk,” Dr. Susannah Briskin, one of the guidance authors, said in an AAP news release. “The risk can be decreased, but not eliminated, by athletes, parents, coaches and officials who follow safety protocols. Ultimately, this will be an individual choice for the parent to decide if they will allow their child to participate in sports,” she advised. “Before returning to sports, all children should have an annual health visit that ideally includes a pre-participation physical evaluation, which most parents know as a sports exam,” Briskin said. “If kids have not been physically active for a lengthy period of time, they are at higher risk of an overuse injury.” Parents can expect sports governing bodies to recommend pandemic-related modifications to practices, competitions and events. The AAP guidance says that families, coaches and teams should: prioritize non-contact activity such as conditioning… read on >

With evidence mounting that COVID-19 can damage the heart, experts urge people to take precautions when doing vigorous exercise. Up to 30% of patients hospitalized with coronavirus infection have signs of cardiac injury, according to Dr. Sunal Makadia, health director of sports cardiology at LifeBridge Health in Baltimore. The prevalence of heart damage in milder cases of COVID-19 is unknown. Still, experts worry about the potential for serious heart complications from engaging in vigorous exercise while infected with the virus. The American College of Cardiology’s Sports and Exercise Council recommends that people get a COVID-19 test and heart screening before playing sports or exercising. Even if they show no symptoms, those who test positive for COVID-19 should avoid exercise for at least two weeks, Makadia recommended. “After this, you can return to activity after being evaluated by a medical professional or cardiologist,” he said in a health system news release. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, a fluttering or a rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, leg swelling, muscle pains and unexplained fatigue may indicate a severe heart problem. “We’re still learning more, but those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and previous heart issues such as coronary artery disease, stents or coronary bypass surgery and heart failure are susceptible to the most severe complications of COVID-19,” Makadia said. Experts suggest exercising outdoors rather… read on >

Concussion symptoms aren’t always evident, so parents of student-athletes need to know the signs and seek a diagnosis if their teen gets hurt, experts say. Only those closest to a teen may be able to identify the sometimes subtle changes in mood and emotion stemming from a concussion, said Dr. Rory Tucker, a sports medicine specialist at Penn State Bone and Joint Institute in Hershey, Penn. “Parents may notice a change in their teen’s sleep patterns,” Tucker explained. “He or she may be more withdrawn, socializing less with friends or family members, more emotional or tearful. They may have anger outbursts or be more nervous than they were before.” Since doctors may be unfamiliar with a patient’s usual mental state, parents need to advocate for their children. “Medication is rarely necessary in the long term, but while a concussion is healing, it can sometimes be beneficial to take medication to control moods,” Tucker said in a Penn State news release. “We also use medications to assist with sleep. Impairment of sleep can have a detrimental impact on emotional health and how people interact with others.” It’s also important for parents to know that concussion symptoms can be similar to those of depression and anxiety, and that a concussion can worsen existing mental health problems. Dr. Craig DiGiovanni is a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry and behavioral… read on >

If you’re getting back to a fitness program or gym after spending months in lockdown, be careful not to hurt yourself, a sports medicine expert urges. “One of the most common reasons people get injured is because they overexert themselves when their level of fitness is not where they want it to be,” said Dr. Irvin Sulapas, a primary care sports medicine physician and assistant professor of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Here are some tips on how to prevent exercise injury: Warm up and cool down. Warming up and cooling down muscles can help reduce the risk of injury, Sulapas said. Use correct form. Many injuries happen because of poor form — make sure you are doing the exercise correctly. Start slowly. Ease into your workout. Reduce the distance for cardio and decrease weight for weight training until you get back to your normal pace or weight. Exercise outdoors. If you are not comfortable returning to the gym or exercise classes, stay outside with your workout. Keep hydrated, especially when temperatures are high. Work out in the early morning or evening, when temperatures are lower. Wear breathable fabric to help prevent overheating. If an injury occurs, slow down, stop and assess the injury. Depending on the injury, use an ice pack compress and elevate the limb, Sulapas advised.… read on >

If you love to play sports, it’s tough advice to follow after months of lockdown: Go easy. You may be tempted to jump right back into things as playing fields, courts, gyms and other athletic facilities reopen, but it’s best to take some time for conditioning first, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says. “For many sports, it has been three months since the last practice. Cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength and flexibility may have declined with [the] need to social distance,” said orthopedic surgeon and AAOS spokesperson Dr. Nicholas DiNubile. “Regardless of your activity, it is important to remember to ease into it and be patient with yourself,” he said in an AAOS news release. “If you give yourself time, the skills will come back.” People who weren’t active before the pandemic might want to view the reopening of facilities as an opportunity to improve their health and fitness levels, or to take up a new sport or activity. If you plan to restart or start an exercise program, here are some guidelines: Don’t increase the intensity or duration of the activity more than 10% per week. Stay hydrated during your workouts. Always warm up and stretch before beginning a workout. Cold muscles are more prone to injury. Warm up with jumping jacks, stationary cycling or running or walking in place for three to… read on >

Parks can be good for your health, but fear of crime stops some people from using them, a new study finds. Previous research has shown that urban green spaces can lower stress levels, weight and heart disease risk, and that living near a park is linked to fewer days of anxiety and depression. This new study found that New York City residents are more likely to exercise in a park if they live nearby, and the more they do so, the less anxious and depressed they feel — but only if they’re not concerned about their safety. For the study, New York University (NYU) researchers analyzed survey responses from more than 3,800 people. The survey results showed that nearly twice as many New Yorkers who lived within a five-minute walk from a park said they exercised there sometimes or often, compared with those who lived more than 30 minutes away. Frequent park exercisers reported having one fewer day a month with mental health issues, compared to those who rarely or never exercised in their local park. “If we want to make the most of the abundant health benefits parks offer, then we need to make them not only accessible, but also safe for everyone,” said study author Stephanie Orstad, a research assistant professor in the department of medicine at NYU Langone Health in New York… read on >

Swimming and summer are practically synonymous, but getting sick from bacteria in lakes, rivers and the ocean can spoil the fun, U.S. health officials warn. Since 2009, nearly 120 disease outbreaks in 31 states have been tied to untreated recreational water. But being aware of potential harms and taking precautions can help keep you healthy while you cool off, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Swimming is a great opportunity to be physically active, and we’re telling the public just do it in a smarter, more healthy way,” said report co-author Michele Hlavsa, chief of the CDC’s Healthy Swimming Program. Contamination can occur from many sources, she said. These include storm water runoff, septic or sewer overflow, or water from farms or wastewater treatment plants. “They add poop to the water,” Hlavsa noted. Also, animals may defecate on the beach or in the water. The most common infections are from bacteria, and include norovirus, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Cryptosporidium and Shigella. These bacteria can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Most often, these conditions go away by themselves, but for some, like kids and the elderly, these infections can be fatal. Older people with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems can be especially susceptible to getting sick. “One of the outbreaks highlighted in this report involved a… read on >

Trips to the beach or a pool add to summer’s fun, but parents need to ensure that children are safe in and around the water. Masks and social distancing are a must this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. And kids must be supervised even if they’re able to swim, experts at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles said. Two-thirds of drowning deaths occur in the summer — between May and August — and most occur on the weekends. The hospital offered parents the following swimming safety guidelines: Pay attention. Give kids your undivided attention when they’re in or around the water. Small children can drown in as little as one inch of water. Take turns supervising. When there are several adults present and children are swimming, designate an adult as the water watcher for a certain amount of time (such as 15 minutes). This can help prevent gaps in supervision and give other parents a chance to read, make phone calls or take a bathroom break. Teach your children. Educate your kids about swimming safety. Every child is different, so enroll children in swimming lessons when you feel they’re ready. Whether swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake, teach children to swim with an adult. Even children who are older, more experienced swimmers should swim with a partner every time. Learn CPR. It… read on >