WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — When temperatures rise, so do injuries related to so-called “swinging sports.”
“Rotator cuff injuries, strains or tears, and that’s in the shoulder muscle, we also see elbow injuries. Sometimes we have things in people that play tennis or golf, so tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow. Anything like that where you have repetitive swinging, twisting, or overhead activities,” said Dr. Ron Campbell.
Campbell is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at UPMC. He says there are ways that you can prevent injuries while being active.
“I think that warming up is especially good, before and also what we call winding down, or after your activities, stretching. Flexibility is also very important; the more flexible and the more range of motion you have, the less chance you have for injuries, and just stabilizing the muscles around the shoulder, keeping up strength is also very paramount,” said Campbell.
If you have an injury, Dr. Campbell recommends talking it over with your primary care doctor first. He also adds that if you’re on the court or course this summer, make sure to stay hydrated.