While on the playing field, most athletes live in “the here and now.” It is easy to get carried away by the heat of the moment and play through pain to achieve a short-term goal without thinking about the long-term consequences to your health. However, where the “no pain, no gain” philosophy fails is it often leads to overexertion to the point of seriously injuring yourself.

Here are a few tips for preventing overuse injury:

An unexpected injury can turn your life upside down. You may be forced to sit out the rest of the sports season, cancel your vacation plans, or completely change your line of work.

The uncertainty of the future and not knowing whether you will get back to normal again may bring to the surface a mix of emotions that can be difficult to control. If not handled appropriately, the consequences of emotional scarring may be worse than the physical injury itself.

Here are some coping strategies when dealing with the emotional side of injury:

Our bones and joints provide structure to our bodies, protection for internal organs and anchorage for our muscles when we move. Most people attain maximum bone mass around the age of 30 after which they begin to lose bone mineral density which can cause thinning and brittleness of bones. The key to minimizing loss of bone mass is to eat plenty of calcium-rich foods.

The recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium for adults to help maintain bone mass is around 1000 mg. Older individuals and menopausal women may need up to 1500 mg per day.

National Physical Therapy Month is celebrated in October to spread awareness about the vital role that physical therapy plays in helping you move and feel better. Let’s look at the important benefits of physical therapy after surgery:

Falls are one of the major causes of serious injury such as hip fractures or traumatic brain injury among the elderly. According to a recent research study, fall death rates have increased by 30% in the US between the years 2007 and 2016. At this rate, there will be 7 fall deaths occurring every hour by the year 2030!

Chronic pain affects the lives of nearly 50 million people throughout the US and according to a recent study, only little over half the people suffering from chronic pain are able the successfully manage their symptoms. The rest often resign themselves to very limited lifestyle that is restricted by chronic pain.

The summer is the perfect time to improve your health and fitness levels with so many great outdoor activities to choose from. However, the increased heat and humidity that is part of the summer season should be taken into consideration when planning your workout or any physical activity. Here are a few fitness tips for the summer:

Shoulder arthroscopy was first developed in the 1980s. It allows the surgeon to look inside the joint, identify and possibly treat a shoulder problem through tiny keyhole incisions. The procedure is often performed in an outpatient setting with the patient being allowed to go home on the very same day.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that is usually seen in children between 10-15 years of age during the growth spurt just prior to the onset of puberty. About 2-4% of people in the US are affected by this condition. Scoliosis Awareness Month is celebrated in the month of June to help raise awareness regarding the diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis. Here are 5 interesting facts about scoliosis:

Osteoporosis is a bone thinning disease that can result in fractures. It is considered a “silent” disease as many people aren’t aware they have osteoporosis and are diagnosed with the condition only after they have sustained a fracture due to very minor trauma. As May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, here are the top ways to prevent osteoporosis: