Treat Aging Athletes and Avoid Sports Injuries

As the population of aging individuals increases dramatically over the next decade, so will the number of aging athletes. Many of these athletes have been active all of their lives, while others became increasingly active over the years to improve their health and to maintain their strength and endurance.

Unfortunately, chronic and overuse injuries can stand in the way of an active lifestyle in older athletes. Wear and tear of joints, especially in the膝盖, accumulate and often worsen as we age.

“由于受伤的积累和整体健康状况的总体变化，这些运动员可能需要更多的个性化护理，而不是一种'一定大小的全能'运动损伤方法。”

质量一般beplayer下载的布里格姆运动医学团队的年代pecialists is dedicated to treating aging athletes so that they can maintain a high level of activity—at any age.

“在许多情况下，我们正在谈论的运动员college or professional sports careersor participated in sports activities when they were younger; now these individuals are in their 40s or 50s and want to remain very active at a high level," saysChristian Lattermann, MD，联合主席Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine and chief of the Division of Sports Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "Because of an accumulation of injuries and general changes in their overall health, these athletes may require morepersonalized carethan a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to sports injury care."

Lattermann博士经常将衰老的运动员称为“膝盖较老的年轻人”。

他说：“我们的患者经常在膝盖的一，两个或所有三个隔间中受损的关节。”“我们可以为这些患者提供有助于卸载，维修或再生这些车厢的专业程序。并非所有骨科外科医生都接受了此培训或提供这些选择。”

衰老运动员的常见运动伤害和程序

Dr. Lattermann recommends a personalized and multidisciplinary treatment plan for aging athletes that combinesathletic training，肌肉骨骼物理疗法，成像以及手术和手术non-operative orthopaedic care。这些治疗方法旨在最大程度地发挥运动员的膝盖功能，并减少损伤并发症。老年运动员中一些最常见的运动伤害包括：

ACL Injuries

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments that stabilize the knee joint, and it is engaged as athletes jump and pivot. It is often injured by suddenly stopping and twisting at the knee. Treatment may include nonsurgical approaches, such as ice packs, rest, and physical therapy, but in many circumstances an ACL injury may require surgical replacement. Notably, older patients can often cope with injured ACLs, and therefore ACL surgery is not always recommended. If an aging athlete with a serious injury is still highly competitive and unable to take an extended break from sport, they may be a candidate for ACL surgery.

咬弯月板

Aging athletes' knee cartilage is likely to wear down over time, leading to joint pain, swelling, and/or stiffness in the affected area. Meniscus tears can also occur suddenly during a muscle sprain. Treatment may involve muscle strength exercises, medicine, and arthroscopy (a minor surgical procedure involving a small incision made to allow the surgeon to view the area with a small, fiberoptic television camera).

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Damage

Sometimes referred to as "degenerative joint disease" or "wear-and-tear arthritis," osteoarthritis is a common challenge facing the aging athlete. As articular cartilage that covers the joint begins to degenerate, an athlete may feel pain and discomfort.

骨关节炎的发展是一个缓慢的过程，可能需要数年的时间浮出水面，并且经常是由于运动员在感到疼痛之前几年的伤害而导致的。早期骨关节炎和后期骨关节炎的治疗可能有所不同。它们包括一系列非手术选择，例如物理疗法和低影响运动，抗炎药或控制炎症的注射。

如果这些策略不起作用，则可能需要进行关节镜检查，软骨修复或较小的部分置换关节部分以治疗患者的症状。在某些情况下，可能有必要使用板和螺钉更改膝盖的对准。

如何在任何年龄保持无伤害

The injuries of the aging athlete are often more complex than younger athletes, largely due to the fact that older athletes have longer medical histories but are highly treatable. As an aging athlete, it's important to practice preventative care as much as possible. This includes taking rest days when needed and incorporating a range of agility, flexibility and stretching exercises into your everyday workouts. Injury prevention training programs, such as ourACL Injury Prevention Program, are also great resources for the aging athlete hoping to avoid getting sidelined.

Lattermann博士提醒老化的运动员在受伤时总是尽快寻求医疗建议，而不是试图“推动”疼痛或简单地忽略它。由于衰老的运动员经常在培训之外（例如家庭和职业）有要求，因此他们可能不太愿意去看医生或投资预防性护理。我们的virtual care programoffers immediate access to one of our sports medicine providers. Its convenience can help if time and distance are difficult to manage.