Dr. Colvin On Stress fractures are one of the dangers of playing sports

THE SPECIALIST

An associate professor at Mount Sinai, Dr. Alexis Colvin is an orthopedic surgeon who sees patients of all ages, primarily for sports injuries. As the Chief Medical Officer for the U.S. Tennis Association, she will also be providing care to the tennis greats at the U. S. Open this week.

WHO’S AT RISK

With the increasing pressure on child and teen athletes to professionalize at younger and younger ages, doctors are seeing a rash of sports injuries related to overuse. “Stress fractures are a common injury that we’re seeing in these trophy kid athletes,” says Colvin. “Stress fractures are breaks in the bone that can occur due to overuse. They’re seen in both serious athletes and weekend warriors — really anyone who is doing a repetitive sport or activity.”

Sports that involve repetitive motions are the most likely to cause stress fractures. “Any sport with repetitive motions, such as extended running, puts you at risk of developing a stress fracture — whether it’s cross-country, basketball, swimming, gymnastics, or tennis,” says Colvin. “Athletes are particularly at risk when they start increasing the amount of time they’re doing the activity — say, when a runners are training for a long distance race, and increase their mileage too quickly.”

Full Article at: Daily Checkup