3 Most Common Springtime Injuries And How-To Prevent Them

After months of cold weather and staying inside, it’s time to get out and enjoy the warmth! Now you can get back to spring cleaning, gardening, and other activities outside. A lot of people become more active in the spring but this can also bring about some aches and pains.

At A Step Ahead Physical Therapy, the top three injuries we see this time of year include:

• Sprains and strains

• General overuse injuries lie shin splints and knee pain

• Low back pain

With nicer weather, more sports and recreational activities begin outdoors leading to strains and sprains involving your knees, hips, and shoulders. It’s important to take proper precautions before playing sports and doing recreational activities like including a dynamic warm up prior to exercise and activity.

Another common cause of injury is going from a period of inactivity during the winter months to quickly jumping into an active lifestyle. The specific injuries we see in this category involve the rotator cuff, achilles tendon, or knee pain. The nice weather naturally makes people feel like they need to be outside! Therefore, they go from lounging on the couch all winter to playing in the backyard with kids, house and yard work, and any other outside activities they’ve been dreaming about all winter long.

The third injury that we frequently see in the spring is low back pain usually from lifting, picking up, or carrying objects. Most commonly this happens during spring cleaning. It’s important to take your time cleaning and do a little bit at a time to not tire yourself out and cause pain.

Here are a few tips to help avoid these common conditions:

• Slowly return to activity and gradually build up your endurance to better tolerate daily activities.

• Perform warm up activities or dynamic stretching prior to more strenuous tasks like yard work and gardening.

• Take frequent rest breaks to allow your body to recover, especially if you start experiencing discomfort.

Though the warmer weather and birds chirping during the spring months may make you feel like you’re ready for any activity, be sure to take proper precaution to prepare your body. We hope these tips help you stay injury and pain free all spring time long!

If you are experiencing any of these common spring time injuries, schedule an appointment with us today. We offer one-on-one, individualized care during each one-hour session with our patients. We believe in spending quality time whether you come to our office in Roswell or take advantage of our mobile concierge mobile service. We’d love to get you back to doing the things you love to do!