An orthopedic surgeon shares why you shouldn’t give up your recreational sport simply due to injury.
Throughout his 26 years as a shoulder, elbow, and hand surgeon, Equinox member Alton Barron, M.D. has treated countless collegiate basketball and pro hockey players, high-performing cyclists, and other athletes for serious injuries — shoulder dislocations, tendon ruptures, you name it.
Even individuals whose bodies aren’t their livelihoods — weekend warriors who compete in recreational tennis matches or golf games on their off days, for instance — can suffer sports-related injuries. And former athletes are often at risk.
“If you were once a competitive athlete and you know what your body used to be able to do, once you get your opportunity — whether it's skiing two weeks a year or playing tennis once or twice on a weekend — you push it hard,” explains Dr. Barron. “But your body isn't quite as conditioned for that intensity, and people often push themselves harder than their level of conditioning will allow.” In some cases, that excessive workload can lead to tendonitis, strains, or partial tears, often due to underuse or overuse, he notes
According to Dr. Barron, it often takes more than one injury for an athlete’s mindset of invincibility to break down. “People keep pushing and feeling like they can do this [sport] — they just know it in their hearts,” he says. “They get so much pleasure and satisfaction, both psychologically and physically, from doing these intense exercises.”
When their fearless attitude begins to crack, though, some individuals may feel a sense of defeat, ready to give up their hobby for good. The good news: With the right treatment and outlook, an injury can often fully recover and, in some cases, leave you performing even better than before.
The Most Common Recreational Sports Injuries
While no two athletes suffer the exact same injuries, some conditions are common within specific sports. Tennis, for instance, involves running, suddenly stopping, and quickly switching directions — and simultaneously swinging your racket forward, overhead, backhanded, or in other tricky positions, says Dr. Barron. “Upper-extremity injuries are [often caused by] those awkward shots, like ones that are behind our body if we're [swinging] late,” he explains. “It’s the atypical movements and the ones that occur when we are not conditioned for them that tend to tear your rotator cuff — a hugely common injury — and your medial and lateral epicondyle tendons.”
Tennis players and golfers alike can also develop lateral epicondylitis (aka tennis elbow, often attributable to one-handed, backhand swings) and medial epicondylitis (aka golfer’s elbow, caused by excessive force used to bend the wrist when swinging a club), says Dr. Barron. Golfers are now hitting their balls with more speed and leading with their front arm (the left arm for a right-handed athlete), so doctors are seeing a rise in tennis elbow occurrences in the sport, he adds. On the same token, tennis athletes are now performing more two-handed backhand swings (protecting the lateral epicondyle) and trying to boost their forehand topspin, leading to an increase in cases of golfer’s elbow, he notes.
Bouncing Back after an Injury
While some people are more than ready to get back in the game once they’re fully healed, others aren’t as eager. When one of Dr. Barron’s patients, a competitive tennis player, suffered a repeat tear in his elbow, the athlete wasn't sure if he’d be able to hit the courts again. In fact, he was ready to give up his sport entirely, Dr. Barron recalls.
“It's very important that immediately after an injury — whether you need physical therapy, rest, or surgery — you don't draw some line in the sand psychologically and say, ‘That's it, I'm done,’” says Dr. Barron. “Just be kind to yourself and patient with yourself and your body. Do the hard work to get back in shape, get everything functioning the way it should, and then be open to the prospect that you may get back to 100 percent.”
Four weeks after he was cleared to play again, the tennis player was back on the courts and playing with ease, notes Dr. Barron. And in some cases, injured athletes may find themselves performing even better once they’re fully healed. During recovery, they can prioritize aspects of their training that previously were on the back burner. A person with a torn rotator cuff, for example, could add extra leg-strengthening work to their program so that when they return to the sport, they’ll have a more powerful lower body, says Dr. Barron.
Plus, they’ll often have the necessary tools and information to prevent an injury in the future. “I've seen that happen a lot — people have an injury because they were a little deconditioned, frankly, and once they were more educated about what they needed to do to prevent the next injury, they were in a much better level of fitness for their particular activity,” says Dr. Barron.
How to Prevent Injuries as a Recreational Athlete
To keep injuries at bay, it’s important to simulate real-life conditions so your body is familiar with all the awkward positions it may find itself in, says Dr. Barron. Tennis players, for instance, will want to practice groundstrokes, serves, and volleys in different positions that may take place in a match, he suggests.
In addition, consistently prioritizing cross-training is key. Whether you play golf, ultimate Frisbee, or pickleball, take a break from your sport and head to the Club to strength train your entire body two to three times per week, suggests Dr. Barron.
“When we don't [cross-train], injuries can occur at the tendon’s insertion point into bone or the musculotendinous junction (where the muscle transitions to a tendon),” he says. “The more you use those regularly in a specific [cross-]training regimen, the more durable they are and the more irregular stresses they can handle in those odd moments of competition.”
Ultimately, taking these steps will help you minimize the odds of suffering a strain, sprain, or tear that can keep you off the playing field. But if an injury does occur, don’t let it break you: With the proper treatment and recovery routine, you may come back to your sport stronger than ever before.