4th and Sprain
If your definition of personal injury is limited to car accidents and construction site mishaps, you might be missing the proverbial boat. And while summer activities seem the most likely to trigger an accident or two, autumn can be just as risky – especially if you or one of your loved ones enjoys that great American pastime we call football. While life might be pretty cushy for an NFL quarterback –aside from a few dog-fighting debacles—it’s not so cushy on their bodies. And that goes for any football player – even the pint-sized city-league or the ambitious high school running back you have at home.
The fact of the matter is that throwing that pigskin around can wreak havoc on the body – ligament tears, hamstring pulls, shin splints, whiplash, broken ribs, concussions, fractured bones and ankle sprains are just a few of football’s beauteous side-effects.
So keep the athlete in your life in good condition by encouraging him or her to train properly and listen to their own body. Stretching before and after a game or practice can help ease tightened muscles, while cross training with running and weight-lifting can help get the body into optimum athletic condition.
And don’t expect to spring right back from an injury. Physical therapy and guided training will help the healing process along. Because even a touchdown pass isn’t work a chronically-strained groin muscle. Well, maybe.