Sprains and Strains : Risk Factors

Fitness has a mental component, in addition to physical challenges. Even if you're in great shape, you can encounter intellectual obstacles that can decrease your motivation and stifle your performance.

Children should avoid specializing in a sport until they reach adolescence, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. Reason: for every prodigy who becomes a successful athlete, thousands of youths suffer physically or psychologically from being pushed to compete at a young age.

Win or lose, experts say, it's far more important for young people to take away from sports some lessons about self-esteem, motivation, discipline and getting along with others.

Whether you're heading for the mountain to ski or just taking your sled to the hill, you can enjoy a great day out and get some exercise at the same time.

Snowboarders often break wrists and ankles because they go down hard when they crash.

The best way to eliminate sliding injuries is to use bases designed to pop loose when they are struck too hard.

While many view golf as a leisure activity, more golfers are becoming fitness-minded. The sport demands superior flexibility, strength and cardiovascular fitness.

Sports and Americans: A Perfect FitMany popular sports are homegrownSoftball, soccer, swimming, track. Name just about any sport, and you'll find kids -- and adults -- participating in it.

Sports are group games and individual activities involving physical activity and skills.

Games and individual activities involving physical skills. A child will have many opportunities to participate in sports throughout his or her developing years and into adolescence. The level of a child's participation in sports, how he or she performs, or whether he or she enjoys playing is greatly influenced by adults' attitudes toward the physical and emotional aspects of the activity.

Playing tennis or racquetball is a fun way to boost the intensity of your fitness program, as well as improve your balance, strength and agility.

Falls are a common source of injury, particularly in the elderly population. They are more likely to occur if impairments in balance, strength, perception, joint range of motion, postural function or coordination are present. Serious injury from falls, such as fractures , occur commonly in people with osteoporosis , a common degenerative disease involving loss of bone mass. Hip fracture is one of the most serious potential consequences of a fall, with a mortality rate as high as 20%.

Among the most common problems currently seen in the workplace are those injuries due to cumulative trauma from repetitive motion. Repetitive activities are found in many occupational settings, including traditional manufacturing. Examples include work on an automobile assembly line or in food processing plants, such as a chicken processing facility. Repetitive activities are also found in the office environment, where repetitive trauma results from the prolonged use of keyboards. Repetitive trauma and carpal tunnel syndrome can also be seen in nonemployment situations due to underlying disease processes such as diabetes, or to repetitive activities such as knitting and sewing. Cumulative trauma problems tend to effect joint surfaces or the neurological system. Joint surfaces may be worn to the point of causing pain. Carpal tunnel syndrome, a common problem, arises because the nerve, artery, and vein supplying the hand all travel through a narrow space in the wrist (the carpal tunnel), which can become irritated and swollen from regular and repetitive use. The most likely structure to be affected is the nerve, and pain is the most common presenting symptom. Other joints which may be affected from cumulative trauma are the elbow, shoulder, knee, and ankle. Repetitive activities or professional athletics are frequent causes. There are several ways that cumulative trauma problems can be managed. Ideally, the repetitive activities causing the difficulty should be altered. This can be done in workplace settings, such as on an automobile assembly line, where workers can shift specific job activities every few hours and rest certain body parts while using others. For other settings or tasks that do not allow for such rotation, such as keyboarding, workers should be given regular rest breaks from these activities. When there is no possibility of altering the specific nature of the job there are supportive items that can be used. The use of splints, wrist rests, or other devices to optimize the positioning of the hand, and the adjustment of furniture height, may help in preventing and ameliorating carpal tunnel syndrome. Medication is sometimes used, as well, with variable results. Should the problem persist, or worsen to the point where nerve damage can be documented by electrophysiological testing, then surgery may be necessary to open up the carpal tunnel space to relieve pressure on the nerve involved. Congressional restrictions on collecting data about these difficulties has made it difficult to determine how widespread carpal tunnel syndrome and other cumulative trauma problems may be. There also has been a delay in the implementation of workplace regulations to help relieve these problems. After many years of planning and discussion, ergonomic regulations were put in place by the federal government, but quickly taken back, with additional plans made for further study of these issues. A RTHUR L. F RANK ( SEE ALSO : Occupational Disease ; Occupational Safety and Health )

Detailed information on overuse injuries in children, including jumper's knee, patellar tendonitis, little leaguers' elbow, little leaguers' shoulder, osteochondritis dissecans, sever's disease, shin splints, Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease, spondylolisthesis, and spondylolysis

Detailed information on overuse injuries in children, including jumper's knee, patellar tendonitis, little leaguers' elbow, little leaguers' shoulder, osteochondritis dissecans, sever's disease, shin splints, Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease, spondylolist

Detailed information on repetitive motion injuries and rehabilitation

A series of exercises to ease pain and prevent injury for those with arthritis, repetitive stress injury, or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Repetitive motion disorders are a group of syndromes caused by injuries to muscles, tendons, nerves, or blood vessels from repeated or sustained exertions of different body parts. Most of these disorders involve the hands, arms, or neck and shoulder area. Other names for repetitive motion disorders include repetitive trauma disorders, repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), overuse syndrome, work-related disorders, and regional musculoskeletal disorders.