Amateur Sports and Permanent Injury

[crabbait]

Reading Stickfish's list of sports injuries reminded me of that fact that, as I get older, I find that more and more of my friends are suffering from old sports injuries to the point that they are no longer able to do the things that we all love to do.

The part that I find really remarkable is the number of these that are the result of organized sports that the guys were playing in their 30s and early 40s. The biggest maimer of young adults appears to be organized softball, especially when mixed with competitive beer drinking. There are a number of permanent injuries sustained during basketball games or racquetball or even tennis. Second place has got to go to motorcycles/bicycles, organized event or not, and more recently ATVs/PWCs.

The sad part is that the guys seem to heal pretty well at the time of the injury only to have the previously injured joint become so bothersome that they are unable to hike or stand for very long or they can't hold the rod or draw the bow once they get into their 50s/60s.

Anybody else notice this or is it just my weak friends?

[ampersat]

Played baseball as a kid and threw my shoulder pretty well out of whack (and I wasn't even a pitcher). Many years later, I spotted a compound bow at a garage sale and thought that maybe I'd take up bow hunting. I drew the string back and realized very quickly that bow hunting wasn't going to be in my future. I've balked at getting a pontoon for floating the upper Sandy and such specifically because I don't want to find myself in hairy water with my old injury acting up. You never really know when it's going to flare up and it better not be when your life depends on it.

[Rank Amateur]

I have an old classmate the was a defensive back in football, he used to hit like a Mack truck. The last time I saw him he was really struggling with bad knees. I think you are right about sport injuries.

[drano100]

ACL, MCL, and meniscus all at once right after I had signed a letter of intent with UCLA, got to love chop blocks, 3 knee surgery’s since and currently living with blown out MCL,ACL It has never the same, that and throwing 4 to 500 pitches for batting practice 4 days a week, for the kids little league teams has made toast of my rotor cuff. Now at 51 I feel lucky to be able to walk 9 holes, and the golf cart has become my friend, Hunting is a day of fun and 3 of pain. Getting old is a pain (no pun intended)

[ET]

Played a lot of amateur sports up until I was 35. Abusing my body was the "macho" thing to do. My wife's 90-year-old grandmother used to counsel me when I came home with sprained ankles, dislocated shoulders, swollen knees etc.. She would say, "All of those injuries will come back to you as you get older. You think they will heal, but they'll come back to remind you of what you did."

Now at 43, I realize how right she was. My wife never played any sports. She is 7 years older than me, but physically she's much younger.

Take care of your body!!! And if you have athletic children, make sure they don't abuse themselves.

[wannacatchem]

I was (am) one of those guys that had no regard for the human physique. Especially in my younger years (15-30) if it could be climbed, fallen off of, jumped over, ran into...I tried it. Usually many times until I mastered it. My favorite sport was skiing, which cost me virtually every joint in my body. I was ten foot tall and bullet proof until I was 45 years old. Then I screwed my back up.

Now, at the age of 51, I walk with a limp, my hands, knees, shoulders and spine are filled with arthritus. I've had several surgeries over the years and am looking at yet another one on my back.

It was fun and I'd do it all again, given the chance.

[Two Ducks]

James Michner's book "Sports in America" points out that folks that are active in sports have about an 80 per cent chance of life long injuries.

[StickFish]

There is actually a term that my ortopediest uses - Boomeritus. Referring to many of us carrying on activities that generations before us quit doing in their early 20's. Our eneration is still doing those activities to try and stay healthy well past our 40's. At the National Masters Racquetball Tournament for instance they have an 80's plus open division.

I have to wear ankle braces because I have sprained both of my ankles so many times that they have zero muscle memory - Mrs C thinks its funny when I walk across the carpet and fall for no reason. I have a unrepaired rotator cuff that I tore - you guessed it hitting a racquetball wrong. Many months of PT and I can play racquetball with it, but row a drift boat or a raft is way out of the question (tried - ouch). Even throwing rocks isn't fun anymore.

Another buddy of mine went under the knife last Thursday for knee reconstruction - his second. Another friend goes in this week to have both knees done - he's only 36 and this will be his third knee surgery.

I thought about this alot today on the plane - its been a hard week. When I usually come out to DC I bring my sticks and get some games in with some guys I've met out here - I left that at home this time around. Guess I'll just work on my insomnia cure instead

[B-RUN STEELIE]

Dirt bikes beat the pee outa me. I didn't think so at the time but as I get older it shows. Two ACL's replaced, no miniscus left, a lower back problem that flairs up, my wrists hurt.. on and on and on.

But I can still fish all the time and play a fair round of golf. I ride sometimes with my son and thats about it.

[Tommy T]

I feel fortunate reading these posts. I played football, basketball and baseball in High school. Only one real major knee injury was softball & beer related in my mid 20's. Can't jump like I used to, but that could be the 60lbs I've gained since graduating. Now I'm 44 and still play competitive softball and full-court basketball. Throw batting practice from 45' & 60' mounds for Little Leaguers. Most school injuries were football related. From broken finger bones to torn mucscles.

I do have friends a lot younger than me who have trouble walking and can't take long drives because their knees lock up. I'm much more conscious about stretching out and warming up. I'm sure I'll still pay the price later, but I have no complaints now and have enjoyed the interaction and social skills sports have taught me.

[tnj8222]

i have been in martial arts pretty much my whole life.... my joints are catching up to me with lots of pops, they dont hurt yet but i can tell they will in the future. its mostly my elbows and knees from lots of kung-fu and jujitsu.

a buddy of mine was in tae kwon do for years and his feet and knees are terrible

im gonna be a wreck in 20 years lol

[Deeman]

I skiied in international competition as a teenager, played baseball for an NAIA school, wrestled and played football for a Div.1 Oregon school, rode bulls professionally for almost 5 years, but the worst thing for my body was framing houses. Over my athletic career I have had 26 bone breaks including three vertabrae over two occasions, 7 treated concussions, dislocations, tears, sprains, and surgical repairs to numerous to even count. Now at 46 and still active in organized sports as well as bow/rifle, hunting and fishing here is my take on this. Tommy T and some others have it right, stretching is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Walking (I use a small backpack with weight) is equally as good for you. Drop 20-30 pounds and you will be amazed at how much better you feel. If I gain five pounds my body starts talking to me about it, same thing if I miss a day or two of stretches. Being in shape and feeling good, even with the abuse we have all been through, doesnt mean we need to be "weight room warriors". Most of us would all see a huge increase in our well being if we just took 1/2 hour a day to stretch and walk two miles.

[Hogmaster]

I think we are blessed.

100 years ago life expectancy in the US was 47. Back then when you blew out a knee on the farm or the factory you didn't get it fixed and you probably died from complications at least indirectly associated with it.

Now us boomers are in our 40s 50s and 60s, and several are still patched up enough to still have the opportunity to injure ourselves.

Not making light of it, especially after cuff surgery on both shoulders and many other "issues" involving minor things like head trauma, broken bones, various contusions and whatnot.

It's just that keeping active keeps us living. If it hurts, it is part of living. If it hurts too much to do it, we need to find something else to do.

Excercise. Mind and body. Man does that body stuff suck sometimes!

[northriver1]

Maybe us old timers should just ride our bikes for our required weekly exercise. Nobody gets hurt riding a bike do they?

[Hogmaster]

Not that I remember.

[Silver Hilton]

Folks, with stretching and weight work, you can mitigate a lot of this stuff. Or at least I have been able to. I am pretty religious about a thorough stretching routine, and a weight routine that is focused on strength and range of motion. I've had to work through elbow and shoulder tendonitis, and have been successful in doing so. Check with your doc, and get to the gym.

And if that fails, a good cabernet and 3 ibuprofen won't hurt, either.

[Queeg]

Originally Posted by northriver1

Maybe us old timers should just ride our bikes for our required weekly exercise. Nobody gets hurt riding a bike do they?

Technically, I've only gotten hurt falling OFF the bike.