Rome, 3 June 2024 – Summer heats up and the desire to do sport becomes irrepressible. But if sporting activity is a panacea at any age with beneficial effects on the body and psyche, the risk of “over use” is just around the corner. In fact, when sporting activity suddenly intensifies, concentrated in the summer season and without adequate preparation, the risks of injuries to ligaments, muscles and bones can increase.
“When we talk about over use – explains Alberto Momoli, President of the Italian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology, SIOT and Director of the UOC Orthopedics and Traumatology of the “San Bortolo” Hospital, Vicenza – we are referring to repeated athletic gestures with excessive loads on the musculoskeletal structure, caused often due to poor athletic preparation. In addition to trauma resulting in injuries, there are “overload” pathologies characterized by repetitive microtraumas that hinder the tissue’s ability to repair itself. During physical activity, various tissues, such as muscles, tendons, bones and ligaments, can be overused and suffer excessive physiological stress.”
There are many sporting activities to practice in the summer, from five-a-side football to soccer, from running to beach volleyball, as well as padel, tennis and golf, a true paradise for those who love outdoor sports.
“Before dedicating yourself to sporting activity during the summer season – adds Simone Ripanti, SIOT Secretary and Orthopedic Medical Director, Orthopedics and Traumatology Complex Operational Unit, San Giovanni Hospital, Rome – in addition to adequate physical preparation, we always recommend using suitable footwear and do not underestimate the importance of the necessary rest between days dedicated to sport to avoid the risk of muscle-tendon stress”.
The sports most at risk of “over use” during the summer season: the advice of the orthopedists of the Italian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology, SIOT
Running
Good weather, longer days, getting back into shape for the coming summer. The days dedicated to running are intensifying and the risks of pathologies linked to excessive mileage, sudden changes in routine, errors in specific movements or participation in close competitions (for the best performing athletes) also increase.
The most frequent pathologies in running: foot and knee are the structures most involved. Excessive overload of the front part of the foot with annoying pain, metatarsalgia which can also lead to stress fractures; pain in the sole of the foot or heel, which can quickly become chronic, linked to inflammation of the plantar fascia (plantar fasciitis); knee pain due to overloading of the patellofemoral joint or inflammation of the external part of the knee (inflammation of the iliotibial band).
Futsal and football
The European football championships are arriving, the ball is at your feet. It is the sport most loved by Italians and football or soccer matches and tournaments become an unmissable event to brighten up summer evenings. But, also thanks to synthetic surfaces, technical shoes that are not always suitable and achieving intense sporting performance without being well trained can be risky.
The most frequent pathologies in five-a-side football: inflammation of the tendon structures of the knee (tendinopathy of the patellar tendon and of the goose leg), of the ankle (tendinitis of the Achilles tendon), as well as overloads of the pelvis which can cause pubalgia, with pain in the pubic area, groin or inner thigh.
Padel and Tennis
For purists, they are sports in stark contrast, but with similar overload pathologies: too many games of padel or tennis and inflammation could be just around the corner.
The most frequent pathologies in tennis and padel: elbow pain due to epicondylitis and shoulder pain due to an inflammatory pathology of the cuff tendons. But even the spine, without adequate training, can suffer overloads which manifest themselves with pain that limits sporting activity.
Golf
The “green” is getting greener, it rains less and less and the days dedicated to golf are intensifying. Even for this sport, suddenly increased activity without being well trained can cause injuries and traumas.
The most frequent pathologies in golf: low back pain, caused by repeated stress from twisting the spine during the swing; elbow tendinopathies with continuous stress on the insertion of the forearm tendons on the bone. Epitrochleitis (also known as “golfer’s elbow”) is the most common elbow pathology, responsible for pain and can seriously limit athletic performance.
And then again, shoulder pain in golfers is related to an overload of the tendons called “rotator cuff”; also in this case, repeated movements can cause acute inflammation, degeneration, bursitis, micro-lesions up to complete lesions of the tendons. Wrist pain is linked to inflammation of the tendons between the wrist and hand, particularly in the sheath surrounding the tendons (tenosynovitis).
Beach volley
The summer activity par excellence but dangerous for injuries and “over use” pathologies. The sand and the lack of adequate footwear that can absorb the loads on the joints make this sport, often practiced with poor training and physical preparation, subject to various pathologies.
The most frequent pathologies in beach volleyball: tendinitis of the wrist, shoulder (inflammation of the rotator cuff), of the Achilles tendon, as well as excessive load on the knee joints (meniscal lesions) and ankle and, finally, sprained fingers.
