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3 Common Injuries in Athletes: Part 1

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stress fracture from triathlon training

I am new to the triathlon arena and I have signed up for the Boulder Half Ironman this fall.  I have been training through the winter but not as much as I had hoped. Now that the weather is getting nicer,  I have really tried to ramp it up. Be careful as one may end up with a stress fracture.

I am finding training for the Half Ironman to be significantly different than the sprint triathlon training I have done previously. I am starting to experience those aches and pains of pushing my body to the limit. So here’s three of the most common injuries in athletes, how to avoid them, and what to do if you start to experience these symptoms.

1. Stress Fracture

Stress fractures are the most common and they are an overuse injury. The reality is that we often completely ignore our feet. We stuff them in shoes and forget about them, and it is not until they start hurting that we appreciate all that our feet do for us.  There are 26 bones and 33 joints in the foot and they are made to take a beating every day.  They adapt to different terrains and absorb most of the shock we place on them but if not optimally aligned, our feet can start to fail us.

Can you avoid getting a stress fracture?

With constant stress, the bones in the foot can begin to break down and that’s when a stress fracture develops.  At first you might not think much about it, but soon the pain becomes overwhelming and will bring your training to a halt.  We often do too much too fast and the musculoskeletal system takes time to adapt. So, to help avoid this injury, make sure you have a steady and gradual increase in your work out. Most programs focus on the cardiovascular aspect, but I would also recommend some type of stretching and strength training at least once a week as well.

Your body needs a day of rest, so make sure you take at least one day off every week and you can focus more of stretching and joint range of motion that day. If you are concerned at all about your foot type and whether your feet and ankles can handle the increased stress placed on them, make sure you get evaluated to see if a pair of arch supports can help to put your feet in that optimal position to potentially avoid a stress fracture or other related injuries from overuse.

What are the treatment options?

If you are dealing with a stress fracture, there is good news. We have great options to help speed up the recovery process and get you back to training. We offer regenerative therapies like platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP) and AmnioFix injections. Both help to enhance your own body’s healing of the area. We will often follow up these types of injections with our MLS laser therapy which promotes healing and reduces pain and swelling in the area.

Our goal is to heal the injury quickly, control the biomechanics of the foot to prevent stress fractures from returning, and get you back to doing the things that you love as quickly as possible.

Part 2 of this blog is out now.

If you have a stress fracture, or symptoms of a stress fracture, please come see us. We can help!

Call us today at our Fort Collins location (970) 484-4620, Broomfield location (720) 259-5053 or use our online scheduling system to book your appointment.

The Patient Who Motivated Me Again

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Spring is almost here, and with it comes that wonderful weather we all enjoy so much. After spending the winter months cooped up inside, I can’t wait to be outdoors and soak up the Colorado sunshine. Although Thanksgiving was many months ago now, I find myself realizing that being mindful of what I’m grateful for should be a daily occurrence instead of a yearly one.

I’m always grateful for my wife, my family, and my patients, but I also want to share the gratitude of having an active body that can still do amazing things! I celebrated my 64th birthday this year (Ouch!), so being able to enjoy skiiing, hiking, biking and having the ability to do those things has become more meaningful to me.

Of all these activities, running is the one I have become the most grateful for and I’ll tell you why. It all started back in college.

Back then it was almost un-cool to run on the street (or anywhere) in Boulder. People would occasionally make comments or even laugh at me. Hard to believe now but it was true then!

I then went to medical school in San Francisco, which, in contrast, was a great place to run. It was a way to relieve stress and give me energy after sitting in class for long hours. Then early in my practice years I ran a marathon, and since then several half marathons and many 10K’s as well. I continue to run to this day.

But I have the most gratitude for what I’m still able to do right now. I don’t need to run another marathon to feel fulfilled.

Several years ago I took some time away from running because my body didn’t feel too good the next day. When I did run, it was very short distances. Then, I met the man. He came to me as a patient.  (I’ll let you in on a little secret, when we really get to know our patients, we doctors sometimes get as much or more from them than they get from us).  All I can remember was that he was a retired surgeon, in his 70s, and was in really good shape; he looked like Adonis. I asked what he did to stay in such good shape and he said:

“I live in the mountains west of Boulder and I run on trails. If I ran on streets and sidewalks I would run less than a mile and hurt the next day” (sounded like where I was headed). “That just doesn’t happen running on trails.”
Dr. James Anderson
I believe people are sometimes put in our paths for a reason. He changed my whole attitude and gave me confidence. With ankles that sprain easily, I gradually took his advice to heart. I found trail running a great way to stay in shape. It still clears my mind from the stresses of life; running a business with 25 employees, doing research, and writing a book means I’ve got a lot going on. It’s a great way to problem solve. The sweat and oxygen rev up the creativity.

So, on most weekends, you can catch me running up around Horsetooth. I’m the middle-aged guy (don’t tell anyone I’m 64) you might pass on Tower Road, Blue Sky Trail or Horsetooth Trail (those are my favorites), and Adriann, my wife, sometimes joins me.

I’m very grateful to have this active life. And it’s even more amazing that I have such an athletic wife to share those times with. The motivation all started from one of you, a patient, and I hope this blog motivates you to keep your body moving too. Consider trail running for yourself as you get older, and let us know what your favorite trails are in the comments below. See you out there!