From April 18th
to the 20th, Stratford and St. Marys will host the 31st
annual Docs on Ice Charity Hockey Tournament in support of the Ontario Lung
Association. This 3 day tournament will feature several games involving practicing
MDs, retired MDs, Residents, and medical students. All funds raised will go to
the Lung Association to be used to develop resources for children with asthma.
With the Docs on Ice
tournament in mind, we felt like it would be a great opportunity to give out
some hockey safety tips for those of you out there that like to take to the
ice. These hockey safety tips will help you avoid hockey injuries, such as ACL tears.
We all know that
hockey, whether it is contact or not, can wreak havoc on the body if you are
not careful. We also know that many of these can be avoided if we employ some
hockey safety tips when we train and play.
Some of the most
common hockey injuries players suffer from are concussions, shoulder, hip and
back injuries, and ligament tears, such as ACL tears.
So how can you avoid hockey injuries such as these?
Hockey Safety Tips:
-
Make sure
that you are stretching before each game, and maintaining a good fitness
routine. If your body is not in good shape, stepping out on the ice on unworked
muscles is only asking for trouble. Making sure that you are limber, not stiff,
and ready, is crucial.
-
Attend a
sports medicine clinic to have a preseason assessment done by an experienced
sports medicine specialist.
-
Make sure
that your equipment is in good condition. Even if you do not play on a regular
basis, or if you are on a casual house league that plays for fun, it is
essential to make sure that proper padding and well-fitting skates is always in
use. Avoiding hockey injuries is often impossible if your skates are too loose
or your padding too old.
So what if, even after
you have used these hockey safety tips, you could not avoid hockey injuries,
such as ACL tears? It is very important not to
ignore the pain, but rather to seek medical assistance. Your best bet it to go
to a sports medicine clinic to be treated by those with the experience and knowledge
to treat sports injuries.
Whether you play
hockey on a regular basis or just the odd pick-up game amongst friends, it is
important to try and avoid hockey injuries that can keep you from the things
that you enjoy. If you sustain a hockey injury, it is imperative that you do
not ignore the injury and instead seek out a medical consultation to assist in
your recovery and get you back on the ice.
For more information
on hockey safety tips, to avoid hockey injuries or how to treat them if they do
occur, please contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416 800 0800 or
visit www.aesm.ca
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