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Health & Fitness

Don't Let Injuries at the Family Football Game Ruin Thanksgiving

For many families the traditional pick-up football game is almost as important as the Thanksgiving dinner itself. Though this is a great way to get off the couch, it also can lead to injuries.

For many families the traditional pick-up football game is almost as important as the Thanksgiving dinner itself. Though this is a great way to get off the couch and burn off extra calories from eating too much pumpkin pie, it also can lead to injuries.

Soft-tissue injuries are some of the most common. Here are some of the most common and ways you can treat them.

Sprain

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Our joints are supported by ligaments. These bands of connective tissue connect one bone to another. A sprain happens when a ligament has been stretch or torn. Your ankles, knees and wrists are the most vulnerable to sprains.

Most sprains heal using the RICE method: rest, ice, compression and elevation. If the sprain needs additional medical attention contact your doctor.

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Contusions

A contusion is a bruise caused by a blow to a muscle, tendon or ligament, which occurs when blood pools around an injury.

Contusions also can be treated with the RICE method. If symptoms persist contact your doctors to prevent permanent damage to the soft tissues.

Stress Fractures

When a bone is stressed by overuse, tiny breaks in the bone can occur. Symptoms may be pain and swelling in the region of the fracture. The bones of the lower leg and foot are prone to stress fractures.

If you believe you have a stress fracture, contact your doctor. These injures are treated by rest, activity modification, cast immobilization and, rarely, surgery.

Make sure to warm-up those muscles before hitting the football field. Remember, this isn’t the Super Bowl.

The most important thing to remember to avoid injury this Thanksgiving is make sure you take off those muddy shoes before entering the house. There is no coming back from a mom-is-so-mad-her-house-is-muddy injury.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Loyola University Health System sports medicine physicians are dedicated to enhancing sports performance and getting people back in the game. Each season an LUHS sports medicine expert from our facility in Burr Ridge will offer tips to keep you safe and active. Dr. Pietro Tonino, MD, is the director of the Sports Medicine program for Loyola University Health System and is a professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He has extensive experience in the evaluation and treatment of ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries both in male and female athletes and implementation of prevention strategies for ACL injuries.

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