SPORTS INJURIES: You Are So Busted!

Our guide to the strains, sprains, and tears most likely to take you down will get you back in the game in no time

Women's Health Magazine—July 29, 2008 

Sprained ankle. Tennis elbow. Shin splints. Ugly injuries to be sure. But guess what?

You'll probably get one of them sometime. Studies show that most women do. It doesn't matter whether you practically live at the gym or your idea of a workout is a daily run to the corner 7-Eleven for Red Bull and a pack of Bubble Yum--something nasty is waiting to knock you off your feet. And there you'll be: prying the childproof cap off that bottle of Aleve. Icing your swollen ankle with a bag of frozen peas. Lying motionless in bed at 11 in the morning, trying to make sense of the mind-numbing repartée on The View.

But you know what? There are some simple (ridiculously simple) stretches and strengthening moves that can go a long way toward keeping you off the sidelines. "Taking the time to work weak areas pays off in the long run by minimizing stress on the joints and connective tissues," says Lisa Callahan, MD, medical director of the Women's Sports Medicine Center at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. We talked with trainers, doctors, and physical therapists to find out which eight aches and breaks you're most likely to face on the court or the track--or even stepping out your front door--and how to avoid them.
 
Read the full story at womenshealthmag.com.