Dr. James Chesnutt, Dr. Jerome DaSilva & Sports Medicine Team Offer Safety Guidelines for Athletics in Light of COVID-19
As school districts and athletic leagues prepare to begin practices after COVID-19 closures, the specialty-trained sports medicine doctors at Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery offer guidance for protecting the health and safety of local student-athletes. Specialized bone, joint and muscle care is available at their locations throughout the region, including Portland, Lake Oswego and Vancouver, Washington. Athletes or parents and guardians can call (360) 946-0917 to schedule a safe in-office appointment. Visit www.reboundmd.com for locations and hours available.
“At Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery, we are committed to keeping student-athletes safe and healthy,” says board-certified fellowship-trained sports medicine specialist Dr. James Chesnutt. “To help our local athletic community have a safe transition back to training and competition, my team and I have put together a list of guidelines for student-athletes, parents, guardians and coaches.”
As student-athletes prepare to return to practices and competitions, they should exercise caution to both reduce the risk of viral spread and also reduce the risk of injury by adhering to these guidelines:
- Stay focused on your health: Maintain a proper diet, drink plenty of water and fluids and do not overtrain. You should also practice good hygiene by washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, wearing face coverings when appropriate as well as avoiding close physical contact with those outside of your household.
- Pre-participation physicals are a must: While many schools and leagues may not require a pre-participation physical, athletes should get a physical from a medical professional as soon as possible even if they’re training individually to ensure the safety of their conditioning and intensity of their workouts.
- Slow down: COVID-19 measures have restricted the activity levels of many, and athletes will need to slowly increase training and skill-building exercises. Cardiovascular and muscular strength may need reconditioning after months of indoor sheltering, and it is important to pay attention to your limits and pains to avoid injury, illness or immunosuppression. Building strength and endurance takes time, and even athletes who have remained active will have an adjustment period.
- Follow protocols from your school or athletic association: In addition to maintaining social and physical distancing as best as possible and respecting guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, players, parents and coaches should follow any state, local, school, league and venue regulations set to combat the spread of COVID-19.
“As athletics resume, we know it poses a number of risks, including injuries and conditions related to overtraining, overuse, slips and impacts,” says fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon Dr. Jerome DaSilva of Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery. “We are here for our local athletes, and we stand ready to provide highly specialized treatment and any return-to-play care plans they may need to get back in the game quickly and safely.”
Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery offers safe appointments in their offices throughout the region.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with the sports medicine experts at Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery, please call (360) 946-0917.