Fall Sports in Full Swing: OrthoConnecticut Doc Talks Preventing and Treating Injuries in Young Athletes

It’s “Back to School” season, and in Hearst Connecticut Media’s recent feature, writer Andrea Valluzzo put a spotlight on fall sports and an orthopedic practice that is at the heart of diagnosing and treating injuries - OrthoConnecticut.

 “Whether or not students return to school this fall, odds are many of them will be participating in some type of athletic activity. When kids are involved in sports — no matter what the scenario — athletic-related injuries are always a possibility,” says Valluzzo. 

 OrthoConnecticut’s very own sports medicine specialist, Dr. Emund Ganal, mentions he can relate to the situation both personally and professionally, “Unfortunately, most kids, mine included, play sports all year round. Overspecialization, I think, is a problem when kids do one specific sport 12 months a year. They develop certain habits that stress only certain parts of the body and when those get overworked too much, they start developing chronic problems like tendon degeneration and a lot of overuse injuries,” he says. 

 Dr. Ganal, a resident of Ridgefield, sees many cases of overuse injuries in the office and also warns that now is the time to take things slow, " After months of being fairly sedentary, athletes need to be smart about their training. While the forced rest over the past few months can be a good thing, we also want to be sure athletes properly get back into shape to avoid injuries." It's important to listen to your body, your coaches and your doctor. 

OrthoConnecticut is a multispecialty practice staffed by leaders in orthopedic care with offices in Danbury, Litchfield, New Milford, Ridgefield, Sharon and Southbury. The practice’s urgent care service, OrthoCare Express, is open 7 days a week for emergencies and is available in the Danbury office.  

 

 
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Submitted by Redding, CT

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