Common Injuries in the Aging Athlete
More and more health care providers are seeing an increase in “Boomeritis,” a term coined by Nicholas DiNubile in 1999, referring to the musculoskeletal injuries that the aging athlete in the baby boomer generation, 1946-1964, are experiencing. This group of athletes is the first generation to grow up exercising and continue exercising well into their 70s. The musculoskeletal injuries in Boomeritis include tendon, muscle, and ligament tears and stress fractures. While these injuries can happen at any age, physiologic changes with age make this generation more susceptible to developing these problems.
Maintaining Healthy Bones as We Age
Our bones continually change throughout our life. Bone is a living, growing tissue, so new bone will be produced to replace the bone that is lost. We can maintain a healthy bone mass when our body can produce the same amount of bone that was removed. When our body fails to keep up with the bone that is being lost, we will have an overall lower bone mass. A lower bone mass may easily lead to fractures, difficulty walking, and an overall lower quality of life. (more…)
