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Preventing Knee and Shoulder Injuries this Spring
For those of us cooped up indoors, spring typically brings more exercise or the start of a new sports season which is great...unless you suddenly suffer a knee or shoulder injury which is quite common. Dr. Kenneth Rauschenbach discusses ways to avoid injuries like these this spring.
Featured Speaker:
Kenneth Rauschenbach, DO
Dr. Rauschenbach, DO is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon in New Windsor, NY. He has expertise in sports medicine, hip and knee replacement and trauma. Dr. Rauschenbach graduated from New York Medical College in 1994 and has been in practice for 25 years. He completed a residency at Peninsula Hospital Center. He currently practices at Orthopedic Associates of Dutchess County P C. and is affiliated with Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall. Transcription:
Preventing Knee and Shoulder Injuries this Spring
Joey Wahler: For those of us cooped up indoors, spring typically brings more exercise or the start of a new sports season, which is great unless you suddenly suffer a knee or shoulder injury, which is quite common. So, we're discussing avoiding such injuries this spring.
Welcome to Doc Talk, presented by Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Our guest, Dr. Ken Rauschenbach, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall. Dr. Rauschenbach, thanks for joining us.
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Thanks for having me.
Joey Wahler: Well, come spring, many people resume certain physical activities that they've not done in months. So how often does overdoing it at first lead to injury?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: That is the most common source of our injuries. We come out of a winter. We finally get a nice, beautiful day out and everyone wants to go out full bore. And unfortunately, that's when a lot of our issues rise up and they can, you know, cause us problems for the rest of the season. So if we can go ahead avoid those, we have a more productive spring.
Joey Wahler: So what are some tips for easing back into an exercise routine or a particular sport so your body isn't shocked into an injury so to speak?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: So understanding that after doing nothing for three, four months over the winter, there's no way you can go back out and give it your all. Even the professionals have a spring training or a preseason in order to get that done. So the key is to get your body, all your body in shape early on, and then to progress slowly back to your normal activities. So, you know, simple things like starting out late in winter, doing some jogging, get your legs warmed up. Followed by, you know, a slow progress back into just the motion and gentle strengthening of your legs, your arms, before you go back into sports specific activities, i.e, throwing a baseball.
Joey Wahler: So doctor, many like myself, for instance, hate stretching, which can catch up to you after a while. What's the importance of stretching to avoid soreness and injury?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Again, after a long layoff or the winter, our muscles actually do tighten up. And, in order to use the different muscle fibers, the fast-twitch fibers, we have to get those kind of woken up again. And by stretching, we could get that done and avoid having that incident where you pull a hamstring or you tear your rotator cuff. So, stretching is super important in every single sport we do. And it takes a few minutes and it's not the fun part. But if you do that, you can avoid that injury that takes you out the rest of your enjoyable sport or activity for the spring.
Joey Wahler: And I guess one thing we've learned already in just a couple of minutes speaking, before we get into knees and shoulder, if you can do something during the winter months, it's better than nothing at all, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Absolutely. Simply taking a walk, going to the mall, stretching and if you can make it to the gym, that's even better. But even a light activity keeps the muscles in a better tone and really will avoid that springtime injury.
Joey Wahler: So speaking of springtime injuries, what are some avoidable things that can cause knee injuries and how can they be prevened?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Again, like we just spoke about, the preconditioning super important and followed by the stretching. And then once you do start your progression back to your normal sports-specific activities, kind of work your way up slowly but surely and don't go full bore right away, because that's where we're going to have our problems. So most important thing about knee injuries, we're going to go from maybe going on a treadmill during the winter to outside running on uneven ground, the stronger our muscles are around it, the better stability we have and, you know, prevent that twisting, turning, sprain-strain thing that's very common. The uneven ground on the post-winter field is certainly going to cause us some problems if we're not used to that.
Joey Wahler: Now, similarly, what often leads to shoulder injuries and how can that be avoided?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Again, we're in the same issue here, that, you know, we cannot go out doing nothing all year and then going ahead and getting on the mound and trying to throw the ball as hard as you can. So gentle progressive stretching is important. The use of modalities after your activities and workouts such as icing up those sore limbs when we first start going. Using antiinflammatories on an as-needed basis in order to keep the inflammation down so that we can progress in our workouts and make steady progress before we go out and really let it rip in our particular sport.
Joey Wahler: Well, those of us that follow Major League Baseball, doc, we know that pitchers at that level, the ultimate level, are throwing harder than ever. So I think it's safe to say that younger people are doing the same, because they're the ones that are eventually doing the harder throwing at the Major League level. So how do you keep a kid that wants to just go out there and throw the ball as hard as he can from doing that when it's not quite time to do that?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Well, that's kind of the jobs that the parents and the coaches to get out there and kind of be the guardians of their particular athlete. Actually, some of these athletes are actually throwing a ball year round, which I think is a mistake as well. The body needs time to rest and to recover. So there's got to be a fine balance there between doing some exercise, getting your motion, getting your strength back at the same point, not throwing for 12 months of the year, which the professionals don't do and our kids who are growing, certainly shouldn't be doing. So that falls on the coaches, falls on the parents teaching them the importance of doing that. And again, an arm injury in March could knock out your whole season for both spring and summer.
Joey Wahler: Now, when lifting weights, knees and shoulders can be protected by not completely locking out at the end of a movement, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Correct. Closed chain exercises and again, not putting all the weight on the joint, because once you bring your knee into full extension, then the muscle naturally relaxes and then all the weight goes on a joint. And, you know, you're pushing a very heavy weight sometimes, and that can do some significant damage to the articular cartilage. So lighter weight, high repetition, you know, especially in the spring when you're first getting back into it is super important. That gets those fast-twitch muscles going and it gets you ready for the upcoming season.
Joey Wahler: Anytime you see somebody at the gym doing bench presses, for instance, and they're pushing all the way out and up and locking their arm, you know one thing, they don't know what they're doing, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: I agree. Understanding what you're trying to accomplish there, using the right ergonomics with any lifting activity is super important. All the good intentions in the world, if you're doing it wrong can actually do more harm than good.
Joey Wahler: Couple other things, please. So young people feel so invincible, right? Especially if they've been injury-free. Are those older therefore typically more aware of trying to prevent things like knee and shoulder injuries, especially when they're getting back out there after the winter?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: I think older people have the experience as in anything else. And I think the natural psyche of the athlete is that we are all invincible and we want to get out there and go full bore from the beginning. But, you know, it's super important that we kind of take into mind that our body isn't ready for that type of activity early on, and that we kind of work our way back in. Older people have the knowledge, but it doesn't really portray itself all the time with our guys going out there and never practicing, throwing a softball the first time in a game and then coming into my office, suffering from severe pain and a potential rotator cuff, which could lead to time out of work and the loss of your entire season.
Joey Wahler: Yeah, it seems to me, and I think we've hit on it already somewhat, much of what causes injuries this time of year as we go from winter to spring is ego, right? It's people listening more to their ego, trying to get back too quickly to their old routine, as opposed to listening to their body, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: I agree with that. Your mind is there ready to go full bore, but your body's not quite ready. So, you know, you can take your car and start running around. You have to take care of it as well. And if you don't take care of that, it's going to bite you in the backside. So, super important to get out there, stretch, progress into your normal routine and then slowly move your way up to full activities. So the worst thing to do is to wait until the week before your first baseball or softball game, and then try and go out there and perform the way you did last August after you've been playing for three, four months.
Joey Wahler: So we've talked specifically about the importance of some of these things, doctor. But in closing, as many shed their winter coats and, in some cases, recent stagnancy, what's the main message you would ask people to keep in mind so that they go ahead and don't overdo it? In other words, we know not to, how do you train yourself to remember to indeed keep from doing too much too soon this time of year?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: I think we've all been told that by our coaches through the years, but again, it's a hard issue. We're busy at work and play and families, and you have your opportunity to have your Sunday softball league and you want to go out there and perform and do your best. The message here is that it's important that we take some time early on, late here in the winter and early in the spring to get our body, whether it be a light jog to a gentle run and then slowly progressing to our sports-specific activities. There's no right way to do that, but you will pay the price if you ignore it.
Joey Wahler: Indeed. And I think many of us can speak from experience there. Well, folks, we hope you're now better prepared to prevent knee and shoulder injuries and others this spring. Dr. Ken Rauschenbach, thanks so much again.
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Thanks for your time and good luck and stretch.
Joey Wahler: Stretch, and keep the ego in check, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: There you go. You have a great day.
Joey Wahler: You too, doc. And for more information, please visit montefioreslc.org. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all the other Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall podcasts. If you found this podcast helpful, please do share it on your social media. And thanks again for listening to Doc Talk, presented by Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall. Hoping your health is good health, I'm Joey Wahler.
Preventing Knee and Shoulder Injuries this Spring
Joey Wahler: For those of us cooped up indoors, spring typically brings more exercise or the start of a new sports season, which is great unless you suddenly suffer a knee or shoulder injury, which is quite common. So, we're discussing avoiding such injuries this spring.
Welcome to Doc Talk, presented by Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Our guest, Dr. Ken Rauschenbach, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall. Dr. Rauschenbach, thanks for joining us.
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Thanks for having me.
Joey Wahler: Well, come spring, many people resume certain physical activities that they've not done in months. So how often does overdoing it at first lead to injury?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: That is the most common source of our injuries. We come out of a winter. We finally get a nice, beautiful day out and everyone wants to go out full bore. And unfortunately, that's when a lot of our issues rise up and they can, you know, cause us problems for the rest of the season. So if we can go ahead avoid those, we have a more productive spring.
Joey Wahler: So what are some tips for easing back into an exercise routine or a particular sport so your body isn't shocked into an injury so to speak?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: So understanding that after doing nothing for three, four months over the winter, there's no way you can go back out and give it your all. Even the professionals have a spring training or a preseason in order to get that done. So the key is to get your body, all your body in shape early on, and then to progress slowly back to your normal activities. So, you know, simple things like starting out late in winter, doing some jogging, get your legs warmed up. Followed by, you know, a slow progress back into just the motion and gentle strengthening of your legs, your arms, before you go back into sports specific activities, i.e, throwing a baseball.
Joey Wahler: So doctor, many like myself, for instance, hate stretching, which can catch up to you after a while. What's the importance of stretching to avoid soreness and injury?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Again, after a long layoff or the winter, our muscles actually do tighten up. And, in order to use the different muscle fibers, the fast-twitch fibers, we have to get those kind of woken up again. And by stretching, we could get that done and avoid having that incident where you pull a hamstring or you tear your rotator cuff. So, stretching is super important in every single sport we do. And it takes a few minutes and it's not the fun part. But if you do that, you can avoid that injury that takes you out the rest of your enjoyable sport or activity for the spring.
Joey Wahler: And I guess one thing we've learned already in just a couple of minutes speaking, before we get into knees and shoulder, if you can do something during the winter months, it's better than nothing at all, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Absolutely. Simply taking a walk, going to the mall, stretching and if you can make it to the gym, that's even better. But even a light activity keeps the muscles in a better tone and really will avoid that springtime injury.
Joey Wahler: So speaking of springtime injuries, what are some avoidable things that can cause knee injuries and how can they be prevened?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Again, like we just spoke about, the preconditioning super important and followed by the stretching. And then once you do start your progression back to your normal sports-specific activities, kind of work your way up slowly but surely and don't go full bore right away, because that's where we're going to have our problems. So most important thing about knee injuries, we're going to go from maybe going on a treadmill during the winter to outside running on uneven ground, the stronger our muscles are around it, the better stability we have and, you know, prevent that twisting, turning, sprain-strain thing that's very common. The uneven ground on the post-winter field is certainly going to cause us some problems if we're not used to that.
Joey Wahler: Now, similarly, what often leads to shoulder injuries and how can that be avoided?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Again, we're in the same issue here, that, you know, we cannot go out doing nothing all year and then going ahead and getting on the mound and trying to throw the ball as hard as you can. So gentle progressive stretching is important. The use of modalities after your activities and workouts such as icing up those sore limbs when we first start going. Using antiinflammatories on an as-needed basis in order to keep the inflammation down so that we can progress in our workouts and make steady progress before we go out and really let it rip in our particular sport.
Joey Wahler: Well, those of us that follow Major League Baseball, doc, we know that pitchers at that level, the ultimate level, are throwing harder than ever. So I think it's safe to say that younger people are doing the same, because they're the ones that are eventually doing the harder throwing at the Major League level. So how do you keep a kid that wants to just go out there and throw the ball as hard as he can from doing that when it's not quite time to do that?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Well, that's kind of the jobs that the parents and the coaches to get out there and kind of be the guardians of their particular athlete. Actually, some of these athletes are actually throwing a ball year round, which I think is a mistake as well. The body needs time to rest and to recover. So there's got to be a fine balance there between doing some exercise, getting your motion, getting your strength back at the same point, not throwing for 12 months of the year, which the professionals don't do and our kids who are growing, certainly shouldn't be doing. So that falls on the coaches, falls on the parents teaching them the importance of doing that. And again, an arm injury in March could knock out your whole season for both spring and summer.
Joey Wahler: Now, when lifting weights, knees and shoulders can be protected by not completely locking out at the end of a movement, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Correct. Closed chain exercises and again, not putting all the weight on the joint, because once you bring your knee into full extension, then the muscle naturally relaxes and then all the weight goes on a joint. And, you know, you're pushing a very heavy weight sometimes, and that can do some significant damage to the articular cartilage. So lighter weight, high repetition, you know, especially in the spring when you're first getting back into it is super important. That gets those fast-twitch muscles going and it gets you ready for the upcoming season.
Joey Wahler: Anytime you see somebody at the gym doing bench presses, for instance, and they're pushing all the way out and up and locking their arm, you know one thing, they don't know what they're doing, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: I agree. Understanding what you're trying to accomplish there, using the right ergonomics with any lifting activity is super important. All the good intentions in the world, if you're doing it wrong can actually do more harm than good.
Joey Wahler: Couple other things, please. So young people feel so invincible, right? Especially if they've been injury-free. Are those older therefore typically more aware of trying to prevent things like knee and shoulder injuries, especially when they're getting back out there after the winter?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: I think older people have the experience as in anything else. And I think the natural psyche of the athlete is that we are all invincible and we want to get out there and go full bore from the beginning. But, you know, it's super important that we kind of take into mind that our body isn't ready for that type of activity early on, and that we kind of work our way back in. Older people have the knowledge, but it doesn't really portray itself all the time with our guys going out there and never practicing, throwing a softball the first time in a game and then coming into my office, suffering from severe pain and a potential rotator cuff, which could lead to time out of work and the loss of your entire season.
Joey Wahler: Yeah, it seems to me, and I think we've hit on it already somewhat, much of what causes injuries this time of year as we go from winter to spring is ego, right? It's people listening more to their ego, trying to get back too quickly to their old routine, as opposed to listening to their body, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: I agree with that. Your mind is there ready to go full bore, but your body's not quite ready. So, you know, you can take your car and start running around. You have to take care of it as well. And if you don't take care of that, it's going to bite you in the backside. So, super important to get out there, stretch, progress into your normal routine and then slowly move your way up to full activities. So the worst thing to do is to wait until the week before your first baseball or softball game, and then try and go out there and perform the way you did last August after you've been playing for three, four months.
Joey Wahler: So we've talked specifically about the importance of some of these things, doctor. But in closing, as many shed their winter coats and, in some cases, recent stagnancy, what's the main message you would ask people to keep in mind so that they go ahead and don't overdo it? In other words, we know not to, how do you train yourself to remember to indeed keep from doing too much too soon this time of year?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: I think we've all been told that by our coaches through the years, but again, it's a hard issue. We're busy at work and play and families, and you have your opportunity to have your Sunday softball league and you want to go out there and perform and do your best. The message here is that it's important that we take some time early on, late here in the winter and early in the spring to get our body, whether it be a light jog to a gentle run and then slowly progressing to our sports-specific activities. There's no right way to do that, but you will pay the price if you ignore it.
Joey Wahler: Indeed. And I think many of us can speak from experience there. Well, folks, we hope you're now better prepared to prevent knee and shoulder injuries and others this spring. Dr. Ken Rauschenbach, thanks so much again.
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: Thanks for your time and good luck and stretch.
Joey Wahler: Stretch, and keep the ego in check, right?
Dr. Ken Rauschenbach: There you go. You have a great day.
Joey Wahler: You too, doc. And for more information, please visit montefioreslc.org. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all the other Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall podcasts. If you found this podcast helpful, please do share it on your social media. And thanks again for listening to Doc Talk, presented by Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall. Hoping your health is good health, I'm Joey Wahler.