[Health Tip] 65% of 2030 Generation Exercise at Least Once a Week... Beware of Sports Injuries

Gym

According to last year's National Sports for All Survey, about 65% of people in their 20s and 30s exercise at least once a week. With the health craze sweeping the nation, this means that 6 to 7 out of 10 young people engage in physical activity in their daily lives. While moderate exercise is beneficial for health, the number of young people suffering from sports injuries and chronic pain due to intense exercise is increasing. Experts advise that sports injuries, often regarded as minor symptoms experienced by anyone during exercise and left untreated, can lead to surgery, so it is important to receive appropriate treatment depending on the injured area.

Sports injuries, which mainly occur in the musculoskeletal system including bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, range from relatively mild simple bruises to sprains, fractures, and tears of tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Sports that heavily use lower body muscles, such as soccer or futsal, can cause fractures, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, and meniscus tears when the knee receives a strong impact. Sudden changes in direction or landing after a jump can lead to ankle sprains and Achilles tendon ruptures. Exercising with incorrect posture or excessive intensity at the gym can cause herniated discs and shoulder dislocations.

Dr. Lee Joon-cheol, a specialist at the Rehabilitation Treatment Center of H Plus Yangji Hospital, said, “If there are no clear symptoms other than mild pain after exercise, most people tend to ignore it. However, if the pain persists and is left untreated, symptoms can worsen or cause difficulty in body movement, so it is advisable to identify the cause and start treatment early.”

Early sports injuries can be alleviated through various non-surgical treatments such as manual therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, and injection therapy. Manual therapy involves physical therapy where a professional therapist corrects deformed spine or joints by hand, or uses massage and various exercise methods to restore function and relieve pain. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy repeatedly delivers strong shock wave energy to the affected area, helping blood vessel recovery and improving blood circulation to strengthen damaged ligament tissue. Additionally, prolotherapy injections, which are effective in relieving joint pain and strengthening damaged ligaments and tendons, are a representative injection treatment. However, if pain persists or based on examination results, surgery should be expedited. Surgery is inevitable if ligaments and tendons are completely torn or cartilage damage is severe.

Rehabilitation treatment focuses first on regenerating the injured musculoskeletal area and strengthening muscles to stabilize the joints. Afterwards, proper posture education and functional training are conducted to enable resuming sports activities.

Dr. Lee emphasized, “To prevent sports injuries, stretching before and after exercise is most important.” Before exercise, dynamic stretching such as light walking, jogging, or arm swings helps relax muscles and ligaments, and after exercise, static stretching gradually reduces muscle stimulation to aid smooth relaxation.