Proper training is a main component of prevention.

With the start of school just around the corner, parents are thinking about practices, uniforms, games, and scheduling.

But injuries are a low priority on the list (which they should be; we don’t want to think about the possibility of our children getting hurt).  However, after a long summer of fun in the sun, and probably a lack of training, sports injuries are going to be a reality.

We often associate ACL tears with boys who play football and basketball. Not often are we thinking of cheerleaders and dancers, volleyball and field hockey players, or cross country runners…especially when these athletes are girls.

Female athletes have a higher risk for ACL tears compared to their male counterparts.

Girls, especially during the teen years, are more susceptible to ACL injuries simply due to body type, an increased quadriceps to hamstrings weakness ratio and hormones. We cannot alter hormones, but we can strengthen the muscles surrounding the knees and teach good body mechanics to reduce the likelihood of an ACL injury.

Helping young people understand what the ACL is (1 of 4 major ligaments in the knee that provides stability) and how to prevent an injury (strengthen, improve balance, and proper techniques) are the first steps to prevention. But it can’t end there. Coaches and parents need to play an active role in prevention as well.

The main suggestions to girls to focus on during ACL prevention would be:

1. “Soft knees” during landings
2. General hamstrings strengthening to improve the ratio of quadriceps to hamstrings weakness (girls tend to be more weak in the hamstrings)
3. Avoidance of a ‘knock-kneed’ position – females in general tend to have wider hips than men. When we stand with our feet together, the angle created between the hip and the knee is higher for girls – when bending knees to initiate a jump or when landing, don’t allow knees to touch
4. Improve balance

Physical therapy is an important step in recovery from an ACL injury.

Below are some specific examples of exercises and activities that will aid in reducing the risk of an ACL injury.

• Land softly on the way up and way down during box jumps (or when dismounting from a stunt or saut de basque move)
• Position the knee into an outward stance during dynamic movement patterns or jumps to strengthen the outer hips & improve “knock-kneed” positions by performing squats with a theraband around the outer thighs and keeping the tension throughout the movement.
• So much of sports is balance. Any kind of liberty or arabesque stunt in cheerleading requires significant balance. Do things in training to improve or at least maintain balance: Stand on 1 foot on an unlevel surface (foam, BOSU, etc), stand on 1 foot and perform calf raises, stand on 1 foot then extend foot to the side into a lunge and then return to standing on 1 foot
• The increased hip/knee angle can lead to patellar (knee cap) tracking issues – focus on keeping alignment between hips, knees, and feet
• Do a quarter squat and then walk both forward and sideways – this will train the muscles and joints to be in a flexed position when both feet are planted on the floor
• Use strap around knees/thighs and keep taught for up to 1 minute – this will help to keep the knees from touching during activities
• Plyometric lunges and squats will incorporate the strengthening, soft knees, and balance/control

Most ACL injuries are due to non-contact events, meaning they are not caused by one athlete colliding with another; the injury often results from an awkward landing, a pivoting motion of the knee while the foot is planted, or hyperextension of the knee.

Parents, coaches, and athletes all need to be aware and diligent in avoiding ACL injuries with our young, female athletes.

Like this post? Check out these from the experts at Tidewater Physical Therapy, Inc.

Proper Bike Fit: Reducing Common Cycling Injuries

Tips For Applying Hot and Cold Pain Relief

The Difference Between Sprains and Strains

Tidewater Physical Therapy is a sponsor of Richmondmom

The post Girls and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad ACL Tear appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

photo credit: Adrian Pimpam

Sleep is important for our overall health. Sleep affects mood, energy levels, productivity, and mental clarity.  Recent studies also indicate the amount of sleep can impact weight gain/loss. So whether you are having difficulty catching those zzzzz’s, or just don’t feel rested, try a few of these strategies to see if your counting sheep days are over.

1. Create a bedroom oasis.

One of the most important things to consider is creating a bedroom oasis, where you can relax and rest. I don’t know about you, but too often laundry, papers, or other distractions try to worm their way into my bedroom. It’s best to leave these influences behind, since they are not part of creating a relaxing retreat. Decor should also be serene and uncluttered.

2. Establish a calming evening routine.

Once you have created your bedroom oasis, it is beneficial to establish an evening routine that you find relaxing. To learn more about how to create a calming evening routine, check out this article.

3. Develop and maintain technology boundaries.

As part of establishing the calming evening routine that is right for you, some experts recommend no television in the bedroom. My husband and I agreed when we were married that we would leave the television in the living room. For us, that has been an easy decision to maintain over the years, but the distractions such as the laundry listed in #1 have been more challenging for us to overcome as a family!

If you do choose to have a television in your bedroom, try to turn off the tube at least an hour before you go to bed. Same goes for computers, tablets, and smart phones. Read here if you want to learn more about blue light and how electronic devices may have a negative effect on sleep.

4. Try a few apps.

Yes, I know what I just said about technology in the bedroom, but these exceptions may be helpful to you. I have used all three of these apps and I have found them to be extremely beneficial, so see if one of them might be right for you.

• iSleep Easy – Meditations for Restful Sleep
  • Choice of 9 guided meditations, which can be combined with music or nature sounds.
  • This app allows you to combine sounds with music.
  • 3 music choices and 6 nature sounds

   

• Simply Being – Guided Meditation for Relaxation and Presence
  • Good basic music choices, with the added benefits of guided meditation.

• Relax Melodies – Sleep & Yoga
  • By far, the relaxation/sleep app with the most diverse playlist. Music and other sounds range from everything from Gregorian Chants to sounds of the seashore or a vacuum cleaner.
  • This app allows you to combine sounds, with music, say, a lullaby with white noise and a heart beat for a baby’s ears or a mix of ocean waves, seagulls and sounds of foghorns for a beachy mix.
  • Other nice features include favorites and timers.
  • 52 nature sounds or melodies

5. Check out the new sleep guidelines.

The National Sleep Foundation has updated their guidelines on How Much Sleep We Need. Check out this Infographic to see the amount of sleep considered appropriate for you and your family.

Disclaimer: If you have concerns regarding sleep, please check with your doctor for information specific to you or your family’s needs.

photo credit: B. Fernari

The post Counting Sheep? 5 strategies to encourage a better night’s sleep appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

The pelvic floor is a set of muscles, ligaments and connective tissue in the lowest part of the pelvis that supports a woman’s internal organs, including the bowel, bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum. Weakened pelvic muscles or tears in the connective tissue can occur when excessive strain is put on the pelvis through childbirth, repeated strenuous activity or pelvic surgery. Other factors that can increase the risk of pelvic floor disorders include repetitive heavy lifting, menopause, chronic disease, tobacco use and family history.

What conditions can a urogynecologist treat?

• Pelvic organ prolapse: One or more of the organs in the pelvis drops down causing a sense of pressure or a bulge in the vagina. It may also cause urinary incontinence, pain or constipation.
• Stress urinary incontinence: Leakage of urine with coughing, sneezing, laughing or any other activity that increases the pressure on the bladder and/or the supporting tissue.
• Overactive bladder syndrome: Frequency, urgency (a sudden and strong desire to urinate that is bothersome) and nocturia (waking up more than once at night to void) with or without urge incontinence (accidental urine loss associated with a sudden and strong desire to urinate).
• Anal and fecal incontinence: Involuntary leakage of gas and/or stool.
• Fistulas: An abnormal connection between two organs (i.e. bladder and vagina or vagina and rectum)
• Complications from third and fourth degree tears following vaginal childbirth

What treatment options are available?

There are a variety of non-surgical approaches as well as surgical options that can help relieve the symptoms associated with pelvic floor disorders. After consultation, you and your physician will work together to find the solution that works best for you, your lifestyle and your overall health.

Why should I see a urogynecologist?

While many of the symptoms and conditions listed above are very common, it is important to know that these are not a normal part of aging or something that women need to put up with. Consulting with a urogynecologist will provide you with specialized expertise to help determine the best way to relieve your symptoms and restore your quality of life.

At Virginia Women’s Center, we are excited to welcome our first urogynecologist, Dr. Tovia Smith. Dr. Smith will work with female urologist Dr. Lonny Green and gynecologists Dr. Elizabeth Roberts and Dr. Louis Thompson to care for women whose qualities of life are being affected by bladder and pelvic health issues.

About Virginia Women’s Center
Since 2006, Virginia Women’s Center has been dedicated to helping women with urinary incontinence and other bladder problems find solutions to restore their quality of life. For more information, visit www.VirginiaWomensCenter.com, or find us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

The post What is a Urogynecologist? appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

The loss of a child through miscarriage can be a difficult and emotional experience. Even in the early weeks of pregnancy, many women develop a strong bond with their unborn child and feel a deep sense of loss when miscarriage occurs.

Common responses include shock or denial, disappointment or anger, helplessness or perceived loss of control, sense of failure, feelings of inadequacy, guilt or self-blame, sadness or fear. Everyone responds in a different way to the grief process. There are no “shoulds” or “right” ways to feel. Keep in mind that whatever your feelings, it is important to be gentle with yourself. Although there are many ways to lessen the pain, the only thing that truly diminishes grief is time. Some women will move through this loss freely, while for others, it will take far longer.

During your recovery, it is important to eat properly, get plenty of rest, exercise – and most importantly, do not be afraid to ask for what you need.  Reach out to others and request help; allow friends to make meals, watch other children or help with household duties.

When you feel ready, talk about your experience. You may be surprised how many other women can offer their love and support because they have been down this road too. Although it does not ease your grief, miscarriage occurs in 10 to 20 percent of pregnancies making it a very difficult common experience. However, be prepared that when you talk about your experience, you may also encounter some misunderstanding. Many people who have not experienced a miscarriage consider it the end of a pregnancy rather than the loss of a child. They may question your grief or suggest that you keep busy and forget about your loss. Be assured that your grief is real and allow your tears to flow. In time, with love and support, your pain will subside, but the loss will always be a part of your life.

It is likely that you will not want to be around other pregnant women or that you will be unable to attend a friend or relative’s baby shower. This is a very natural reaction and does not indicate jealousy or selfishness on your part. It is important to honor these feelings and to be honest with others about them; they will understand.

Some women find it helpful to honor the existence of their baby by giving their baby a name and participating in a funeral or ritual to mark the loss. In addition, prepare yourself for future dates, such as your unborn baby’s due date and subsequent anniversaries. These dates will likely have a place in your heart for years to come.

One issue that exacerbates this loss is that there are not always explanations for miscarriage. While it is important to ask your health care provider if there is an explanation, understand that often there is no specific medical problem.

Given the many hormonal changes, you may experience mood swings, fatigue, irritability, heart palpitations, poor appetite and a desire to withdraw from social activities. All of these symptoms are normal and will gradually diminish. However, if you find these symptoms to be persistent or severe, call your health care provider immediately.

Physical Healing After a Miscarriage

Physically, it may take several weeks or months for your body to return to normal. In the beginning, you may notice spotting or light vaginal bleeding, mild cramping, nausea and fullness in your abdomen and breasts.

To help prevent infection, use sanitary napkins instead of tampons and avoid sexual intercourse until your bleeding stops. Call your health care provider immediately if:

• You have a fever of 100 degrees or more
• Bleeding increases significantly or lasts more than several weeks
• Bleeding changes color to bright red
• You experience pelvic pain or unusual cramping
• Your vaginal discharge appears yellow, green or has a bad odor

Planning for the Future

If you are considering becoming pregnant in the future, discuss your risks and options with your health care provider. Every situation is unique, but in most cases, the chances of suffering another loss are not significantly increased unless you have had three or more miscarriages. Whatever you decide, remember to give yourself ample time to recover physically and emotionally from your miscarriage before making the decision to get pregnant.

Subsequent pregnancies may create a number of psychological issues, including anxiety about possible recurrent miscarriages and the fear of not being able to have children. Anxiety will be greatest up until the time that the first miscarriage occurred. It is understandable that you would experience this type of response. In order to cope, stay in the here-and-now and focus on being pregnant again and not what could possibly happen.

Additional Resources

If you want more structured, formal help, you may wish to pursue counseling at Virginia Women’s Center with one of our two psychologists: Dr. Lisa Cuseo-Ott or Dr. Mary Polce-Lynch. There are also many support organizations and groups in the Greater Richmond area that you may find helpful, including:

• Compassionate Friends
  • www.compassionatefriends.org or 804.254.0588
• Family Extended
  • www.familyextended.org
• Full Circle Grief Center
  • www.fullcirclegriefcenter.org or 804.357.5924
• M.I.S.S. Foundation
  • www.missfoundation.org or 800.726.4322
• Bliley’s Internment of Angels
  • Bliley Funeral Home offers monthly funeral services for families who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth. The services are at no cost to you and close family and friends are welcome to attend. To learn more, call Bliley’s at 804.355.3800.

About Virginia Women’s Center

At Virginia Women’s Center, we value the complete health of women. As researchers continue to identify the significant relationship between physical and mental health, Virginia Women’s Center has emerged as a leader in innovative health care for women by providing psychological counseling services to our patients since 2005. For more information, visit www.VirginiaWomensCenter.com, or find us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

Virginia Women’s Center is a sponsor of Richmondmom.com

The post Recovering After a Miscarriage appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

 

Learn more about the risk factors and symptoms of postpartum mental health disorders:http://www.virginiawomenscenter.com/services-psychology-postpartum-mental-health.html

The post February 24: Postpartum Mental Health appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

Women suffering from stress incontinence experience the leakage of urine when they cough, sneeze, laugh or engage in any activity that increases the pressure on the bladder and/or the supporting tissue. There are many non-invasive treatment options that women experiencing stress incontinence can try first. However, for some individuals, non-invasive therapies may not completely eliminate the symptoms of incontinence. These individuals may be good candidates for minimally invasive surgeries that take as little as a few minutes to perform.

The most common surgical procedure to remedy stress incontinence uses a synthetic sling, which acts like a hammock to support the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. Synthetic sling procedures are often done under anesthesia in an outpatient setting. For most women, the complete recovery period is approximately four weeks, but many are able to return to work and other non-strenuous activities after a couple of days.

Learn more about incontinence and read patient testimonials here: http://www.virginiawomenscenter.com/services-urogynecology.html

The post February 17: Minimally Invasive Procedures for Stress Incontinence appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

• If you are under 35 and have not become pregnant after one year of having regular sexual intercourse without birth control
• If you are over 35 and have not become pregnant after six months of having regular sexual intercourse without birth control
• If your periods are not regular
• If you or your partner has a known fertility problem

Learn more about infertility here: http://www.virginiawomenscenter.com/blog/obstetrics/infertility-causes-and-when-to-see-your-ob-gyn/

The post February 10: Infertility and When to See Your OB-GYN appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

Did you know that heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined? While it is important to spread awareness, it is also important to help educate our friends, families and loved ones. Here are some tips for living heart healthy:

–          Eat a diet rich in fruits and veggies, whole-grain and high-fiber foods

–          Try to limit your sodium intake to 1500 mg/day

–          Avoid trans-fatty acids

–          Eat very little saturated fat (such as fat from meat, cheese and butter)

–          Eat less than 150 mg of cholesterol per day

–          Drink no more than one alcoholic beverage a day

–          Stop smoking cigarettes. It is important for many things, including heart health

–          Get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, such as brisk walking

The post February 3: Heart Health appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

Check out this infographic to learn how much Calcium women need throughout the different stages of their lives as well as some good sources of Calcium at this link.

Weekly Health Tips provided by Virginia Women’s Center

The post January 27: Who Needs Calcium? appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

Learn more about breast density here: http://www.virginiawomenscenter.com/blog/mammography/understanding-breast-density/

Weekly Healthy Tips provided by Virginia Women’s Center

The post January 20: Breast Density appeared first on RichmondMom.com.