Achieve PT July 2018

How Much Sunshine Is Too Much? Keep Your Fami l y Safe

To many people, summer is all about heading outside to enjoy the weather. But getting too much sun can be dangerous. To have a fun-filled summer with your family this year, remember that it’s essential to protect yourself from harmful UV rays.

long periods. Taking a break from the sun gives your body the time it needs to recuperate and helps prevent sunburn and heatstroke.

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT SUN EXPOSURE

COVER UP

Many people think that a tan is better than a sunburn, but the result of tanning is still sun damage. When your skin tone changes due to the sun, regardless of whether it tans or turns red, it’s a result of the epidermis reacting to damage caused by UV rays. Both are symptoms of harmed skin. While vitamin D is important, the sun does not contribute to its creation as much as you might think. Doris Day, a New York City dermatologist, explains that if your skin were to constantly produce vitamin D from being in the sun, it would reach toxic levels. Vitamin D is the only vitamin that your body can produce on its own, through a common form of cholesterol or 7-dehydrocholesterol. Spending time in the sun does help vitamin D form, but you need far less exposure than you think.

Covering your skin is one of the best ways to avoid skin damage. Wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants or skirts can protect your skin from direct exposure to UV rays. While this tactic protects you from the sun, it offers poor defense against the heat. So, if you opt for cooler attire, it’s important to cover all exposed skin with a copious amount of sunscreen. Be sure to reapply every two hours for maximum skin protection.

SPEND LESS TIME IN THE SUN

If you’re planning to spend a significant amount of time in the sun, consider your environment. Will there be plenty of shade? Will you have to bring your own? What’s the best way to step out of the sun for a few minutes? Wearing sunscreen and protective clothing are great ways to shield yourself from UV rays, but it’s important to avoid being in direct sunlight for

Knowing how to protect yourself from UV rays is the first step to having a safe, fun-filled summer!

If there’s one injury that most athletes dread more than any other, it’s the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. When a person suddenly starts or stops their movement, changes direction, lands even a little awkwardly, or twists a way they shouldn’t, this stabilizer for the knee joint can suffer immediate trauma, sometimes even tearing away completely. Aside from being extremely painful and easy to incur, this injury can sideline athletes for weeks, and in the worst cases, can disable them from competing in their favorite sport for the rest of their lives. What’s worse, ACL tears are incredibly common. Some studies estimate that as many as 350,000 ACL reconstruction surgeries are performed every year. These numbers continue to climb, which paints a rather grim picture for athletes seeking to avoid ACL injuries altogether. But there is hope: One 2017 review of the current

research indicates that, through a patient-tailored ACL injury prevention program, athletes can lower their risk of ACL injury by as much as 85 percent. If you’re a high-level athlete, it can be difficult to pinpoint your exact risk areas on your own, but a few tests performed by an experienced physical therapist can zero in on potential problem areas and strengthen them to reduce your risk of a tear. Imbalances in muscle strength, problematic movement patterns, and inflexibility are all precursors for an ACL injury. Let our trained sports physical therapists identify these risk factors and eliminate them before they become a serious issue. We can tailor a workout program to your specific needs and lower your risk for years to come, keeping you active for as long as possible. Studies show that an ACL prevention program can lower incidence rates by as much as 85 percent. If you’d like to drastically improve your odds and avoid being sidelined for life, give the experts at Achieve PT a call at (978) 263-0007 .

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