Reflections of a seasoned physician athlete

Abstract

Many seasoned athletes are more prone to injury than their younger counterparts due to the effects of aging, lack of coaching, and long intervals between workouts (‘weekend warriors’). This is compounded if the middle-aged athlete was not an athlete as a young adult and therefore lacks prior instruction in good training habits. The author reflects on his own recent injury and interactions with medical care providers. Advice for care-givers includes: (1) wasting no time in work-up if the odds of successful treatment depend on timely diagnosis; (2) remembering to inform the patient of what can be expected during diagnostic and treatment procedures; (3) not forgetting the psychological well-being of your athlete-patient, and remembering you are treating the person, not just an injury; (4) helping the athlete-patient stay in shape during recovery; (5) involving the athlete-patient in decisions about treatment options, based on a mutual understanding of goals; (6) not assuming the seasoned athlete lacks the same aspirations as the young adult athlete; and (7) helping the athlete prevent other injuries for which he might be at risk.