PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It has been 50 years since the passing of Title IX, and it has done wonders to encourage young women to play sports. The increased activity is beneficial for stress reduction and avoidance of long-term health problems.
The number of women participating in sports continues to grow — as does the risk of sports-related injury.
Injuries are common in both men's and women's sports. However, female athletes are more prone to some injuries because of joint laxity. Women tend to have greater flexibility than men, which is a good thing, but it increases the potential for musculoskeletal injuries.
A case in point is knee injuries. While all injuries can't be prevented, it is important that strength training be used to build supporting muscles equally. Another area of growing interest is neuromuscular training focused on landing mechanics. Prevention should be a major part of training.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
