Preventing sports injuries for weekend warriors

By Michael Fortes

Sports and exercise can be fun, but what does one do when an injury gets in the way of safe, comfortable exercise? Better yet, how does one prevent sports-related injuries?

A new six-week community education course will answer these questions.  Open to the public, the course begins next Thursday, October 28, as part of the UCSF Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

The course is directed at those trying to stay fit, “weekend warriors,” even master-level athletes. Each class is focused on a different area of sports medicine, including elbow injuries, shoulder surgery, back and knee pain, and artificial joints, as well as training and conditioning tips.

Classes will meet from 7 to 8:45 pm on Thursdays at UCSF Mount Zion, Herbst Hall, 1600 Divisadero Street, San Francisco. Tuition for the full course is $85. For information or to register on-line visit http://lifelonglearning.ucsf.edu, or call (415) 476-2557.

The course title is “New Developments in Sports Medicine: Working Out at Any Age, at Any Level.”  Class topics and dates are:

* OCTOBER 28/ What’s New with Elbow Injuries?—Marc Safran, MD, director, sports medicine and associate professor, orthopaedic team physician, UC Berkeley; chief, shoulder and elbow service

* NOVEMBER 4/ Advances in Shoulder Surgery—Ben Ma, MD, assistant professor, orthopaedic surgery; UCSF specialist in sports medicine

* NOVEMBER 11/ Training and Conditioning Tips for Athletes at All Levels—Anthony Luke, MD, assistant professor, orthopaedic surgery; UCSF specialist in sports medicine

* NOVEMBER 18/ Staying Fit and Staying Active Despite Back Pain—Sigurd Berven, MD, assistant professor, orthopaedic surgery; UCSF specialist in spinal disorders

* DECEMBER 2/ So I Have an Artificial Joint, Can I Still Play Sports?—Kevin Bozic, MD, assistant professor, orthopaedic surgery; UCSF specialist in arthroplasty

* DECEMBER 9/ Oh, My Aching Knee!—Christina Allen, MD, assistant clinical professor; orthopaedic team physician for US women’s national U-21 soccer team; Cal Athletics and Cal Women’s Soccer UC Berkeley; and Lowell High School

UCSF Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is a community education program for adult learners sponsored by the UCSF schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, the UCSF Medical Center, the UCSF Public Affairs department and the University of California Academic Geriatric Resource Program. The program is supported in part by a grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation.