Let's get physical!

As the weather warms, it’s important to follow doctor-recommended safety tips on how to effectively prepare your body prior to diving into golf, pickleball, softball or other warm-weather activities.

Dr. Richard Savino, chief of orthopedic surgery at NYU-Langone Hospital-Suffolk who is trained in both sports medicine and adult reconstruction surgery, recently sat with the Long Island Advance to offer reader’s injury prevention tips.

“This topic is a really good timely thing to bring up as we always see, in the spring, people who have been relatively sedentary in winter back into activity and then get into trouble,” he said of the recurring injuries his office often sees.

Injuries he sees often include hamstring injuries and shoulder mobility issues.

Savino also noted a recent health advisory put out after the opening day of hunting season, where three fatalities occurred due to heart attacks after trying to drag heavy deer from the woods.

As we get back into golf, softball and pickleball, he explained, people will commonly hurt themselves or pull a muscle after their first sport outing.

“You have to ease into physical activity, and it should be part of your daily routine regardless of the season,” he added.

Some tips for being ready for activities include:

STRETCHING—This is key, he said, throughout the entire year. He recommends stretching for 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week.
According to Savino, finding basic yoga stretching videos on YouTube are free and effective. He also suggests Pilates stretching to maintain flexibility, which can elevate one’s heart rate to improve fitness.
“People get intimidated and don’t want to go to a studio or class; they feel they aren’t flexible or are out of shape, but stretching is something that can be done at home on your floor,” he said.

REMAINING PHYISCAL—Walking by simply choosing a farther away parking or taking stairs instead of an elevator year-round.

Of the services provided by NYU Langone-Suffolk, Savino said they are now offering a full breadth of elective orthopedists with three hand surgeons and multiple other fellowship-trained specialists.

“It’s all right here in Suffolk; you don’t need to travel to the city for the full complement for elective orthopedic surgery,” he explained. “We have providers doing just sports-related injuries and we can more than adequately take care of them at home.”

ABOUT THE DOCTOR

Dr. Savino is a sports orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee reconstruction and orthopedics.

Savino performs shoulder, knee, and hip arthroscopy to diagnose and surgically manage joint injuries. In addition, he performs total shoulder replacement surgery and robotic-assisted total knee replacements and total hip replacements.

Many of his patients are “weekend warriors,” involved in all types of sports and physical activities. Some of his older adult patients have symptoms from prior orthopedic injuries. He also sees teenagers who have new injuries.

After treating patients for more than 25 years, he said he has the knowledge and experience to provide comprehensive, personalized care.

“I listen to my patients to determine how their orthopedic injuries affect them,” he said, as he develops treatment plans based on their goals for physical activity.

In addition to his work in the clinic, he has been a team physician for the Baltimore Orioles and a physician for the United States Open Championship. Savino was also named “Man of the Year” by Blanca’s House, a nonprofit organization of health care professionals, for volunteering in medical missions in Nicaragua, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.

To book an appointment visit: https://nyulangone.org/doctors/1659381200/richard-savino/appointment or call 631-675-9193.

WHAT DOES AN ORTHOPEDIC TREAT?

Abnormal gait, Achilles tendonitis, ankle instability, ankle pain and injuries and more. They also perform ankle surgeries, arthroscopic surgery, bone healing, carpal tunnel injections and more.