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These common summer injuries can affect the health of your bones, joints and muscles: NECK INJURIES Whiplash is a severe strain to the neck that can occur anytime your head and neck are jarred. Watch out for this and other neck injuries if you take a bump during a friendly game of basketball or you are involved in a boating or water-sport accident. GOLFER'S ELBOW Golfer's elbow, similar to tennis elbow, is a form of tendinitis from overuse of the muscles in your forearm that allow you to grip, rotate or fl ex your wrist. You don't necessarily have to play the sport to have these symptoms. Golfer's elbow is uncomfortable and can be caused by other repetitive motions, such as gardening or swimming, but it is treatable. WRIST FRACTURES It's common for the scaphoid, a large bone in the wrist, or other carpal bones to break when your hands brace against the ground during a fall. Pain and swelling at the base of the thumb are telltale signs of a broken scaphoid. JOINT INFL AMMATION If your summer includes long car rides or doing excessive yard work, you may increase your odds of developing infl ammation of the joints due to rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. Be sure to break up your travel into short distances and use caution when doing physical activities such as bending or lifting. KNEE SPRAINS Sudden trauma to the knee from a twist, fall or unintentional blow can cause the ligaments around the joint to stretch or tear, resulting in a sprain. When this occurs, the ligaments will need time to heal before the joint can be used again, so consult a specialist about rest and a reduction in activity. TENDON TEARS Falling on an outstretched arm, lifting something heavy or repetitive overuse of joints such as the shoulder can cause the tendons that support the joint to tear or snap. Surgery or treatment may be necessary to repair the damage before you return to work or get back on a court. B U M M E R S B U M M E R S Summe Long summer days mean more time to get outside and be active. Sometimes, all that extra running around can be hard on your Žbody. Summe ! ! ! ! OF THE ! ! LiveWell | Summer 2015 11 To take care of your health needs on your schedule, adult and pediatric urgent care is available at DeVargas Health Center in north Santa Fe, Monday– Friday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. To learn more about our sports medicine services, please visit stvin.org. Where to Go for Immediate Care For most minor sprains, strains or broken bones, you may be able to go to an urgent care facility for treatment that is often less expensive and more convenient than an emergency room (ER) visit. Most urgent care clinics are staffed by physician assistants or nurse practitioners who are trained to help with various minor orthopedic injuries. If joints or limbs are obviously out of place with severe swelling or you can't put full weight on an injured leg or foot, you may require a visit to the ER.