More Women Athletes Are Discovering Competitive Sports Can Be Fun & Pains

In 1972, when Title IX legislation mandating equal college scholarships for girls and boys sports went into effect, 300,000 girls were involved in high school sports. Today, spurred by this new opportunity, the number is three million. No wonder more girls and women are showing up with sports injuries. Although no exact figures are readily available, it’s a trend well-noted by the staff at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands (RHCI).

With no insinuation of a “weaker sex,” they do point out that female athletes may be more prone to certain kinds of injuries because of basic biology, the differing effects of puberty and physical structure.

“When boys hit puberty, their bodies start pumping out lots of testosterone, which increases lean muscle mass, but decreases flexibility,” says Jim McNamara, MSPT, RHCI Director of Ambulatory Services. “The opposite is true for girls. The increase in estrogen increases flexibility, but adds more fat in proportion to lean muscle, which means girls need to train more rigorously to get stronger.” 

In addition, these increasing estrogen levels can result in looser ligaments, which leave joints more susceptible to injury in such sports as soccer and field hockey.

Laurie Keating, Physical Therapist Assistant and Certified Athletic Trainer, emphasizes that proper conditioning for the sport is essential to prevent injuries for both male and female athletes. But even with proper training, older teens and women may be more prone to knee injuries due to the relationship of the hips to the knees. “Women’s wider hips can put more stress on the knees and cause the patella (knee cap) to not track normally.”
It is important to evaluate both above and below the affected joint, she notes. “In this case, we’d suggest exercises to maintain hip strength and flexibility and to strengthen quadriceps, plus the use of proper foot wear with arch supports.