Men’s Health Month: 3 orthopedic injuries common in men
More recently than ever, men around the world have been more open and vulnerable about the challenges of being a man. Particularly when it comes to health, research shows men are less likely to seek support than women. In addition to perfecting their careers, and dealing with the basic everyday mental/physical challenges of being human, men of our day and age are working tirelessly to break stereotypes that have historically followed them for decades. While it has been great to see more resources and ventures dedicated to men’s health providing safe spaces for men to learn how to keep themselves healthy, there is still ample work to be done. In honor of men's health month and fathers day, this article will talk about 3 musculoskeletal injuries more common in men than women. We will then provide suggestions on strategies to prevent these injuries.
Prior to diving in we must disclose that this article is by no means medical advice, and simply written for educational and conversational purposes. We highly encourage those reading to seek consultation with their MD, PT, psychiatrist, or other specialist to help work through any specific health related needs. We also disclose that this article was written by a female health professional who cannot relate or empathize with the challenges men face but seeks to support and uplift her male counterparts. The three injuries we will cover are Achilles Tendon Injury/Ruptures, Biceps Tendon Tears, and Fractures specifically in the elbow wrist and hand.
An article written by Mayo Clinic reports that men are 5x more likely to sustain an Achilles Tendon Injury. So what is an Achilles Tendon and how can you injure it? The Achilles Tendon is the tendon that connects the muscles in your calf to your calcaneus or your heel bone. It is responsible for helping you jump, walk, run, land, etc. (pretty much anything you do with your feet). There are many factors that could cause injury to the achilles tendon. Some of which include overuse, weakness, over stretching, or trauma. These injuries often happen on a spectrum. Starting with irritation or a strain, leading to tendinopathy, and possibly a complete rupture where the whole tendon comes off of the calcaneal bone. However Injury here can also happen randomly and suddenly. This usually occurs when the tendon is completely stretched under load and then cannot tolerate the load, power, or quickness to which you have asked it to be used. Therefore resulting in a rupture. So why are men more likely? Some hypotheses include limb length (longer shin bones creating more torque and force the achilles has to combat with exercise), the male propensity for more extreme and challenging activity (this one speaks for itself), and improper training routines. Suggestions for preventing this injury include calf strengthening/stretching to ensure calves are in a good state before and after activity, plyometric training to assist with adaptations to quick load, and training responsibly and knowing your limits as an athlete.
95% of Biceps Tendon tears that happen are male. Research right now points to the general nature of men's health, fitness, and occupation as the culprit. While there is a shift, throughout the lifetime of a man, it is still more common for them to lift and pick up heavy objects than women. In addition, our gender and physical beauty standards push men to lift more weights in this area, and proper recovery/mobility of the bicep is still not consistent enough. Similar to our Achilles injury mentioned above, this lack of stretching, eccentric strengthening, and training to withstand the unpredictable loads that are carried, lead to a complete or partial tear of the distal biceps tendon. Ways to keep the biceps healthy include stretching, incorporation of both concentric and eccentric bicep strengthening, functional strengthening that is relative the the day to day demands you expect the bicep to withstand, and power training with changes in speed to improve reactivity of the biceps muscle.
Particularly in fractures of the hand, however in all parts of the body, men are still at greater risk for fractures than women. What I will say is that there is conflicting research on this statistic and some researchers believe women are at a higher risk due to increased frequency of osteoporosis and the general weakening of the bone that can happen with female hormones. However in cases related to trauma, men are by far the highest. So then how can you prevent this? It's hard to prevent an injury that is unpredictable or related to extraneous circumstances. Here is where we encourage our male counterparts to understand their own physical limits and protect themselves just as much as they work to protect others.
This leads me to my last point. All of the above mentioned injuries can be combated by focusing more on one's health and well being. This men’s health month I highly encourage male athletes and all individuals that identify as a man to take care of themselves, rehab injuries, and look to prevent them in the future so you can keep doing what you love!
Dr. Melodie Daniels, PT, DPT, MS, CPT, RYT
References:
Mayo Clinic Staff. "Achilles Tendon Rupture: Symptoms and Causes." Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, June 13, 2024.
Gomes, T., & Glovinski, P. "Achilles Tendon Rupture." StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, January 2023. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513235/
Williams, P., & Delos, D. "Achilles Tendon Injuries in the Pediatric Population." Orthopedic Reviews, vol. 12, no. 4, 2020, article e18744. National Center for Biotechnology Information,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7751975/.
