Playing through pain

Thursday, April 20, 2006 | 8:18 a.m.

Joe Rowan has incurred many injuries in his two-decade softball career.

Seven years ago he suffered a torn meniscus ligament in his right knee and spent six months rehabbing it. That was followed a few years later by a broken thumb, suffered while trying to tag a runner. He also has suffered countless sprains, strains and bruises, the most recent being a pulled hamstring on Christmas Eve that laid him up for four weeks.

After each injury, as soon as he was cleared by doctors, he eagerly returned to his customary middle-infield position.

While it is not unusual for a baseball player with a 20-year career to rack up a few injuries, what is surprising in Rowan's case is that all of his injuries occurred long after most players hang up their cleats.

The 75-year-old retiree, a member of the Las Vegas Senior Softball Association, is among a growing list of older adults who are beginning - or continuing - active athletic pursuits much later in life.

Although medical experts long have encouraged seniors to avoid sedentary lifestyles, the growing number of athletically active 60- and 70-somethings is filling doctors' waiting rooms and hospital emergency rooms with seniors suffering from the kinds of injuries - ligament tears, torn rotator cuffs, among others - once mostly confined to much younger patients.

The phenomenon even has a name - "Boomeritis," a nod to the fact that the injuries are occurring among America's aging Baby Boom generation. (At 75, Rowan ranks as a pre-Boomer.)

A 2000 Consumer Products Safety Commission report found that from 1991 to 1998, the number of sports-related emergency room visits among people born between 1946 and 1964 increased 33 percent, from just under 276,000 to more than 365,000. The report did not provide state-by-state breakdowns.

The commission estimated that overall in 1998, more than 1 million Boomers suffered sports injuries that required some form of treatment, at a cost of about $18.7 billion. Although more recent figures are not available, most doctors believe the numbers are probably much higher today.

Dr. Mark Rosen, an orthopedic specialist at University Medical Center, said it was becoming almost common for older adults to develop such injuries. While the injuries sometimes are caused by everyday activities, the majority are related to participation in athletics or exercise.

"Sometimes they had an injury 15 or 20 years ago and got it taken care of, and as they have continued to participate, the wear and tear has taken a toll," Rosen said. "There are also patients with first-time injuries who elect to have an orthopedic procedure because they want to remain active."

The increasing frequency of such injuries has altered treatment methods.

In the past, for example, a common procedure for an older patient with a knee injury, such as a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), might involve removal of the ligament. That was a preferred option when many older patients limited their physical activities .

"You can do relatively well without an ACL in most circumstances," Rosen said.

But as watching the Las Vegas 51s play baseball was replaced by playing baseball at 51, different options were explored, ones that paralleled the public's desire to stay active longer.

"Reconstructive surgery is much better now and recovery is a lot easier," Rosen said. "Many times the repaired part is stronger than it was before the injury."

Despite the added risk of injuries, doctors say, the benefits of staying active outweigh the negatives.

Dr. Tony Rivera, a retired pediatrician who is a member of the senior softball association, sees those benefits firsthand.

"Look at the guys playing here, they're in great shape," Rivera said earlier this week, pointing to players scattered among three fields at Lorenzi Park. "This is a lot better for them than being in a casino all day or sitting around the house."

Indeed, while several players sported elbow or knee braces, most were trim and athletic-looking. Rivera said their conditioning would probably make them less susceptible to injuries and could speed their recovery if they were hurt.

Rivera also pointed out another benefit for the older athletes in a city of transplants such as Las Vegas.

"A lot of people don't have family members in this city and this becomes an important social activity for them," Rivera said. "The camaraderie these guys share is very therapeutic."

Doctors said while some injuries cannot be avoided, there are ways to minimize the risk.

"The old saying of 'no pain, no gain' isn't the case for older athletes," Rosen said. "It's a good idea to listen to your body."

Living in the desert also presents challenges. Many sports do not have an off season here, but the summer heat in the Las Vegas Valley can be deadly.

"You have to be very practical in the summer in Las Vegas," Rosen said. "There is a gym on every corner and many machines can replicate outdoor conditions in a much safer environment."

With the first Baby Boomers having already reached 60, doctors, while lauding the generation's determination to remain active, stress that its members also need to recognize their limitations.

If not, doctors note, only half-jokingly, that the generation that wore hot pants and bell-bottoms in its youth may make another fashion statement in its later years - with knee braces and elbow bandages.