|
How to Care for an Exercise Injury |
|
The benefits of exercise quickly become apparent. You feel great. You want to do more, run further and lift heavier. Beginners often try to do to much to soon, and find themselves getting injured. If you are injured you can't work out. Listed below is information about the body, how to rehabilitate an injury, and how to prevent any injuries.
Muscle - consists of fibers that contract (shorten) to cause movement. Muscles have a large supple of blood that circulates through them. This facilitates intake of oxygen and nutrients as well as removal of waste products.
Tendon - a band of strong fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone. Tendons are tough and have a limited ability to stretch. They have much less of a blood supply than muscle, and therefore may take a long time to heal.
Ligament - strong, fibrous band of connective tissue connecting two or more bones together. They also have a poor blood supply through them, which increases healing time.
Type of Injuries
- Strain - stretch or tear of muscle and/or tendon
- Sprain - stretch or tear of a ligament
Possible causes
- twisting
- not warming up
- lifting to much weight to fast or with to little rest
- returning to exercise before an old injury has fully healed
Tendonitis - inflammation of a tendon which is usually caused by overuse or over-training.
Muscle Soreness - temporary muscle soreness just after working out is caused by excess accumulation of lactic acid in the tissues. It diminishes in 1-2 days as the lactic acid is carried away by the blood, leaving enough oxygen for the muscle. The exact cause of delayed onset muscle soreness is not known but it may be due in part to micro-tears in the muscle tissue. There is an increased likelihood on injury when you train when there is still muscle soreness from a previous workout.
Treatment of Injuries
- Medical Care
You should see a doctor if:
- there is severe pain
- if you cannot move the injured part and/or
- injury does not heal (swelling and pain persist)
- R.I.C.E
- Rest
- rest the injured body part for at least a couple of days<
- during rehab never work through the pain or discomfort
- Ice
- ice the injured area immediately after injury for 10-15 minutes
- continue icing every hour if possible
- ice helps to decrease pain, inflammation and swelling
- Compression
- wrap an ice bandage around the injured area with moderate pressure but not tight enough to cut of the blood supply
- this helps to decrease swelling
- Elevation
- elevate the injured body part above the heart
- this helps to decrease swelling
After an injury: stop activity (rest), place an ice bag on the injury (ice), secure it was an ace wrap (compression) and elevate the injured part. Other Treatments
Aspirin
- helps to decrease inflammation and pain
- wait until 24-48 hrs. after an injury to take aspirin. This allows the natural blood clotting processes to take place
Heat
- avoid using heat on an injured body part for at least 3-6 days after an injury
- you want to avoid using heat while there is still inflammation and/or swelling
Injury Prevention
- perform 5-15 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise to increase blood flow throughout the body and perform very light stretching
- cool down after exercise
- when weight training, progress the amount of weight lifted gradually
- use proper form when working out (feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, neutral spine)
- wear proper shoes and workout equipment
Last Reviewed: 2005
|
|
Last Updated ( April 02, 2007 )
|
