| |
INJURIES
 The
following article is a small excerpt from one of my books.
I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get
into the best shape of your life.
If you have ever suffered from any sort of injury you know how
frustrating it can be, not to be able to do things that you normally do.
If you're physically active chances are that sometime in your lifetime
you will suffer from some sort of injury.
Most common injuries are
strains and sprains. Strains are usually associated with overuse and
involve a torn or stretched muscle. Sprains on the other hand involve
stretched or torn ligaments, usually in the ankles, knees, wrists or
fingers although any joint can be sprained. It is often difficult to
differentiate between sprains and strains, however sprains are usually
the result of some type of trauma, whether it's a fall or a sudden
twist. This is not to say that all injuries are sports related, you can
be injured at work or doing household chores. Often you can pinpoint a
single incident that caused your injury, but more often then not it's an
accumulation of years of misuse and improper techniques that may or may
not be triggered by a single incident.
The following is a list of what I feel are ten of the most common
injuries. In the book
‘Get Fit Stay Fit’
there are suggested
treatments, tips and the best exercises to help strengthen these injured
area.
LOW BACK DISORDERS
Back
pain is a common ailment that will affect over 90 percent of the
population at one time or another. It can range from a nagging pain to a
pain that is so severe it can be totally incapacitating.
SHOULDER BURSITIS / TENDONITIS
This is one of the most common injuries in sports where the arm is used
in an overhead motion. When your arm is lifted overhead or twisted in a
certain direction, the pain is usually felt on the tip of your shoulder
or part way down the shoulder muscle. In severe cases pain may be felt
at all times.
Your
shoulder is a ball and socket joint, but the socket
in not very big and the shoulder is relatively unstable. This puts a lot
of stress on the muscles and tendons that move your arm and help to
support your shoulder. The tendons and bursae are prone to becoming
inflamed as they go through a very tight channel of bone. When your arm
is raised the channel becomes even smaller and is even more vulnerable
to becoming inflamed. Think of your bursae as fluid filled sacs that
prevent friction. To best describe this, take your hands and rub them
quickly together. This creates heat from the friction of your hands. Now
imagine that you place a zip lock plastic bag containing a few drops of
oil, between your hands and rub briskly. You will probably find that
your hands move more freely and without a lot of friction or heat. This
is how the bursae function.
TENNIS/GOLFER'S ELBOW
Although these injuries
are common amongst racquet players and golfers
it is also common in the home and workplace. The condition consists of
an inflammation of the tendons in the elbow area. In tennis elbow, it
effects the muscles and tendons that bend back the wrist and fingers.
With repetitive use the muscle and tendons become overworked and
inflamed. This pain is felt on the outside of the elbow. In golfer's
elbow it effects the muscles that flex the wrist and fingers and the
pain is felt on the inside of the elbow. Initially you will feel the
pain when you are performing at your sport but gradually it will effect
your daily activities as simple as raising a glass.
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
Carpal tunnel syndrome or medial nerve entrapment, is a common injury
that effects both athletes and workers. The problem is simply the result
of excessive pressure on the median nerve, which is used by the hand and
wrist. This nerve travels from the neck, down the arm, across the front
of the wrist and into the hand. If this nerve receives excessive
pressure or is damaged, the hand will become weak, numb and tingly.
There are several medical problems that effect the function of the
median nerve, which include; diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis,
smoking, and circulation problems. If the nerve is not damaged by
disease it can be injured by the thickening of the overlying ligaments
and tendons. This often occurs with tasks that are repetitive in nature
such as assembly line workers or keyboard operators. The nerve can also
be damaged in sports like boxing and weightlifting, where the wrists are
wrapped too tight, which hinders the function of the nerve.
CONTUSIONS OF THE THIGH
These bruising injuries occur in contact sports like; football, hockey,
soccer, rugby and basketball, where your muscles are vulnerable to bumps
and blows. These injures can also happen in sports where the muscles are
overused like in cycling or jumping. The main damage in this type of
injury is bleeding into the muscle after a blow is incurred. The
severity of this type of injury can vary from mildly uncomfortable where
you experience a swollen tender muscle and pain causing you to limp when
you walk, to totally incapacitating and needing crutches to walk.
PATELLOFEMORAL SYNDROME
This syndrome comprises up to 50 percent of all overuse injuries
pertaining to you knee. The syndrome is caused by an irritation of the
under surface of the patella (kneecap). The pain is evident with sports
that require deep knee bends, climbing stairs or after sitting for long
periods of time. The patella or your kneecap is a moving part that
glides up and down a groove in your thigh bone (femur) as you bend and
straighten your knee. The pain is caused by compression of your kneecap
and thighbone, which increases as you bend your knee. This irritation of
the kneecap causes inflammation, which causes the pain. This syndrome is
most common in children and teens and they will gradually grow out of
this problem.
This maltracking of the kneecap in the femoral groove is most common in
people who have wide hips, knock knees or a rotation of their lower
legs. Other causes include; flat feet, weak inner thigh muscles, tight
outer knee structures, muscle inflexibility or previous knee
injuries.
MENISCUS INJURIES
These injuries are often referred to as a torn cartilage. The Meniscus
is a crescent shaped shock absorber which lies between the femur
(thighbone) and tibia (shin bone). There are 2 cartilage, one on the
inner side of the knee and one on the outer side of the knee. The inner
medial meniscus or cartilage is more prone to injury then the outer
cartilage.
The cartilage can tear due to overuse or more often the tear
is a result of a single traumatic movement. With a torn cartilage, there
generally is not a lot of inflammation, however if the torn fragment is
large, it may cause the knee to catch between the bones and act like a
door jam causing your knee to either lock or give way.
If left untreated, most of these injuries will not heal and will
continue to cause you pain and lack of mobility. Reducing the pain,
improving your mobility and strengthening your knee are the main goals
in your recovery.
ANKLE SPRAIN
Ankle sprains are usually the result of your ankle turning in and are
not just injuries that happen to athletes but can happen to anyone at
anytime. Often athletes participating in sports with side to side
movements are more vulnerable. Running on a level surface does not cause
as many ankle sprains as cross country running, trail running or hiking.
Ankle injuries are often immediately painful and incapacitating. If
treated quickly and properly, your ankle should heel well, but if
untreated the injury can often develop into a chronic problem.
PLANTAR FASCIITIS
This is a common foot problem that starts as a dull intermittent pain in
your heel and may progress if not treated to a sharp persistent pain. It
is usually most painful, first thing in the morning as you take your
first steps of the day. The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous material
that is attached to your heel bone and fans towards your toes at the
bottom of your foot and is responsible for maintaining the arch of your
foot. Fascia by the way are different then tendons in ligaments in that
they form sheaths around entire muscles. They can withstand momentary
high levels of stress without rupturing, however long periods of stress
will cause them to become permanently elongated. The shortening of the
fascia is usually due to age, cold, poor posture and muscular imbalance
and can reduce your range of motion.
This injury is usually the result of repetitive stress and is most
common in runners, walkers and racquet sport players. As the fascia is
pulled away from the bone, the body reacts by filling in the space with
new bone or what is known as heel spurs. The heel spurs are generally
not the initial problem but a result of the main problem. Since it is
difficult to rest your foot, a vicious cycle develops and is aggravated
with every step.
OSTEOARTHRITIS
Degenerative joint disease or wear and tear is the most common joint
disease in humans. There is a progressive wear of the joint covering or
cartilage and as the cartilage wears away, the bone underneath reacts by
getting harder and forms rough, long spurs on the surface of the joint.
This can occur on any joint but it usually effects the large weight
bearing joints like your hips and knees. Osteoarthritis can occur in
many ways, but is often brought on by excessive, repetitive forces that
are applied to your joint, like that of a baseball pitcher.
The main symptom is pain and the joint may become stiff, causing you to
have a limited range of motion. Also you may hear or feel a popping or
cracking in your joint when it is moved.
When it comes to any injury, you should really use your common sense and
let PAIN be you guide. If it hurts stop. Most running injuries for
example are the result of going too far, too fast. If you have inflicted
an injury of this nature on yourself, you also have the power to heal
yourself, provided you listen to your body and do the proper things.
Also fatigue can play a factor in some injuries. For example when a
runner becomes fatigued their knees become stiffer, to protect against
collapse and therefore don’t operate as efficiently as a shock
absorber. So perhaps with a lack of focus and poor mechanics, improper
foot plants may occur leading to an injury.
Performing strength, conditioning and flexibility exercises on a regular
basis is an excellent way to help prevent injuries. You should also not
be afraid to consult experts either in the medical field or sports
industry about your injury and concerns. In today's high tech world
often the difference between playing in pain and enjoying the game you
love could be in the equipment you use. Perhaps it's a more flexible
shaft on your golf clubs, less tension on your racquet, a different grip
size, new supportive shoes or even a brace. Whatever it takes to get you
playing again pain free is what it is all about, so get out there and
get active.
I know you want to get in shape and look great. Whatever your fitness
goal to slim down... gain muscle ...tone your arms or flatten your tummy I’m
here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness
level. You will learn how to select and combine your diet with exercise,
so that you can be the best you can be.
|