Really, there are only two types of injuries, those that happen in a single traumatic event (acute injuries) and overuse injuries (chronic), the ones that keep reappearing over and over again. Chronic injuries are the ones that people find the most frustrating. Just when you think you’ve healed from the last strain, bam! There it is again. The old “no pain, no gain” saying just won’t cut it so pushing through the injury isn’t going to help!
Have a read of the following top 5 Tips to deal with your injury.
Tip 1 – Calm it down.
First, you have to take care of the area and make sure that you get the inflammation and pain under control.
- Reducing the frequency and intensity of your sport
- Rest. Your body needs downtime to heal and recover.
- Ice. Treat your injury, after practice and games.
- Using anti-inflammatory medicines if needed
Tip 2 – Change it up.
Here’s where you have to listen to your body, it’s telling you that something is wrong and therefore you need to make modifications to the exercise that you are doing that flares it up. find and learn ways to prevent injury from occurring:
- Check your form. .
- Cross-train. Change your workout routine to ease the stress on your injury.
- Increase the intensity, duration and frequency of your workout gradually.
Tip 3 – Stretch it.
Whether it’s a yoga class, foam rolling or your own stretching routine, tight areas like hamstrings, glutes, hips, need to be stretched out to perform optimally and prevent abnormalities in your form which can lead to injury.
A good example of this is a tight calf. Many runners, particularly those who run on their toes, experience a shortening and tightening of their calf muscles, which can lead not only to calf pain but also to plantar fasciitis. By regularly stretching out your calf muscles after a run, you can help prevent this common overuse injury from occurring.
Tip 4 – Strengthen it.
A weak muscle is usually a tight muscle. So stretching alone isn’t going to cut it. Strength is the key to both avoiding tight muscles and injury. A good strengthening program needs to target all the muscle groups, including the core and the rotator cuff.
Tip 5 – Get some help.
If you have tried all of the first four tips and are still suffering from repeated injury or strain, maybe you need another set of eyes to address your injury and help you make an individualized plan. Often a physiotherapy intervention can get to the root of the problem with a detailed assessment and help you to develop a specialized exercise plan to get you on your way.
Don’t let a nagging injury curtail your exercise intentions! Although it can be very frustrating, the good news is that you can avoid yet another occurrence with these tips.
