So you hurt yourself working out and training... so what? What else is new? As my high school coach used to ask me "Are you hurt? or are you injured?" So lets find out if there is cause for concern or if your just whining... Waaaaa
So whats the difference between a chronic or acute injury?
An acute injury is a first time injury OR the first 24-72 hours of an repetitive injury. The most important factor when determining acuteness of injury is inflammation (Swelling), generally the greater the swelling the greater the immediate threat to the body part affected. Chronic injuries are ones that occur often, for example, rolling over an ankle 4 times over 3 years would classify your ankle sprain as a chronic ankle sprain. Chronic injury's don's usually have a great deal of swelling associated with the injury. Chronic low back pain will affect about 85% of the population in they're lifetime, so LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BACK FROM INJURY BROOKLYN, NY
Injury Care: Ice vs. Heat
Ice: (first 24 hours)
***Always ice an injury if there is swelling***
Just remember the acronym RICE:
R = Rest
I = Ice 15-20 min. on and a hour off and repeat until swelling decreases
C = Compression
E = Elevation (If its an ankle, use a few pillows to raise the leg above chest)
Heat:
Never use heat on an acute injury! This will cause increased swelling of the area!
2-4 days after an acute injury it is safe to put heat on a muscle. Heat will increase blood flow and help relax a muscle. A heating pad is a fantastic investment for anyone active or has arthritis, heat works well on arthritic joints.
Another cutting edge technology in speeding up the healing process and decreasing inflammation is using a COLD LASER BROOKLYN, NY
Seek help from a professional if pain persists or gets worse, if you are experiencing neurological symptoms (Numbness/tingling/radiating pain) seek professional help immediately,
Examples: Chiropractor, physical therapist, orthopedist, athletic trainer, personal trainers.... Aunt Sally is not a professional!
Burnout is also a common cause for incidental injury... Let me share a story with you. I have a friend that works out sporadically but wants to make it into a habit. I asked him what he typically does for a workout and he replied: ‘I usually go to the gym in the morning to do cardiovascular work for 30-60 minutes, and then I go back after work and train for about 2 hours. I do this about 6 days a week during the summer and if I don’t have enough time to go to the gym twice I’ll tack the cardio on at the end of my workout, about 2.5 hours in the gym.
This is a prime example of a regimen that most people would not be able to follow for longer than 2-3 months. Dedicated bodybuilders follow a regimen similar to this and near competition time, believe me, my friends when they competed didn't see much fun in restricting their carbohydrates and working out this long and hard to get ready for show. Plus I avoided them like the plague because lets just say they were not full of smiles. This is a bodybuilder who does this professionally or as a serious hobby, not the common patient just trying to look better and get stronger, more is not always better!
Burn out is a dangerous obstacle that can keep an individual from reaching their full potential. If you only work out hard for 2 months, take a 2 month break, and so on; it is not as effective as being consistent and working out on a weekly routine for a year. It also helps keep you from repeating the first 2 weeks back in the gym when your whole body is aching and you feel like staying in bed because your tired and it feels like you got run over by a truck. Burn out can be manifested in symptoms such as: Fatigue, lack of motivation, and lack of concentration while working out (Are you thinking about your next set of exercises or are you thinking about where you want to go out Saturday night?). Eventually over exercising can lead to a few different negative results: Cessation of exercise, injury, and/or improper form while exercising (“Just going through the movements to say you went to the gym”).
The best injury care is to prevent it form happening, but once its happened be patient and stick to your rehab, just because you feel better does not mean the area is completely healed. I can't list how many patients I have that are re-addressing old sports injuries they suffered in their twenties in their mid 40's because they did not properly rehab that knee when the ACL was reconstructed or strengthen the back when they were diagnosed with a disc bulge 15 years ago.
Injury prevention and care is about listening to your body and being consistent in your rehab exercises.... are we seeing something about consistency in regards to nutrition? Exercise? Lifestyle management? Stress management? etc...? Anyone? Beuller? The best offense is a good defense and by that same concept the best way to avoid re-occurring pain is INJURY PREVENTION BROOKLYN, NY, follow the link to find out if your insurance will help ensure you stay free of injuries and stop the cycle of pain. To stay up to date with the latest treatment and care for NUTRITION AND EXERCISE BROOKLYN, NY, visit the link to connect you to the latest blogs and news related to HEALTH AND WELLNESS BROOKLYN, NY.
No comments:
Post a Comment