Here’s what most active people do:
They suffer overuse injuries.
60 to 70% of runners,
40 to 50% of swimmers,
80 to 90% of triathletes will suffer an overuse injury in the next year.
This is dumb because almost all overuse injuries can be prevented.
Overuse injuries, also known as repetitive motion injuries, result from using the same muscle group over-and-over-again causing repetitive micro trauma in muscle tissues to accumulate. If the repetitive motion continues day-after-day without allowing your muscles to sufficiently heal, the trauma grows bigger and bigger. And then one day the muscle doesn’t work or radiates pain. You’re injured.
Here’s why most active people suffer overuse injuries:
They ignore the many signs their bodies send them that their muscles are not being given the chance to heal between workouts. They ignore the signs that trouble is brewing in the bottoms of their feet, in their IT bands, in their knee joints, in their quads and hamstrings, in their elbows and in their rotator cuffs.
Almost all overuse injuries can be prevented if you detect them when they are small problems. Self-massage is an effective way to do just that. It forces you to focus on those areas of your body that need attention. In most cases, the attention you give them in the form of massage will resolve the problem while it is small before it becomes a full-fledged overuse injury in need of professional medical care and weeks or months away from training.
It is pretty easy, really.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Prevent Overuse Injuries
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3 comments:
Interesting article on overuse injuries. It seems like everyone's at risk -- inactive people get them because their muscles are underused and weak, or unbalanced, which puts strain on them. And as you say, active people get them too, because they are constantly pushing themselves.
Amy, I think everyone is at risk of suffering an overuse injury just as everyone is at risk of being hit by a car. But there's a lot you can do to reduce the risk of an overuse injury. The best way is to pay attention to your body and the warning signs you receive. That way you're likely to catch your injuries when they're small and barely injuries at all.
Thanks for sharing the post. It was really helpful.
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