They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting
a different result. Simply resting an overuse/chronic injury until it
feels better then
returning to sport only to see the problem arise again is (by
definition) unnecessarily insane. Resting and resolving symptoms won't necessarily correct an injury brought on by mechanical overuse. The repeating stresses that bring on
overuse injuries in an athlete must change, or the same resulting
repeating injury will occur; to think otherwise is plain crazy (pun
intended). When an injury occurs, most athletes are told to treat the
area with some type of physical modality to reduce their symptoms (i.e.
ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, etc.), rest, and return to
activity when feeling better. They treat the resulting symptoms instead
of addressing the source of the problem, return to activity, and, at
some point, incur the injury condition again. This is the insanity of
chronic injuries. If you are in this category, there steps to take to
stop the madness........
As athletes at all levels are
now training year-round at higher and higher levels to achieve better
performance, there is an inevitable accompanying risk of injuries to
soft tissues. Muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones subjected to
stresses that exceed their capacities result in injuries. Sometimes
this is an acute strain, but more often than not, it is a gradual onset
of pain that eventually disrupts workout patterns and routines if not
handled correctly and/or rested. Ultimately, overuse injuries are
caused by mechanical inefficiencies and/or imbalances of the body. We
all have differing areas of mechanical inefficiencies and thus have
varying areas of soft tissue overload. This is why two people performing
exactly the same workouts might have two different areas of soreness or
injury following a workout. It is also why treating or rehabilitating
an injury with the same methods for two different people might not yield
maximum recovery results for both athletes. Injury treatment regiments
and injury rehabilitation programs should be individually constructed
for every person, addressing the source of their problem to help reduce
their symptoms and developing a specific plan accordingly.
In
any soft tissue/overuse type of injury, determining the mechanical
causes and developing correction strategies is the biggest challenge for
the sports medicine specialist. What causes IT Band Syndrome in one
athlete might be different than the cause of the same condition in
another. The same holds true for patellar tendonitis, plantar
fasciitis, metatarsal stress fractures, SI joint/back pain, etc.
Athletes should be leery of a particular technique, product, or method
that claims to "cure all of problem X". There is no shortage of
products being advertised reporting to be the complete remedy for all
sorts of sports related maladies. Pick up any fitness related magazine,
and you will find the supposed sure fire cure for whatever sports
related injury you might have. Sadly, there are no immediate shortcuts
to solving a chronic injury problem. Most of these products can assist
in treating the symptoms of injury and get pain to subside in the short
term, but long term, the problem will most likely return unless other
changes are made. Some products can help to correct the mechanical
problems leading to injury, but must be used specific to the injury
condition to be effective. It all seems quite confusing and leaves many
people with chronic injuries feeling hopelessly helpless.
If
you suffer from repeated injuries in particular areas, there are five
general rules to follow to guide you to a maximum recovery with smallest
chance for repeated injury:
1. Identify a sports
medicine professional qualified and experienced in diagnosing mechanical
problems and muscular imbalances in athletes and who has a track record
of correcting these problems. To help you with this, look for a certified athletic trainer (ATC), sports physical therapist (PT) or physiotherapist with experience in these areas. Ask around for recommendations from
higher level athletes, professional sports teams, or major colleges, or seek out professionals who work with athletes
at the highest level. They will be most familiar with these correction
strategies.
2. Develop an understanding of the injury
and it's causes and work with the specialist to develop a plan which
corrects the problem's source, not just treating the symptoms. This must
include a corrective exercise plan to address the identified mechanical
issues which are causing the problem. (If the person you are working
with can't do this, you picked the wrong person)
3.
With your sports medicine professional, develop a comprehensive
corrective exercise plan to address your mechanical inefficiencies and
adhere to it religiously! Good sports medicine professionals will help
you do this while working around your planned workout schedule. This
may include the use of specific devices or therapeutic techniques to help
address the underlying mechanical problems that have resulted in
injury.
4. Every good corrective exercise program will involve development and coordination of the core muscles during this program. Without a strong core for a solid foundation, other corrective exercises may not be effective in the end. (More on this in an upcoming blog)
5. Be cognizant of your limitations while
recovering from the injury, adjust your workouts accordingly until the
problem is resolved, then develop a progressive return to specific
activity plan taking advantage of your new mechanical corrections.
(alternative methods to maintaining your conditioning while injured was
the topic of two previous blog posts).
6. Don't be
closed minded to the fact that some of your workout choices, athletic
gear (shoes, bike, racquet, etc), and workout conditions may be
contributing to your problem. Be prepared to make changes in areas
within your comfort zone. Athletes who find the right sports medicine
professional and trust and adhere to their recommendations typically
respond the best.
As promised in the last blog, we
will focus on providing information to help guide you through all of the
misinformation. The next five blogs will focus on information from the
five tips above to arm you with information to win the overuse injury
battle and avoid the chronic injury asylum.
Until then, train hard, train safe, and train smart!
No comments:
Post a Comment