The more we know about our bodies, the easier it will be when something goes out of hand. Being familiar with your muscles, joints or bones and how they function will help you and your orthopedic surgeon, or traumatologist, when you suffer some kind of injury. You can explain your ailment more easily, and the doctor will certainly appreciate your effort to assist him in the recovery process.
A Variety of Muscle Injuries
Muscles are something we use every day. The simplest action of getting out of bed requires the effort and synchronized movement of different muscle areas in our body. Of course, bigger effort means more work for our muscles, and you aren’t sufficiently coordinated, or your physical condition is subpar, you risk getting injured.
The tear of muscle, or a part of it, is called muscle strain. In order to produce movement, they have to contract, and sometimes they get overstretched, which can result from overuse, fatigue, wrong use etc. Hamstring, shoulder, neck are commonly affected, and usually the pain is sudden and very sharp.
If the strain is severe, your traumatologist will probably advise you to rest the muscle, ice it occasionally and apply various methods of compression (think bandages). Click here if you want to learn more.
Cramps are something we have all experienced at one point or another. Everyone who’s tried swimming at a faster pace has felt that very uncomfortable, seemingly unbearable pain in their legs, which thankfully is very short-lived. This happens when the muscles contracts involuntarily, and the commonly affected area is the hamstring.
Perhaps the most annoying condition is DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. Everyone who’s attempted to exercise vigorously after a longer period of being a couch potato has struggled with sore muscles. Your body is unaccustomed to the sudden physical effort, is you usually experience DOMS 24 to 48 hours after your hard-training session. Warm baths, massage, pain relief balms and creams are helpful in these situations.
Stress Fractures in Bones
Overuse or trauma can result in bone bruises. In medical terms, this is known a stress injury. The initial reaction, if left untreated, can lead to a stress fracture. In most cases, such fractures are a consequence of repetitive trauma. Physical activity can be hard on our skeletal system, and you should always make sure you do the proper warm-up activities before engaging in something more challenging.
No area is immune to stress fractures. However, it’s only logical that the most affected areas will be those directly exposed to weight bearing and impact. These would be our lower extremities. Shin bones, feet, heels, hips – these are our lowermost body parts which have the thankless role of body carriers day and night. The metatarsal bones in our feet are especially sensitive.
Regarding the cause of stress fractures, they can come from inside or outside. An example of the former (also known as intrinsic factors) is improper training. Programs that are too fast or challenging for your body are a sure bet for injury.
Footwear is another factor that is often overlooked. It’s a terrible idea to engage in long-distance running, even longer walks, or any sport for that matter, with shoes that are stiff or worn out. You can visit sites like https://ortopedistaraulrodas.com/ to find out more. We don’t even have to mention the importance of a quality diet in your daily regimen.
As far are intrinsic factors go, age and weight play a pivotal role in the behavior of our skeletal system. Younger athletes usually don’t have to worry about bone density, while their senior colleagues can suffer from issues like osteoporosis, for instance. Naturally, healthy bones are more resilient than older, weaker bones. Weight is also instrumental in this regard.
There is risk involved in either end of the spectrum: being too thin and weak prevents you from performing harder tasks successfully and can be a serious threat for your skeleton. Being overweight doesn’t require too much discussion: your body will not thank you for having to carry all those pounds during physical activity.
Your orthopedist can apply different kinds of treatment depending on how severe your injury is. Generally, they will you advise you to rest and apply an ice pack or ice massage to the affected area. Adjustment can also play a big role, especially when swelling is involved. Sometimes it can be reduced by simply lifting your leg a little higher. In more extreme cases, crutches can support your weight until the fracture heals.
The Rehabilitation Process
In order to complete a rehab program successfully, there are certain rules you must adhere to. Our body is a complex, sensitive piece of work and requires extra care when it suffers damage. Rehab involves exercises that should begin as early as possible (usually 72 hours after the injury) and should be executed properly.
In the beginning, of course, you’re required to perform less demanding exercise. It’s very important not to rush through it. Proper timing and execution allows the tissue to heal faster. Once you gain more strength and resilience, you can get more adventurous and do some harder work.
In the final stage, your tissue hopefully has adapted enough to proceed with regular activity. That doesn’t mean you should bench press 200 lbs right off the bat, but rather ease into it.
Apart from healing, the most important goal is restoring strength, endurance and power. It has to do with progressive load of the area that is damaged, whether it’s a muscle, ligament or tendon. The amount of pain you feel should serve as a good indicator of your progress. The “No pain, no gain” rule doesn’t apply here. If your body is hurting, stop and attempt it later.
Flexibility is something that requires constant work. By keeping your body nimble enough, you’re not only reducing the risk of potential injury, but you also feel great when going about your day in general. In addition, exercises for flexibility can be done anytime and anywhere with minimum or no equipment. Finally, let’s not underestimate the power of massage: a skillful pair of hands can do wonders for your body, injured or not.
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