Sunday, March 4, 2012

The Agony And The Exercise



I just got off the phone with a client who just got home from a great squash game with her gym buddies that resulted in an injury for her. It wasn’t her first time on the court either, but a weird footstep that caused shearing pain in her knee. Just when she thought she couldn’t move another inch her “friend” snapped a picture to post on Facebook. When you look at the pic you can see the knee under strain.
Getting injured is maybe one of the worst things that can happen to an athlete no matter what sport you love to do. It just sucks after all the training in and out of the gym. It may be your sense of identity not to mention your self esteem may stem from there. It’s best not to try to be a hero and 'work through' the pain. You'll only do more damage. You may be tempted to ignore that soreness in your knees or your back, but just because the injury isn’t dramatic doesn’t mean it’s unimportant or will go away on it’s own. The bad news is if left untreated it will more than likely get worse over time. YUCK! Basically any swelling, numbness, tenderness, loss of flexibility, or worsenes over time get thee to a DR asap. It is serious and should be treated. If you suspect you are injured STOP doing whatever it is that caused the pain or if you notice you feel the pain only after a specific activity make an appointment with your PCP or a Sports Medicine doc.
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation will help decrease swelling and ibuprofen will help with the pain and do NOT participate in the activity that got you injured while you heal. Also it’s not a bad idea to get a protective device like a knee brace or wrist guard to use while you play.

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