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OUTSMART A FUTURE INJURY H OW Y O U C A N H I T A H O M E R U N I N A C T I V E I N J U R Y P R E V E N T I O N
No matter what type of physical activity you partake in, it is possible for injuries to occur. Whether you enjoy taking walks at night, playing sports on the weekends, or hiking your neighborhood trails, it is important to prevent an injury before it has the opportunity to happen. Perhaps the most common injury that people endure from physical activity is an overall feeling of soreness, caused by overusing muscles, tendons, and ligaments. A certain degree of soreness may occur in the days following exercise and this is completely normal. However, when muscles, tendons, or ligaments are over-stretched or strained, they experience minor damage in the form of microscopic tears. This typically occurs when completing an exercise that the body is not used to, increasing the intensity of an exercise too rapidly, or exercising for the first time after a prolonged period of rest. The soreness may linger for a few days but usually goes away on its own. However, the severity of the damage determines how long the body will need to recover. For more information on how you can prevent severe injuries, contact Athletic Advantage Physical Therapy today. What Are Some Common Injuries? AtAthleticAdvantagePhysicalTherapy,our licensedphysical therapists can guide you through individualized exercises, coordination drills, and sport-specific activities, in order to prevent future injuries from occurring. Many injuries occur due to muscle imbalances, poor biomechanics, asymmetry of the body, and history of a previous injury. Some of themostcommonly sustained injuries includesprains,strains, and tendinitis, but not all injuries fit into such a specific category. Many people think “sprains” and “strains” are synonymous; however, they have one distinct difference. SPRAINS occur when a ligament is stretched beyond its limits or torn, while STRAINS occur when a muscle is stretched beyond its limits or torn. Tendons are tissues that
connect muscles to bones, and ligaments are tissues that connect bones to one another. Sprains and strains can both range from mild to severe, and even mild ones may take up to 6 weeks to heal. When they become more severe, braces or surgical correction may be necessary. This will require a longer recovery time, up to 8 weeks or longer, and physical therapy treatments will likely be prescribed. It is important to note that it is in your best interest to have a physical therapist make sure a sprain or strain is fully healed before returning to your normal level of physical activity, as it is common for old sprains and strains to develop again in the future if they have not been properly rehabilitated. The term TENDINITIS simply means that there is inflammation in a tendon. The cause of this inflammation, however, is not as simple. There are several reasons why tendinitis may occur, but whatever the case may be, we know that it has developed as a result of unnecessary amounts of strain. For example, tendinitis surrounding the shoulder may be a result of an irregularity occurring in the neck. An abnormality of the biomechanics, neural signal, or muscular influence from the spine will almost always affect surrounding structures. Movements in the shoulders are altered as a way to compensate, causing increased strain on the tendons. The origin of the tendinitis can be corrected with physical therapy interventions. Physical therapists are trained at a doctorate level to perform thorough examinations that identify the source of an injury, so that skilled interventions may be utilized and return the patient to the activities they love. Want to learn more about how you can prevent common active injuries? Call us at (214) 383-0623 or visit our website at aaphysicaltherapy.com.
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