Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
SPORTS+TENDINITIS Don't Let Tendinitis Inhibit Your Sports Performance
Athletes are naturally at an increased risk for experiencing injuries. This is not as a result of any particular health issue that athletes typically have in common. Instead, it isasimpleexposureequation.Themore frequentlyyoupushyourself totrynewthings,toengage inphysicalactivity,ortopushyourselftoreachanew goal, the more you are going to increase your risk for potential injury. On more days than not, the injury won’t happen, but as every athlete knows, it only takes one bad day — one day when fatigue throws off your form just enough to cause your gait to be off, for you to feel a little distracted and not realize an obstacle is coming up, or just a fluke of a moment in which something goes wrong and yougodown.Whatmakesmattersworse is the fact thatmanyathletesattempt to push past the pain of their initial injuries, which often leads to those injuries becoming more severe. Workingwithaphysicaltherapist isespecially importantforathletesforthisreason. A physical therapist can help identify potential issues with posture or form that may increase your risk for injury, help identify potential injuries as they develop, andassess theseverityofandbest treatmentoptions for those injuriesassoon aspossible,soyoualwaysknowexactlywhatyourbodyneeds to feelat itsbest. UNDERSTANDING TENDINITIS Whiletherearesomesports injuriesthathappenafterabadday,thereareothers thatdevelopovertime.Tendinitis isan incrediblycommon issuethatcausespain
to develop in the joints. This can impact the hips, knees, elbows or shoulders. Pain caused by tendinitis can impact everyday activities, making it exceedingly difficult to remain comfortable day to day or to remain active. Tendinitis can make simple activities such as picking up a gallon of milk or attempting to put something away on a shelf over your head incredibly painful and challenging. Unfortunately, when tendinitis develops, it often sticks around. Thismeans thatpain thatbeginsas frustratingandseeminglyminorcanquickly become chronic and incredibly painful. Working with a physical therapist is the bestwaytoaddresstendinitispainearlyon,to improverangeofmotionandreduce the severity of your pain without having to turn to pain medications. WHAT IS TENDINITIS? Tendinitis is a common issue among athletes because it develops as a result of overuse.Whiletheaveragepersonmayengage instandardphysicaltaskssuchas walkingortyping,anathletetakesthatrepetitivebehaviortoanew level.Consider a tennis player, for example. In addition to running and jumping, a skilled tennis player will spend hours every week swinging the racket, and this could result in added wear and tear on the elbows and wrists, not to mention the shoulders.
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