So, you work out on a regular basis. You do this to lose and maintain your weight, stay or get healthy, and try to stay a couple steps ahead of “father time.”
Although not in your top three, you also think that working out regularly should keep you from having aches or pains or getting injured, right? Wrong.
Yes, someone who works out on a regular basis has a stronger, healthier and more resilient body, but exercise does not prevent soft tissue injuries like tendonitis, muscle soreness or tightness. In fact, if you exercise on a regular basis, you should expect to get one soft tissue injury over the course of a year.
Soft tissue is just that, it is not bone, but the tissue, mainly muscles, tendons or ligaments, that are attached to the bones. This soft tissue is what actually moves the bones. Simple anatomy lesson here: your muscles are attached to your bones via tendons. Tendons are like thick rubber bands; they give and stretch, allowing for the muscle to contract and expand without putting the bone under undo stress. It’s really a pretty cool system, but it’s not a perfect one.
This system of bones, muscles and tendons is used a lot more by those who exercise than those who don’t. The more you move your body, the more you use this system. Every time you move a body part, you are causing a tendon to stretch and move, as well as a muscle to contract and relax. Doing this over and over and over again can irritate a tendon, causing tendonitis.
Tendonitis means swelling of a tendon. When a tendon is swollen, it is bigger than it is in its normal state, and it can rub on a bone or another tendon or ligament nearby that it normally does not. This rubbing causes further irritation to the tendon, creating a cycle of pain and irritation that can be hard to get out of, especially if you keep using the body part that is hurting.
The result is an injury, but an injury that can be treated simply and recovered from quickly, if you do what you are supposed to do.
Most of the time when you get a pain in a muscle or near a joint, it will be a minor soft tissue injury. More serious injuries like torn ligaments and broken bones are much more painful and leave you unable to use the body part – you would know immediately that you needed medical attention.
If you notice a nagging pain, especially if it starts to curtail your activity or movement patterns, you should consult a professional to diagnose the problem. A physical therapist would be my choice here. Although personal trainers have some knowledge in this area, we are not qualified to diagnose and should not. It is important you go to a professional who is licensed to diagnose injuries.
If you have been diagnosed with a soft tissue injury, you will have some choices of treatment. Often times ice and an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine is the first choice, mixed with a series of stretches. Using physical therapy modalities, like ultra sound and iontophoresis could also be prescribed.
Another choice of treatment is a more hands-on approach called “soft tissue mobilization,” where a professional uses their hands to stimulate the irritated tissue to promote healing.
Other routes of treatment can include acupuncture or chiropractic work.
What works best for one person may not work for someone else. The important thing is that you do not let a minor injury go unattended. Minor soft tissue injuries can become major, chronic injuries if you don’t treat them properly.
Injuries can be discouraging, but they are a normal part of an active lifestyle. Although irritating and sometimes painful, the benefits of exercise far outweigh the nuisance of dealing with a minor injury now and then. Pay attention to your aches and pains, get them diagnosed properly, follow the course of treatment that suits you best, and then get back in the gym as soon as you can.