Injuries: can they be aN opportunity for something else?
May I be blunt? Injuries suck! Most people at some point in their life, have experienced being injured. Injuries can happen to anyone at any age and for any reason. Injuries happen to conditioned athletes and they can happen to someone who barely exercises. What is universal though is that for an indeterminate amount of time, while you heal, you are unable to do certain things that you could previously do, prior to being injured! And for the injured person this can mean disappointment, frustration, sadness and even a sense of loss for what you can no longer do.
Fall is marathon season. After two years of a drop in participation at major marathons, race number participants are back up! This post pandemic running boom means that more people are running which is a great, but the flip side is that more people are potentially exposing themselves to injuries if not training and recovering properly. Sport injuries are most commonly caused by: poor training, structural abnormalities, weakness in muscles, tendons and ligaments, and unsafe exercise environments.
The 10 Most Common Sports Injuries:
Runner’s Knee: Knee injuries are one of the most common sporting injuries treated by orthopedic surgeons. Replacing your runnings shoes and insoles on a regular basis is one of the best forms of prevention.
Shoulder injury: Shoulder injuries are common in a number of sports. The best form of prevention is to simply stretch properly before exercising.
Achilles Tendonitis: Overuse of the back of the ankle (the achilles tendon) can cause major inflammation and pain. Strengthening exercises for the calf muscle and stretching can help prevent this injury. When it gets injured use RICE: Rest; Ice; Compression, Elevate.
Concussion: A blow to the head usually causes this injury, causing disorientation and dizziness, among other symptoms. Recovery requires time and rest and possible other intervention.
Ankle Sprain: ankle sprains are very common in sports that require a lot of running and turning quickly. Prevention requires strengthening your ankles as much as possible. Treatment of injury is: RICE and trying to increase blood circulation to the area.
Tennis Elbow: Injuries involving the elbow account for approximately 7% of sports injuries. Again, strengthening exercises are the best prevention, and treat with RICE, and physiotherapy.
Pulled Muscle: The most commonly pulled muscles include calves and hamstrings. Prevention is as simple as stretching properly. Treat with RICE and gentle stretching.
Groin Strain/Pull: Athletes typically suffer this type of injury when making a sudden change of direction while running. This is one of the worst sports injuries, and is another case when stretching is the best advice for prevention. To heal from pulling your groin, take it easy for a couple of weeks, and use RICE.
Shin Splints: Shin splint pain is caused by inflammation of the muscles that surround the inner side of the shinbone. Wearing good shoes and stretching is going to be the best prevention. Apply ice to the injury, and stretch.
Lower Back pain: Lower back pain can result from any sports related activity. Warming up properly is your best means for preventing injury. Treatment varies but may include RICE and stretching.
Treatment for these sport related injuries depends on the type and severity of the injury. If your pain persists for more than a couple of days, it is always a good idea to see your doctor for a thorough evaluation. What you may think is a sprain may in fact be a broken bone! Another thing to bare in mind if you’re trying to determine if a trip to the doctor is warranted: if pain alters the mechanics of your movement, get it checked out! For example, if you change your tennis swing because your elbow hurts, your more easily treatable tennis elbow could turn into something a lot more serious because of the way you are now hitting the ball. Lastly, keep in mind that trying to resume your physical activity prior to your injury properly healing will only cause further damage and a delayed recovery. The biggest single risk factor for soft tissue injury is a previous injury. Therefore, although it may be frustrating, taking the necessary amount of time to heal and strengthen the body is vital to a successful return to sport.
It is also important to consider other things you can do to maintain a healthy body and mind while you are injured. Many people’s identity and sense of self may be tied to playing that particular sport or participating in that specific exercise so without it, it can feel overwhelming. Here are some things that you can do while healing that can be impactful for both your body and your soul:
FIND A NEW WAY TO EXERCISE
Depending on your injury and the specific body part it involves, you may need to find an alternative exercise regimen that avoids that part of your body. For example, if you are a tennis player and you injure your achilles, you will need to find other ways to exercise that will not engage that body part. This may appear challenging since many forms of cardio such as walking or running, or jumping would be not be a good choice. However, there are many other things you can consider! These might include:
*Core exercises
*Sculpting workouts
*Weight training
*Swimming
*Stationary bike
*Elliptical
*Pilates
*Yoga
Focusing and obsessing over how you can’t do a specific activity right now, will only cause you to feel worse. Shifting to a new modality for exercise gives your injury the proper time to recover and heal. Additionally, you may find that straightening other parts of your body, perhaps formerly over looked, feels great and is another activity to incorporate into your exercise regimen even after your injury heals.
SHIFT YOUR FOCUS AWAY FROM YOUR INJURY TO NEW IDEAS ON HOW TO INCREASE YOUR WELLBEING
Taking care of our mental well-being is always important, but even more vital when we are confronted with change. For many of us, when we are unable to do the sport or exercises we love, we lose a little of ourselves. An injury is an opportunity, albeit a challenging one, to pivot and consider other ways to enrich our lives. Wallowing in our injury, allowing an injury to define us will not be to our benefit. Finding ways to utilize this time to our advantage is where we need to shift our energy. This will not only be good for our mental well-being but aid in our actual physical recovery too! Things to consider:
*Mediation
*Journaling
*Volunteering
*Get your “house” in order
An injury is not something anyone wants to go through, but sometimes it can be an opportunity to explore new things, new ideas, new ways of maintaining and achieving wellness. Doing less in the time while injured isn’t the only answer. There are always things we can do to bring joy and vibrance to our life no matter what our physical limitation status dictates.