Both children and adults can injure the elbow joint. Sometimes therapy involves applying an elastic bandage or plaster. In this article we will answer the question of what should be the treatment for an elbow injury.
Common types of injuries to the elbow joint are presented in the table.
Table 1. Types of injuries:
If you are injured, you need to seek medical help. After examining the patient and listening to his complaints, the doctor may refer him for additional examination. Treatment is prescribed only after the diagnosis has been clarified.
The instructions will tell you how to proceed:
Note! You cannot use ointments and gels that have a warming effect on the first day.
If a nerve is pinched, which accompanies a very severe bruise, the victim is hospitalized. In all other cases, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis.
If the cartilage tissue has been damaged, the doctor resorts to puncture of the elbow joint. The blood must be removed and the joint cavity washed with novocaine solution.
The patient is then prescribed corticosteroids. They help relieve swelling and slow down the action of fibroblasts.
They are an excellent aid in the treatment of this injury. The best local remedies are presented in the table.
Table 2. The most effective ointments:
A fixing but not compressive bandage is applied. To relieve swelling, an ice compress is applied to the damaged area.
Note! Cold packs should only be applied in the first few hours after injury.
In case of severe pain, the following is prescribed:
For elderly people, the use of local painkillers is recommended. If the nerve roots are damaged, the doctor prescribes medications to the victim containing herbal ingredients and NSAIDs.
The final stage of therapy is the use of warming ointments. The most effective drugs are presented in the table.
Table 3. Recommended warming ointments:
Therapy depends on the type of injury. The plate provides more detailed information.
Table 4. Features of fracture treatment:
The patient is prescribed conservative therapy. The elbow joint is fixed using a splint. Its wearing period is 14 days. Physiotherapeutic procedures are used to speed up the healing process.
If there is a partial rupture, you need to immobilize the limb and apply cold compresses to the injured limb for the first 24 hours. Gentle massage manipulations help reduce pain.
Note! Do not take a hot bath or shower until the swelling disappears.
After swelling has been relieved, wet or warm compresses are allowed. If the rupture is complete, the victim is prescribed surgical intervention. The doctor replaces the tendons with grafts from other soft tissues of the patient.
The table contains exercises recommended after a fracture.
Table 5. Best exercises after a fracture:
Sports injuries account for 3-5% of all types of injuries. Most often, joints, bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons are damaged. Sports injuries occur not only in professional sports, but also in amateur activities, especially if safety precautions are not followed.
The classification of sports injuries varies, so let's look at several options. Sports injuries are divided into:
Based on the time of occurrence, sports injuries are divided into acute and chronic. The first occur suddenly - during a collision or fall, for example, a broken leg or a sprained ankle. Chronic injuries take several years to develop. An example is tendinosis, an inflammation of the tendon that will worsen as the load increases and training time increases.
According to the severity of injuries, the sports trauma department divides into 3 types:
It is also worth noting that there are also microtraumas - minor damage that tissues receive as a result of exposure that causes disruption of their structure and functions. The most common types of injuries in sports include ruptured tendons, ligaments, broken bones, vertebrae, dislocated joints, sprains and deformations of muscle tissue.
You can get injured not only after a blow or fall, but various nuances can contribute to this. The Institute of Sports Injury has identified several causes that lead to injuries during physical activity:
Sports joint injuries are divided into 4 types:
The causes of sports injuries have been discussed previously, so there is no need to go into them here. But prevention is a pressing issue. The Sports Injury Center recommends moving as much as possible, not just playing sports, but walking, dancing, and doing daily exercises. Particular attention should be paid to joint exercises, which prevent stagnation and salt deposits.
Proper nutrition is also important, which contains a minimum amount of protein and an acceptable amount of fat and sweets. It is necessary to maintain water balance in the body, since a sufficient amount of water ensures the timely formation of joint fluid. Don't forget about vitamins and microelements.
Treatment for sports knee injuries depends on the type. Knee damage may include:
The first 3 types of knee injuries are usually caused by overuse, such as cycling, climbing stairs, running or jumping. The causes of other injuries are direct blows to the knee, excessive bending, and twisting of the leg during a fall. As a result, bruising, pain in the knee area and swelling appear. During injury, blood vessels and nerves can be damaged.
To prevent knee injuries, the Sports Injury Clinic recommends:
Sports injuries vary in severity, so first aid depends on the type of injury the victim received. Let's look at the most common cases of sports injuries:
The most common types of injuries are discussed here, but any coach should provide first aid instructions, since there are also sports injuries to the shoulder, spine, eyes, etc.
To reduce the risk of sports injuries during training, it is not enough to be careful. Other factors are also significant:
Many clinics provide treatment for sports injuries in Moscow. Let's look at which of them are the most popular:
Sports injury centers and all orthopedic doctors say that rehabilitation after injuries should begin as soon as pain and swelling subsides to prevent joint stiffness, strengthen the ligaments around them and tendons, and ensure mobility. Also, any athlete wants to return to their training schedule and participate in competitions as soon as possible.
To realize all this, you need to choose the right clinic, for example, the CITO Department of Sports Trauma, which has proven itself since 1998. The experience and reviews of the clinic are important, as it must ensure high reliability of recovery after a sports injury, otherwise an undertreated joint can lead to even more serious damage and disability—the end of a career.
Rehabilitation after a sports injury may include:
Injuries are an unpleasant cost of a sports career, but you need to be able to reduce the risks of getting them and, if necessary, provide first aid correctly. Prevention of sports injuries is very important and has been discussed in detail. Plan your workouts wisely and organize them taking into account all safety regulations.
Each of us probably has our own favorite sport, favorite teams or athletes we support. We watch the Olympic Games or the World and European Championships with enthusiasm, excitedly discuss new achievements and records , follow the successes of our team and the struggle of the leaders. However, few of us think about the cost of all these medals and records, and that behind the tears of happiness on the podium there are often tears of pain.
According to statistics, up to 98% of participants in various international competitions earn not only winning medals, but also complex injuries . According to the Center for Sports and Ballet Trauma and Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, over the past 45 years more than 16 thousand athletes have been operated on here, 287 of them are medalists of the Olympics, World and European Championships.
Sports injuries Of course, injuries in sports are inevitable. And even board games are no exception. The same chess players are by no means immune from injuries, because they also have to pass general physical training standards. One should not write off the colossal mental and emotional stress during the most difficult chess battles. And yet, most injuries in sports occur due to the incredible physical stress that athletes experience.
In general, athletics is one of the most traumatic sports. According to the US National Safety Council, among runners who run more than 60 km per week, 461 out of every thousand are injured.
Injuries in basketball Basketball and cycling are also considered very traumatic, surpassing even such a hard and contact sport as American football. It is estimated that each year up to 1.6 million people worldwide seek medical attention for injuries sustained while playing basketball , up to 1.3 million people are injured in cycling races, and about 1 million are injured in American football. For comparison, European football, , causes injuries in 500 thousand cases a year.
Among the most traumatic sports according to Forbes magazine are also (in descending order of injury) motorsports, baseball, football, swimming, skiing and rugby. Even such a seemingly harmless activity as fitness was included in the trauma rating. It turns out that among the injuries received in fitness clubs, the leading ones are sprains of the knee joints and injuries received when falling from a treadmill.
The most traumatic sport
In general, each sport has its own “favorite” crown injuries. So, for figure skaters, the weak point that is most often injured is the ankle, and for male skaters, ankle injuries are also accompanied by an injury to the shoulder joint , which occurs when supporting and twisting partners. Hockey players also suffer from these injuries. They should also add clavicle fractures, sprains and periosteal fractures to the list of popular injuries. In acrobatic freestyle, the most common injuries are traumatic brain injuries; skiers suffer from knee joints.
It is interesting that the least traumatic among winter sports is, oddly enough, speed skating, which practically does not have any specific serious injuries. But in general, there are much fewer injuries among winter sports than among summer sports, although logically it should be the other way around.
Among the least traumatic sports (less than 1 case of injury per thousand) are also boating, rowing and archery. Slightly more injuries (up to 2 per thousand) occurred in golf, swimming and water skiing.
Constant extreme loads of athletes lead to the fact that they often get injured almost out of the blue - not during important competitions, but during training runs and even just in everyday life, for example, while climbing stairs. Sometimes athletes simply find themselves in absurd or ridiculous situations that end in serious injuries. For example, the famous Spartak goalkeeper of yesteryear, Viktor Zinger, suffered a meniscus injury simply by crouching over a toilet seat in a public toilet. And the legendary Manchester United goalkeeper Alex Stepney managed to dislocate his jaw by yelling at the defenders of his goal. European shot put champion Anna Omarova broke her wrist... on the head of an overly annoying boyfriend, who got what he deserved by going to the hospital with a concussion. Tennis injuries
But injuries in sports are far from the full price that athletes have to pay for success. Constant stress, nervous breakdowns, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, overexertion and a whole bunch of occupational diseases are not the most complete list of consequences of a sports career. But this is a topic for another discussion.
Joints and ligaments are dense movable joints that are located between bones and serve as an auxiliary tool for their movement relative to each other. Joints and ligaments are covered with cartilage tissue. They have their own circulatory system and many nerve endings. This is why damage to joints or ligaments often causes pain. Any damage to them is dangerous and can lead to irreversible consequences.
For a beginner in sports, it is very difficult to distinguish between pain that occurs as a result of muscle strain and pain that occurs when joints and ligaments are damaged. I have suffered with my joints since childhood. Apparently this is a hereditary disease. Therefore, I know exactly how my joints hurt.
If you experience some of the symptoms listed below, you should consult a doctor:
Although sport, of course, makes us healthy, it sometimes cripples us. And it is not sport that is to blame for this, but our genetic code. We all come to a sports lifestyle with different initial data, with different diseases and capabilities of our body. Each person's personality requires different approaches to training, and we very often make a huge mistake here by choosing a standard training program. This mistake sometimes costs us our health.
In big sports, there are a wide variety of injuries that you have never even heard of. It all depends on the sport. We will talk about injuries that occur most often in gyms for beginners and others.
The first place for injury is the knee joint . Our legs move always and everywhere, not just in the gym. This is why our knee joints become thinner the fastest and most often. And in the gym, almost any exercise puts a lot of stress on the legs and knees. Pain may occur suddenly if the exercise is performed unsuccessfully and you will not be able to even move your knee. Or it can grow gradually, starting with a small click when moving, a dull pain and, ultimately, grow to unbearable pain.
Ankle pain is also common. Most often it occurs as a result of cardio training (running, jumping rope). Diseases of the ankle joints can have deep and old roots. For example, the wrong shoes that you wore a few years ago or are still wearing today have deformed your joints, and this process continues to this day. For example, since childhood I have suffered from pain in these joints. A couple of years ago I took up running, but after a few months I realized that it was taboo for me. This decision came to me after I couldn’t stand on my feet in the morning and with difficulty, overcoming the pain, took a few steps.
Pain in the hand is also a common occurrence among gym goers. Hand injuries usually occur due to improperly selected weights of dumbbells or kettlebells and improper execution of exercises. If you choose a weight that is still too heavy for your muscles, then you are putting more stress on the joints and ligaments of your hands. Or you lift dumbbells not with your main muscle group, but with your hands, at a very fast pace. It is very important to approach the choice of free weights wisely and realistically assess your capabilities.
Pain in the elbow joint occurs for the same reason as in the hand joint. Added to this is the too wide range of motion of the elbow, which is not typical for this joint. You should not perform extremely complex techniques in which the elbow joint is in an unnatural position for it. Give preference to basic exercises.
Hip pain is usually mild in the early stages of the disease. This makes diagnosis and treatment very difficult. And the development of the disease can lead to pain in the joint becoming chronic and deforming the joint, shortening the limb, and causing lameness. The hip joint is most often damaged in women due to the fact that they are more flexible and can stretch the ligaments and damage the joint.
As I already said, not all people can and should engage in the same training programs due to their innate characteristics. Damage to joints can be different and their causes are also different. There is a certain risk group that is most susceptible to diseases of the joints and ligaments and their injuries in the gym:
If you consider yourself to be in at least one risk group, then before you suffer damage to your joints and ligaments, you should consult a doctor and receive the necessary treatment or take preventive measures.
The underlying causes of problems associated with damage to joints and ligaments are very different. This process can occur suddenly or last for many years. With age, even healthy joints deplete, wear out and become fragile. This is due to the irreversible aging processes of the entire organism. Naturally, athletes are more susceptible to this disease, since they expose their joints to constant stress. However, this is only a small part of the risk. Most of all, other more complex processes occurring in our body have an impact on joint diseases:
To protect your joints and ligaments, you need, firstly, a balanced and nutritious diet. It is known that the body gets everything it needs from food. But there are 2 main problems.
The first is that very often a person who works out in a gym has the goal of losing weight and burning fat, which means that he limits his diet in some way. By creating a calorie deficit, very often people become deficient in nutrients.
The second problem of our modern society is that we have begun to eat little food that helps strengthen joints and ligaments. We buy beef or pork tenderloin, and are careful that the sellers do not slip us the bones. Namely, the bones and cartilage of animals contain a large amount of substances that strengthen our bones, joints and ligaments.
In this mode, special supplements that can be purchased at pharmacies or sports nutrition stores will help keep joints and ligaments healthy.
1. Glucosamine sulfate is the most effective and common component among athletes for restoring and strengthening cartilage and joint ligaments. It promotes the formation of interarticular fluid and prevents dehydration and fragility. The average dose for a person per day is 700 mg.
2. Chondroitin sulfate - the drug consists of cartilage from large animals, and acts as a lubricant in the joints. Typically, the drug is used in combination with glucosamine, as they perfectly complement each other and provide better protection for joints.
3. Collagen is the main component of our body, our skin and bones, cartilage and joints. A protein that is produced by our body to maintain the elasticity and strength of our membrane. Strictly speaking, collagen, which is sold as a special food supplement, is nothing more than food gelatin. Many athletes know this and consume about 10 grams of gelatin daily to maintain joint elasticity and flexibility.
4. Calcium and vitamin D are an auxiliary pair for our skeletal system. Where there are healthy bones, there are healthy ligaments, since the composition of bones and ligaments is the same. Calcium strengthens bones, and vitamin D promotes better absorption of calcium in the body.
Every athlete knows that before starting to train for real, it is necessary to warm up the muscles and, most importantly, prepare the joints for stress, otherwise injuries cannot be avoided.
So, in order to keep your ligaments healthy, follow a few basic rules:
1. Be sure to warm up before training . Start calmly and measuredly and gradually increase the intensity, reaching the state of warmed muscles. And only after that proceed to exercises with load.
2. After each workout, do some stretching . But don’t try too hard, otherwise you can only make things worse by injuring the ligament, which is more mobile and pliable after physical exertion. The pain when stretching should be slightly aching, but not sharp.
3. Take special medications that will keep your joints healthy, especially if you adhere to a strict diet that excludes certain types of foods from your diet.
4. If you have injured your joints or ligaments, you must stop exercising until you have fully recovered. I'm only talking about mild forms of damage. If you feel acute, never-ending pain that prevents you from even moving, you should immediately consult a doctor.
5. To avoid re-injury, try to eliminate the exercise that caused the injury. If this is not possible, then do the exercise in such a way as to use the injured part of the body as little as possible. For example, if it's the front of your thigh, don't squat too deep or lunge too deep.
I recently encountered this problem myself. My hip joint hurt, but I continued to train, thinking that the pain would go away on its own. But after one sleepless night, spent thanks to a sore joint, I decided to give up training for a while. One week was enough for me. After that, I did a workout avoiding exercises that put stress on the sore leg. I feel good so far. But I made a firm decision that it was necessary to take sports nutrition to protect my joints and ligaments, since I simply did not have the strength to give up sports. I'm addicted.
See how NOT to warm up in the gym. At a minimum, they may misunderstand your creative impulse, and at maximum, they will exclude you from the club membership.
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Posted: 2015-01-20 Views: 27,230
Any sport, even the most ordinary gymnastics or exercises, can cause injury. Bodybuilding, fitness and regular exercise in the gym are no exception.
Practice shows: in 80 cases out of 100, injuries received in sports represent damage to joints and ligaments. It is these parts of the musculoskeletal system that are the most vulnerable:
What drugs (supplements) should you pay attention to first:
1. Glucosamine sulfate – to strengthen ligaments and joints.
2. Chondroitin sulfate – to strengthen ligaments and joints.
3. Calcium in combination with vitamin D - to strengthen bones. Calcium and vitamin D must be taken together. The fact is that calcium is well absorbed only if there is no lack of vitamin D in the body.
4. Methylsulfonylmethane - to relieve pain.
5. Collagen – to strengthen the musculoskeletal system and improve skin condition.
6. Omega-3 fatty acids - for healing joints and improving their mobility.
7. Vitamin C – for collagen synthesis and relieving inflammation.
8. Other vitamins and minerals - to normalize the functioning of cells throughout the body, improve metabolic processes in the body, increase immunity, etc.
To prevent diseases/damage to joints and ligaments, it is advisable to take these supplements 2-3 times a year for 1-2 months.
Use the best complex preparations for these purposes, the most popular of which are:
Strengthens bones, joints, cartilage, tendons. The composition includes glucosamine and chondroitin - two powerful “building materials” for the musculoskeletal system. The vitamins and minerals included in the complex enhance the effect of the main substances and have a beneficial effect on the body.
Contains 1500 mg glucosamine, 1200 mg chondroitin and 1200 mg methylsulfonylmethane. Participates in the construction of connective tissue and restoration of articular cartilage, relieves pain when joints and cartilage are damaged.
Includes several complexes that strengthen joints, tendons and ligaments: Joint Construction Complex, Joint Lubrication Complex, Joint Support Complex. All complexes were created on the basis of scientific research.
2. Before training, pay great attention to warming up in order to sufficiently warm up your joints and ligaments and prepare them for physical activity.
3. Try to develop your body harmoniously. When building muscle mass, consider a set of exercises aimed at strengthening joints and ligaments.
4. After an injury, during the recovery period, do not overload your joints and ligaments. In this situation, it is important to be patient and wait for COMPLETE rehabilitation.
5. Make sure your diet contains enough foods such as fish oil, rose hips, carrot juice, celery, honey, walnuts, marmalade, jellied meat and foods containing protein and gelatin.
I wish you strong joints, elastic ligaments and successful training!
Kolyaskin Kirill - MSMK in bench press, sports nutrition specialist at monsterpump.ru store
Products for joints and ligaments are indispensable in strength sports. Although these supplements are not a cure, they should be included in your daily diet when injuries occur.
In case of injury, doctors usually prescribe a six-month course of taking these drugs. During the entire course, you must take glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. However, it is better to alternate the drugs with each other. Take Ultimate, ArthroGuard, Flex, LabradaElastiJoint, Collagen (gelatin) and Omega 3 (fish oil) for your course. It is better to take medications after meals and, if possible, divide one recommended serving into several doses.
It is optimal to combine substances such as glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, collagen, fish oil and take daily throughout the course to consolidate the effect. You can also add complex sports vitamins to this course.
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What is trauma? How often have you injured yourself while playing soccer, weight training, or just running? The injury may feel like a tear, sprain, or any injury to the knee, shoulder, ankle, or other part of the body. And before you feel pain, you are afraid. Applying ice to the injured area, you wonder - how could this happen? What will the traumatologist say? How can I avoid similar injuries in the future?
In this article you will find answers to these questions, as well as training programs developed by professionals to help you get back into shape after an injury. In it you will also find expert recommendations that will help you restore your previous physical shape - without harm to your health or unnecessary stress on injured bones, joints and muscles. If you are not currently injured, use the training programs presented here and the recommendations of specialists to avoid possible injuries in the future.
The cause of the injury cannot be attributed to the moment after which you were injured - a bad landing after a jump or a hard collision on the football field. The cause of the injury is an imbalance in training, as a result of which you train some muscles too intensely, while others are completely ignored.
Excessive training is the shortest path to injury, as you overwork your muscles. Tired muscles make the tendons that attach muscles to bones weak. The tendons become swollen and, if you continue to exercise through the pain, become damaged. Persistent pain during exercise may be a sign that you are putting too much stress on your muscles and tendons. As a result, you get injured.
One method to avoid overworking is the “ten percent rule.” The load (running distance, running speed, weight of weights, etc.) should be increased by no more than 10% per week. This will allow the tendons, muscles and bones to adapt to new loads.
Never start training without first warming up. If you sweat a little during the warm-up, this is a good sign that your core body temperature has increased, which means your tendons and ligaments have become more elastic. It also suggests that cartilage—and the bones it protects—is richly supplied with synovial fluid, which creates lubrication. In general, stretching should be done before exercise to improve flexibility. However, stretching before exercise does not always prevent injury. It is preferable to follow the following order: before playing a sports game or exercising in the gym, you first need to warm up (from 5 to 10 minutes - low-intensity aerobic exercise, such as running or an exercise bike), and after the warm-up do stretching. Stretching should also be repeated after a game or training session, when the muscles and tendons are more elastic.
All training programs must be balanced. This condition is especially true after you have suffered an injury. The balance of the training program determines the speed of recovery of the injured area.
Review each section and determine which programs are right for you personally. Then read the workout instructions and exercise descriptions to determine whether the suggested requirements meet your fitness level. Indeed, in some cases, the training program may contain exercises that are not suitable for you, since they are contraindicated with your injury and its severity.
Pay special attention to the exercises suggested for each type of injury to develop flexibility and strength. In many cases, you will be given exercises or entire exercise programs to prevent injury. If your injury causes other limitations in functionality, please consult with your physician before beginning any program.
Exercise according to the chosen program three times a week (every other day) for 4-6 weeks. Before each workout, you should warm up with low-intensity aerobic exercise for 5-10 minutes. Then you need to perform exercises to develop flexibility and strength in the order presented. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets and exercises. When lifting heavier weights and performing fewer reps, you should increase the rest time between sets and exercises. On days off from the program, spend up to 45 minutes doing non-strenuous aerobic exercise.
Do not forget that the number of approaches, repetitions and weight of weights are recommendations. You may have to start smaller. And although all the exercises presented are safe, you should carefully listen to your body's reactions. At the first sensation of pain, the exercise should be stopped.
For many minor injuries, over-the-counter pain relievers (such as ibuprofen or paracetamol) can help relieve pain. You should also follow the first aid measures for trauma and ensure that the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation.
The first rule of rehabilitation after injury is to take your time. Don't try to quickly get back into shape. This rule is especially true if you have had surgery to repair a tendon or ligament tear after an injury. Set yourself the following goals:
1. Resume movement of the injured joint. Without this, you will not be able to restore the overall functionality of the limb.
Recovering from injury requires balance: Find the right combination of exercises to develop flexibility and strength. Don't rush to get back to activity, but don't cut yourself any slack either. Excessive stress will lead to another injury.
2. Regain flexibility with daily stretching, which will help speed up recovery and reduce pain.
3. Restore strength and endurance by gradually increasing the load. Use a cross-training method (incorporating additional exercises in addition to the main ones) to maintain your overall fitness level; Perform developmental exercises specific to your sport to prepare your body for full training.
4. Restore balance and coordination of movements. To do this, perform an exercise such as maintaining balance on one leg with your eyes closed.
Your main goal is to return to your previous level of fitness. This task can take anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on the severity of the injury.
The body responds to injury with pain and swelling. Knowing how to provide first aid for injuries can speed up the healing process. And first aid for injuries consists of providing four conditions: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation.
Immobility means intentionally limiting the movement of an injured part of the body. If your ankle is swollen and blackened as a result of an injury, you should not step on the injured leg. Use crutches or a cane when walking. If the sprain is not severe, you can try moving the injured body part to determine the severity of the injury. Usually the body gives “signals”. If you cannot move a limb and feel unbearable pain, then your body is letting you know that you should leave the injured body part alone and seek help from a doctor.
Cooling the injured area is done by applying ice to the area of swelling for 20 minutes every 4-6 hours for 1-2 days after the injury. Ice should be applied until the pain goes away and the swelling goes down. To protect your skin from frostbite, wrap ice in a towel.
To stop the spread of edema, it is necessary to bandage the damaged limb, i.e. apply compression. In some cases, you can do without a bandage or tight bandage. For example, if you sprain your ankle, simply leave your boot on. The pressure it puts on your ankle will keep the swelling from spreading, and you can then apply ice to the injured area by removing the boot.
The injured limb should be kept elevated - at a height above the level of the heart. This measure will help reduce pain and swelling by limiting the flow of fluids to the injured limb.
Your feet and ankles carry your body's weight all day long—and most of the time, they do a great job. Unfortunately, running on hard surfaces or making sudden movements on the tennis court can cause strains and tears in your tissue. As a result, you will be incapacitated for weeks or even months. In some cases, athletes do not have time to properly warm up and stretch the corresponding muscles and tendons before training or playing. In other cases, athletes choose the wrong shoes. The result is injury to the foot, lower leg or ankle. Below you will find a description of such injuries.
First, you hear the characteristic sound of a rupture of the Achilles tendon, located on the back of the ankle. Pain and swelling follow. In some cases, these symptoms may appear the day after training. It is difficult to walk with an injured leg, and it hurts to stand on your toes.
Sharp acceleration when moving, running up a slope. The lower leg muscles may become tight.
Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. This will reduce pain and swelling. You may need to use crutches or heel supports to relieve stress on the tendons during recovery. Heel supports should be placed in the shoes of both feet, otherwise you may develop a curvature of the spine. If your Achilles tendon is completely torn, you will need to undergo surgery.
Even without exercising daily, work to improve the elasticity of your calf muscles and Achilles tendon. Do stretching exercises.
You feel pain on the sole of your foot in the heel area. In this case, the pain radiates throughout the arch of the foot and can intensify in the morning or during long runs.
The plantar fascia tendon, located on the bottom of the foot, can become tight if it is not stretched enough before exercise. Another reason could be that your arch is too high.
Stretching allows you to increase the length of the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia tendon. Appropriate exercises will help make the tendons more elastic. Of course, this will take time. If the pain is very severe, a cortisone injection may be needed.
Stretch more thoroughly. Choose suitable shoes. Change it regularly (after approximately 650-800 km).
When tissue ruptures, the injury may be accompanied by a characteristic sound. This is followed by pain, swelling, or bruising around the ankle.
You may have torn one or more ligaments that hold your ankle joint together.
Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. This will help control swelling. Try making small movements using your ankle. Increased blood circulation in the tissues surrounding the injured area speeds up the healing process and reduces pain. To begin, slowly rotate your foot. If you can't do this or the movement causes a lot of pain, it may be a sign of a broken bone. In this case, you should contact a traumatologist. If the situation is not so serious, provide first aid for several days while using medications. While torn ligaments heal, use a compression bandage or splint to support your ankle.
Do not train on uneven or slippery surfaces. Also avoid grassy lawns, sandy and rocky surfaces. Use a compression bandage to protect your ankle.
A crunching sound coming from your ankle may be the first sign that your injury is more serious than just a sprain. This sound is followed by sharp pain, swelling and subcutaneous hematoma. You will not be able to walk on your injured leg.
The tibia and fibula, the two bones that make up the ankle, break where they connect to the foot. Since the types of fracture can be very different, only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis after fluoroscopy. Depending on the severity of the fracture, you will be out of action for six weeks to three months.
First of all, do a fluoroscopy. Your leg will then be placed in a cast and you will walk on crutches. Surgery may be required.
The only thing you can do is be more careful in controlling your movements in the game.
A stress (or stress) fracture is a small crack or break in the bone. It is accompanied by swelling and aching pain in the bones of the foot, especially the metatarsus bones, the long bones located in the middle of the foot behind each toe. The pain may be widespread, as in the case of tendon inflammation, or concentrated in one area.
A small crack or break in the bone occurs as a result of excess stress on the bone. This happens if you run fast for too long or don't change your running shoes for a long time. When you increase the distance very quickly or run on a hard surface, a large load falls on the bones, and fatigue syndrome gradually develops - microcracks and tears form.
This type of injury cannot always be detected using fluoroscopy. You may need to have a CT scan or simply treat the injury until the pain goes away. Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. This will reduce pain and swelling. It is especially important to ensure immobility to allow the bones to recover. When you resume running, increase the distance gradually by 5 to 10% per week to avoid relapse. Try to run on soft surfaces such as smooth dirt paths or grassy lawns.
Wear athletic shoes that provide shock absorption. Gradually increase the distance and time of running.
Flat feet can develop over time or if the arch of the foot is low to begin with. It can cause pain in the ankle and foot area. Excessive exercise (such as long running) can irritate the tibialis posterior tendon, causing pain and swelling. Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. Buy arch supports and place them in your shoes.
Pain in the toes, rather than in the arch of the foot itself, may be a sign of metatarsalgia - severe pain in the metatarsal bones of the foot. This means that there is excess load on the bones of the foot. This problem often occurs when wearing sports shoes that are too narrow or when you have an abnormally high arch. In the latter case, you will need special shoe supports.
This injury occurs when landing poorly on your toes. In this case, the tibia and fibula bones are separated, resulting in stretching of the ligaments holding them together. The pain is felt above the tibia, making walking difficult. Recovery takes longer than for a normal ankle sprain and often requires prolonged immobilization.
The muscles on the outside of your ankle may have been overloaded, or you may have twisted your ankle and moved your ankle inward. The result was a tear or strain in the peroneus tendon, located on the outside of the ankle.
Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. This will reduce swelling. Before training, warm up to prepare your ankle for movement by performing the specific exercises described below. These exercises should not cause you pain. They will help maintain elasticity and mobility of the ankle joints. You may need to undergo physical therapy to strengthen your ankle muscles. Temporarily immobilizing the ankle with a splint may also be beneficial.
Stretch and strengthen your ankle joints and muscles.
This injury is described as inflammation of the tissue on the anterior surface of the tibia. When an injury occurs, sharp bone pain is felt in the ankle or tibia muscles.
The cause of a fatigue injury to the bones or muscles of the lower leg is overuse. Flat feet or running on hard surfaces can also be to blame.
The location of the pain will indicate to you the type of injury. Pain in the tibia indicates the initial stage of a stress (fatigue) fracture. If the pain spreads along the inner surface of the tibia, then this is a sign of inflammation of the bone tissue. Swelling of the ankle muscles means pain and tightness in the muscle part of the ankle on the outside. Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. This will reduce pain and swelling. Reduce the intensity and frequency of your workouts to avoid making the situation worse.
Runners whose feet roll inward and touch the ground with the inner sole of the sole are more prone to ankle injuries than others. To even out the angle of your feet, use orthopedic shoe pads.
First you hear a loud tearing sound, then you feel a sharp pain in your lower leg. In some cases, pain may suddenly appear, after which it becomes stable, swelling and subcutaneous hematoma appear.
Excessive load on the lower leg muscles. Sudden changes in direction on a tennis court or football field cause the calf muscles to instantly lengthen. If the muscles are not ready for this, stretching or tearing of muscle tissue occurs.
Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. Use non-steroidal pain relievers and crutches if necessary.
Warm up, preparing your leg muscles for movement. Warm-up should be done for 5-10 minutes. Then do a set of stretching exercises.
Wet the sole of your foot. Step on a flat, level surface. Consider the remaining trace: the absence of an internal curve of the foot indicates flat feet (low arches of the foot) and, accordingly, a predisposition to inflammation of the tendons of the peroneal muscle. If the arch of the foot is too high, the weight of the body is distributed on the outside of the foot, leading to ankle sprains and stress fractures.
The knee is complex. The lateral collateral ligament on the outside and the medial collateral ligament on the inside connect the femur to the bones of the leg. The anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligaments cross within the knee joint, preventing the knee from moving forward or backward. The cartilage lining the inner surface of the joint acts as a shock absorber. Strengthening your knee muscles reduces the likelihood of knee injuries.
This problem is common among runners and cyclists. At first you feel a general pain on the outside of your knee. The pain then gets worse, especially when you run down a hill or go down stairs. If you move without bending your knees, the pain disappears.
The iliotibial tract is a massive collection of muscles and tendons that runs from the pelvis down to the knee. At the bottom of the femur, the iliotibial tract connects to the outer part of the knee bursa, a sac of synovial fluid that protects the bone. If you run or bike for too long, the bursa swells and rubs against the bone.
Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. These measures will reduce pain and swelling. Follow this with stretching exercises to improve the elasticity of your iliotibial band. Then work on strengthening your outer thigh muscles through exercises.
Running on uneven sidewalks can lead to IT band injuries.
You feel a throbbing pain behind your kneecap (patella). It is felt after (and sometimes during) running, after squatting, while lunging, or when you stand up after sitting for a long time.
When you run or walk, your kneecap moves up and down. If you run a lot with poor running form, your kneecap will move slightly and begin to rub against the protective cartilage behind it. Flat feet, muscle imbalances, or overtraining can also cause this. If the knee muscles are tired, they cannot hold the kneecap in place.
First of all, you need to apply ice to your knee. Exercise should be reduced, as constant displacement of the kneecap can cause chondromalasia, which is the destruction of articular cartilage due to friction. During recovery, use the cross-training method (incorporating additional exercises in addition to the main ones).
Avoid squats, lunges and leg extensions on the machine. Work on improving your flexibility with stretching exercises and strengthen your leg muscles with exercises.
You feel pain in the front of your knee below the kneecap when squatting, running, jumping, or kneeling.
When landing after a jump, the main dynamic load, which is several times the weight of your body, falls on your knees. Accordingly, a significant load falls directly on the tendons that connect the muscles and bones in the knee joints. Over time, inflammation of the patellar tendons develops, causing pain and swelling.
Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. This will reduce pain and swelling in the knee area. Build hip strength with partial leg extensions and leg raise variations. This will reduce the stress on the patellar ligaments. If you have problems with the angle of your feet, you can try using orthopedic shoe arch supports. You can also use a knee brace, a type of elastic bandage that tightens the knee and reduces stress on the joint.
In the gym, do not perform full leg extensions on the machine. Instead of strengthening your muscles, you will only irritate the ligaments that support your knee and hip muscles. Try a variety of exercises, such as ball leg presses, that will help you strengthen your muscles with minimal stress on your knee.
The injury itself is not too painful. But over time, pain develops in and around the knee when you climb stairs or up a slope, or when you do a full squat. When moving, clicking sounds may be heard in the knee joint. Sometimes it may feel as if the knee joint is “stuck” and does not function freely.
While running or walking, you injured the cartilage tissue lining the inner surface of the knee joint. Under normal conditions, these cartilaginous tissues prevent the femur from rubbing against the shin bone. This cartilage can also become damaged over time or if the knee bends at an acute angle during movement.
The most important therapeutic measure is rest. The meniscus will not recover without rest. Sometimes minor cartilage damage can heal on its own if you limit the stress on your knee. In other cases, surgery may be required. Doing variations of leg raise exercises will also help with recovery.
Minimize the number of exercises that involve squats and knee bends. Maintain your flexibility with stretching exercises.
When the knee joint dislocates, the kneecap can become dislodged. Its displacement is easily determined visually and is accompanied by severe pain. Often, the kneecap snaps back into place when the knee is adjusted on its own. But even in this case, contact a traumatologist as soon as possible. Before that, cover your knee with ice and try to bend it less.
Increasing, constant pain in the kneecap or tibia. The condition worsens during exercise.
Ice your knee and take a pain reliever. This will help reduce pain and swelling. But the main thing is to stop training. Take a break of at least a month to give your bones time to recover. If the injury is severe enough, see a physical therapist to support the muscles surrounding the fracture site. In any case, you can return to training only after complete restoration of bones and muscles.
Loads should be increased gradually so that the bone can adapt.
First you hear a characteristic bursting sound. It feels like a rubber band has snapped inside your knee. The knee may bend and not support the weight of the body. Blood from damaged ligaments enters the knee joint, the knee swells, and the pain intensifies.
The tibia moves relative to the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament cannot withstand the load and ruptures. When skiing, this happens if the knee turns in the opposite direction to the movement of the ski (and shin). This injury also occurs when you fall backward and try to regain your balance and stay on your skis.
The cause of such an injury in tennis or football is a sudden change in direction of movement or a sudden stop.
Do not step on your injured leg. Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. It is especially important to immediately elevate the injured leg to reduce swelling. If your pain is severe, your doctor will use a syringe to suck out blood and fluid from your knee, which will reduce pain and swelling. Wear a splint or brace that will allow you to move and support your knee.
Surgery is not always necessary. Deciding whether it is necessary will depend on your age, level of physical activity, and overall condition of your knee. In any case, you should undergo a course of physical therapy, which will help strengthen the knee muscles and also increase the range of motion of the knee joint. Try not to put more than therapeutic stress on your knee.
Treatment for a minor anterior cruciate ligament sprain lasts at least 4 weeks. A complete rupture of the ligament followed by surgery will put you out of action for 4-6 months.
Ask an experienced athlete to teach you how to land correctly after a jump and strengthen your hamstrings, as they bear some of the load of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. Exercises for the muscles of the back of the thigh should be supplemented with exercises for the quadriceps muscle of the front of the thigh. Knee strength and flexibility can be improved by performing stretching exercises.
A rupture of the medial collateral ligament is accompanied by acute pain on the inside of the knee.
Any blow to the outside of the knee can cause a medial collateral ligament rupture. Bending the knee in a direction opposite to normal can strain the medial collateral ligament.
Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. During the recovery period, use a knee brace for several weeks to stabilize the joint. The bandage will provide support for your knee and will allow you not to restrict movement, which will speed up recovery. Physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles in the injured area and maintain joint flexibility. If the tear is not complete, surgery will not be necessary. The severity of the rupture is determined on a 3-point scale: from first (least severe) to third (most severe).
When playing, wear a knee brace on the outside of your knee, which will protect the joint and reduce the severity of the injury. Do exercises to develop strength and flexibility.
A rupture of the lateral collateral ligament is accompanied by severe pain on the outside of the knee.
This injury occurs less frequently than other knee injuries. A rupture of the lateral collateral ligament occurs when a sudden stop or unprepared start of movement occurs when the knee turns outward. In sports, this also happens during a collision when the knee is displaced outward.
Provide first aid and ensure the four conditions are met: immobility, cooling, compression and elevation of the injured limb. Consult a doctor - only in rare cases does a rupture of the lateral collateral ligament occur without additional damage. Most often, other ligaments and articular cartilage are also affected. Wear a knee brace and undergo physical therapy to strengthen your knee and maintain your ability to move normally. A torn lateral collateral ligament will keep you out of action for 4-12 weeks.
Do exercises to develop strength and flexibility.
The main symptom is mild pain in the back of the knee. It moves more freely than in its normal state. The pain can be tolerated.
You fell on your bent knee or hit your car dashboard during an accident. The posterior cruciate ligament can also tear if you hit the front of your knee, causing it to move backward.
Typically, pain can be an indicator of the severity of the injury - and the more intense it is, the more serious the ligament tear. However, this approach does not work in the case of an occult PCL tear. In general, even with moderate pain, you should consult a doctor, as it indicates a rupture of a fairly high severity. If the injury is left unattended, a rupture of the posterior cruciate ligament will eventually lead to the development of arthritis. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to treat this injury. If you manage to avoid it, treatment will take 4-8 weeks; After the operation, you will recover for 4-6 months.
Develop strength and flexibility in your knee muscles.
Strong and healthy knees will allow you to jump from great heights and land safely.
Thigh muscles are important for a runner. They need to be strong so you can endure the workout, and flexible so you can take a low start and run to the finish line. Many guys limit themselves to strengthening the quadriceps muscles and stretching the hamstrings, but this is only part of the necessary training. You should strengthen and stretch all your thigh muscles. Training the muscles in this area will allow you to avoid many problems.
This injury feels similar to a groin strain. It is characterized by gradually increasing pain that spreads along the inner surface of the thigh. The pain can be quite severe and sometimes causes lameness.
Excessive exercise can cause small cracks or tears in the femur bone, which connects the hip to the knee. This injury is common in sports such as long-distance running. Fatigue of the thigh muscles leads to the fact that when moving, they cease to absorb the shock load.
The break or crack in the bone may be so small that fluoroscopy will not detect it. You may need to undergo a CT scan to confirm the diagnosis. If the injury is left unattended, the microcrack may develop into a full-fledged crack, and then surgical intervention will be required.
You should gradually increase the length of the distance and running speed.
You feel pain on the outside of your thigh. The pain intensifies when moving up stairs or on any inclined surface, as well as when moving the injured hip. This side may be painful to lie on.
Bursitis is a purulent inflammation of the periarticular mucous membrane of the hip joint. This bursa protects the hip bones from constant friction with the surrounding muscles and ligaments.
If you put too much strain on your thigh muscles—for example, quickly increasing your running or cycling distance—the bursa becomes irritated and causes swelling. A similar problem is tendinitis - inflammation of a tendon or ligament, which also causes irritation of the periarticular bursa.
To reduce swelling, ice the injured area and use a non-steroidal pain reliever. If pain and swelling are severe, a cortisone injection may be required.
Develop your thigh muscles.
The injury is accompanied by sudden pain and swelling on the inside of the thigh. The pain may be so severe that it causes lameness.
You have strained or torn the adductor muscles of the thigh, located on the inner surface of the thigh from the hip area down to the knee. These muscles allow you to bring your legs together. An unprepared lunge can cause these muscles to rupture or stretch.
Use ice, nonsteroidal pain relievers, and crutches if necessary. Alternatively, it is possible that your injury is not that serious and that you actually have a simple groin strain. If you play a contact sport that requires you to stop and start quickly without preparation (such as soccer or rugby), you may have a tear in the tendon that attaches your hip abductor to your hip.
Persistent pain in the hip and lower abdomen that does not go away after rehabilitation may be a sign of an inguinal hernia. This injury develops over time and often does not heal. If the pain persists, you may need surgery to tighten the lower wall of your hip.
Another similar injury is osteitis pubis (inflammation of the area where the bones of the hip region meet in its frontal part). This injury is common among long-distance runners (as well as women who have recently given birth). The best treatment in this case is rest.
Stretch your leg muscles for 5-10 minutes. Jogging or exercise on an exercise bike is suitable for this. After warming up, start stretching. Do not try to increase the depth of the stretch if you feel pain. Movements should be performed smoothly, without jerking. After stretching, you can practice your sport or train in the gym.
You feel an unexpected stretch or a tear in the muscles of the front of your thigh accompanied by a characteristic sound. Acute pain occurs, followed by swelling and burning. You have difficulty walking, raising your knee, or even bending your leg at the knee.
If you slip, stumble, or perform an unprepared kick or lunge, you can strain your quadriceps muscle. It connects the knee to the hip and is involved in a variety of movements, including running, kicking, and rising from a sitting position. Tears in this muscle usually occur in the middle part, but also occur in the lower and upper parts.
Apply ice to the injured muscle. As you recover from an injury, stretch frequently, paying particular attention to your quadriceps muscles.
By developing your quadriceps muscles, you will be able to perform sharp movements without injury. Warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise, then do stretching exercises.
First, pain and swelling appear at the site of the injury, then a subcutaneous bruise develops. Knee mobility deteriorates.
You were hit directly on the front of your thigh by a ball, bat, or helmet. Although quadriceps contusion is most often seen in contact sports, it can also occur in alpine skiing due to an unexpected fall.
To reduce swelling, apply ice to the injured area. On the first day after the injury, keep the injured leg bent at the knee for as long as possible. Otherwise, the quadriceps muscle will become tight and you will not be able to bend your leg. In this case, rehabilitation after injury will be significantly more difficult. Keep in mind that as the muscle recovers, calcium deposits can form scar tissue in the area of injury. As a result, the quadriceps muscle will not be able to lift the knee normally and you will have to limp for some time. To avoid this, you should constantly cover the injured area with ice and bend your knee. Non-steroidal pain relievers will also help prevent calcium deposits from forming.
If you play a contact sport, wear padded protection to cover your thighs.
A strain or tear in the muscles that form the back of the thigh is accompanied by a characteristic tearing sound. Pain and burning appear. You have difficulty walking or stepping on your injured leg. Injured muscles swell. After a couple of days, subcutaneous bruising spreads around the area of injury.
The group of muscles that form the back of your thigh allows you to bend and push your leg and jump. Any movement that requires a sudden lengthening of these muscles (such as a jump or a large step) can cause them to stretch or tear. This usually occurs in the middle portion of the hamstrings.
Do not step on your injured leg, this will only make the condition worse. You should immediately put ice on the injured area and wrap the muscle with an elastic bandage to reduce swelling.
See your doctor if you are unable to stand and the pain gets worse. These signs may indicate a complete tear of the muscle.
In most cases, the best medicine is rest. During the recovery period, it is important not to overload the injured leg. You will have to use crutches during this time. In the case of a minor sprain, full recovery will take from a week to a month. In case of muscle rupture, this period will increase. Before returning to training, make sure that the injured muscles have fully recovered.
Before a game or practice, warm up thoroughly and don't forget to stretch afterwards. For this, use exercises such as hamstring stretches (lying) and hamstring stretches (sitting).
Often, back problems occur as a result of long and strenuous training, as well as participation in hard contact sports. Back problems arise unexpectedly - just yesterday your back could withstand any load, but today you cannot bend over to tie your shoelaces. Back injuries can be avoided at home by following simple precautions. When lifting heavy objects, bend your knees slightly, tighten your abdominals, and keep your back straight. Work on strengthening the muscles in your midsection, abdominals, and lower back. Stretch your back and midsection muscles regularly. Be especially careful about stretching before a practice or game.
You feel pain in the lower spine and surrounding muscles. The pain may intensify in the morning or evening, as well as after sitting - even for a short time. Pain may appear after training.
Constant stress on your back with poor posture can cause injury over time. Pain may also indicate a stretch or rupture of the corresponding muscles, or displacement of the intervertebral discs. If you start training without warming up, you can injure your back muscles, which are not prepared for the load.
Men aged 30 to 50 years often complain of back pain. Use ice to reduce pain. Give your back muscles a rest as often as possible. This means you should get up from your desk more often and take short walks. The same should be done during long journeys and flights. Simple stretching exercises (such as lower back stretches) will improve the elasticity of your back muscles. Strengthen your midsection and abdominal muscles with exercises. Strong abdominal muscles will help evenly distribute the load on the spine.
Learn to bend and lift heavy objects without injuring your back. For example, you should not bend at the waist to reach a heavy object from the trunk of a car. Instead, place one foot on the bumper, brace your back, and bend your knees as you lift the object.
There is no one simple solution. Take the following comprehensive measures: watch your posture, develop lower back flexibility with exercises. Strengthen your back and abdominal muscles.
A stress fracture is often accompanied by sensations similar to those described from the previous injury, but sudden painful spasms may also occur.
You have injured one or more vertebrae in the lumbar spine as a result of repeated traumatic movements. Bending or twisting in the lower back can cause stress fractures in the vertebrae over time. Additionally, you may have a genetic predisposition to this injury. Therefore, you should not blame your training methods or sports solely.
The pain gets worse when you bend your back. You will have to give up the physical activity that caused the injury. Return to training is possible only after complete recovery. Anti-inflammatory medications will help reduce pain. Also apply ice to the injury site. It may also be worth wearing a fixation bandage to prevent further destruction of the vertebrae. Physical therapy can help strengthen and stabilize the back muscles surrounding the injured area. Recovery from injury will take from 2-3 months to a year.
Start by stretching your hamstrings. Then perform a sit-up to strengthen your midsection muscles. Limit flexion and rotation movements of the spine (this can be difficult if your sport requires them).
With this injury, you feel sharp pain in a specific area of the spine. The pain comes on suddenly or gets worse gradually. You may feel a painful spasm when sitting, bending, or sneezing. Pain in the spine may include tingling or numbness in one of the legs. This disorder is called sciatica. The muscles that support your spine may contract spasmodically, causing you to be unable to stand straight and causing your torso to lean to the side. This way your body finds the most comfortable position. If you have injured a disc in your cervical spine, you may experience severe pain when trying to straighten your neck. Along the way, you may feel pain, tingling or numbness in one of your hands.
Intervertebral discs are located between the vertebrae and act as shock absorbers. If a disc becomes damaged, its center becomes displaced and irritates the nerve endings surrounding the spine. In some cases, the disc may move even in the absence of significant external pressure.
The pain can be relieved with ice, hot compresses, or pain relievers. A back or neck immobilizer will help immobilize the injured area and also relieve pain. Your doctor may order a CT scan to confirm the diagnosis. After this, you will be given physical therapy to strengthen the muscles surrounding the injured area. You will also have to learn how to bend and lift weights correctly.
Do all exercises to stretch and develop muscles.
At first there may not be any pain. But gradually, over 1-2 days, the neck muscles become stiff and begin to ache. As a result, you cannot turn your neck. The pain may spread to the area between the shoulder blades or the shoulders. A headache may also occur.
As a result of an awkward movement, you have suffered a tear or strain in several neck muscles. Whiplash is similar in symptoms to a strained neck muscle that occurs when the neck is moved incorrectly in some sports. A cyclist who goes too fast over long distances may experience symptoms of whiplash.
Use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or over-the-counter pain relievers. You may need to wear a neck immobilizer for some time, which is like a collar that holds your neck in a stationary position. This measure will help avoid muscle spasms and speed up recovery. Your doctor may also prescribe a muscle relaxant to relieve muscle spasms and pain.
Strengthen your neck muscles and restore range of motion with exercises. During the day, pay attention to your posture and body position. If you do a lot of talking on the phone at work, use a set of headphones with a microphone to free up your hands. While sitting, try to place both feet on the floor. You should sit so that your thighs are parallel to the floor or even form an acute angle with it (knees below the hips). Do these simple exercises to increase your neck's range of motion:
1. Touch your chin to your chest.
2. Tilt your head back and look up.
3. Turn your head from side to side so that your chin almost touches your shoulder.
You feel pain and spasms in the muscles of your middle back. You can even determine the exact location of the source of pain. Usually this area swells and the tissue becomes unnaturally soft.
This injury is common among shot putters and windsurfers who have poor technique. Additionally, you can injure your mid-back muscles by performing incline presses with too much weight and pushing one hip forward to complete the rep. Either way, this injury occurs when you combine a pushing motion with an unnatural twisting of the body. This movement causes a stretch in the muscles located in the mid-back.
Ice, nonsteroidal painkillers, and rest should be used until the pain is completely gone. During the recovery period, avoid twisting movements.
Pay close attention to your movements when lifting weights. It is better to work with lighter weights, but perform the exercises accurately, than to try to impress with your strength and get injured. Repeated injuries to the mid-back muscles can lead to arthritis in the future.
You feel a sudden numbness in one arm that lasts for several minutes. Your hand may become numb. In some cases, you may feel something like a sudden electrical shock traveling along the nerve endings and down your arm.
You carelessly turned your head to the side, which stretched the nerves located from your neck to your arm.
Stop exercising until sensation and hand movement are completely restored. This often only takes a few minutes. If you experience the sensations described in both limbs, you should undergo fluoroscopy.
Do exercises to stretch and build strength.
The range of motion of the shoulder joint is very wide. This is why a sprain or fracture of one of the bones of the shoulder leads to impaired movement. Any, even the smallest movement becomes painful. When training shoulder muscles in the gym, very few people pay attention to maintaining the flexibility of the corresponding joints. However, you can avoid common shoulder injuries by paying attention to the problem.
In the case of incomplete dislocation, the pain is felt more strongly when the bones in the joint are displaced, and then, deforming the ligaments and articular cartilage, return to their place. The hand may become numb and weak. With a complete dislocation, the pain is unbearable. You can't move your hand. The head of the humerus is visible, protruding unnaturally forward or to the side.
The ligaments that hold the humerus in place become torn or stretched, causing the joint to lose bone. In some people, these ligaments are initially too elastic, and in them the dislocation of the shoulder joint is almost painless and does not lead to injury.
For partial dislocation, use ice and non-steroidal painkillers for the first few days to reduce pain and swelling. If the joint is completely dislocated, do not try to straighten the joint yourself to avoid tearing the ligaments or breaking the bone. The tissues that make up the joint swell quickly, and only a doctor can successfully cope with this task. Keep your arm in a comfortable position—closer to your body if the joint is turned backward, or slightly away if the joint is turned forward. Ice your shoulder and use anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling. Go to a traumatologist immediately.
Perform exercises to strengthen your shoulder muscles (such as modified front raises, modified lateral raises, or other exercises). By supplementing your workout with these exercises, you can prevent shoulder dislocation. If the injury occurs again, surgery may be necessary.
The injury is accompanied by pain and swelling. You can also feel for the fracture site by running your finger along the front of your collarbone (keep in mind that this will increase the pain). In the case of an open fracture, the bone protrudes through the skin. In this case, you should immediately go to a traumatologist, since an infectious infection is possible.
Hitting your shoulder on concrete or another hard surface can break your collarbone (the thin bone that connects your sternum to your shoulder). A collarbone fracture can also occur when you fall on your straight arm.
Do not move the injured arm. Take a fluoroscopy to determine the severity of the damage. You'll then be given a cast called a figure eight, which will pull your shoulders back (your posture will be truly amazing), or perhaps you'll get away with a simple garter to hold your arm suspended. This will help stabilize the collarbone during recovery. After a certain period of time, you will be given a repeat x-ray, based on the results of which the doctor will decide on your return to sports. After a fracture, the bone can break easily again.
If you fall, try to brace yourself and minimize the impact on your shoulder.
You fell, hit your shoulder on the ground, and feel severe pain in your shoulder. What could it be? One of two types of shoulder sprain or tear.
A sprain or tear of the ligaments connecting the sternum and collarbone. Accompanied by pain and swelling in the sternum area. When a ligament ruptures, the connection between the sternum and collarbone is disrupted, causing the collarbone to move relative to the sternum. The displacement of the collarbone to the upper part of the sternum is accompanied by severe pain and swelling. The doctor will be able to return the collarbone to its place and, if necessary, apply a cast. If the collarbone is displaced behind the sternum, you will need surgery. This is a serious case.
Rupture of the ligaments connecting the collarbone and shoulder joint. A small rupture is accompanied by mild pain or immobility of the hand. Apply ice to the injury for 20 minutes for the first 4 hours for several days. Use anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and swelling. The doctor will assess the severity of your injury, and you may need to walk with your arm in a sling for a while.
The first sign of injury is pain when raising your arm above your head. You may feel pinched in the shoulder joint. Sometimes a crunching sound is heard in the shoulder joint or the arm may protrude slightly from the joint. The pain spreads to the biceps.
Shoulder ligaments can be damaged through repetitive motions such as swimming. You may have fallen on your outstretched arm.
Treatment depends on the severity of the injury. In serious cases, you may have to undergo surgery. However, the shoulder usually recovers on its own. Avoid movement while you feel severe pain. Use ice to relieve swelling - do this at least once a day. In severe cases, you will need a cortisone injection and physical therapy to restore the joint's range of motion. When the pain goes away, begin exercises to strengthen your shoulder muscles.
Make sure your shoulder muscles are prepared for the physical activities you plan to do. Modify your training program to strengthen not only the rotator cuff muscles, but also other muscles in the shoulder girdle.
Elbow pain is often a sign of weak muscles in the forearm, wrist, or hand. In other words, if your elbow is forced to bear the load that your wrist must handle, it results in tendon rupture and nerve inflammation, requiring many weeks of recovery. Athletes who need a strong grip should pay special attention to developing strength and flexibility in the hands and wrists. In addition, you should avoid injuries to the elbows, wrists and hands that occur during falls. When falling, never put your arms out. Better group and roll. A fall on your hands will inevitably result in a broken elbow, wrist or hand, and the injured limb will be placed in a cast for several weeks. When skiing or snowboarding, where falls are common, learn how to fall correctly to avoid injuring your elbows, wrists and hands.
The place where the tendon attaches to the bony protrusion on the inside of the upper part of the humerus becomes inflamed. Pain and swelling of the inner surface of the elbow joint appear. Pain is also felt when moving.
At the bottom of your golf swing, your club suddenly hits turf, compacted sand, or a hidden root. Perhaps you often play a sport that involves repetitive swinging or throwing movements. As a result, you overload the elbow flexor ligaments that connect the medial epicondyle of the elbow to the forearm. Over time, micro-tears appear in the ligaments.
The first symptoms of injury can be relieved with ice, non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs. To give your elbow time to heal, try another sport. In the meantime, work on increasing the joint's range of motion through exercises. Hire an instructor to test your golf or tennis swing.
Try not to suddenly increase the intensity of golf or similar sports. Introduce exercises into your training program to strengthen the muscles of the hand and forearm. Monitor your elbow for pain, stopping when the tendon pain becomes intense.
Another name for the injury is epicondylitis of the elbow joint. Painful inflammation of the elbow muscle tendon resulting from overexertion. The pain gets worse when you lift objects, twist your hand at the wrist, or shake hands. Painful shooting may be felt along the length of the extensor ligaments of the elbow.
Hitting with a tennis racket or golf club uses the forearm ligaments, especially the adductor ligaments. If the forearm muscles are weak or the kick is executed incorrectly, most of the load falls on the ligaments. Over time, microtears develop in these ligaments. If you accidentally hit a tree root with your golf swing, elbow epicondylitis may develop on your non-dominant arm (a similar mechanism can occur with a poorly placed tennis backhand). Epicondylitis can also be caused by lifting too much weight in the gym or performing too many repetitions of exercises with poor movement technique. In some cases, the cause of this injury may be a bruised elbow.
There are many treatments for elbow epicondylitis. But you should always start with first aid measures: rest, ice, anti-inflammatories and massage. If the pain returns and becomes chronic, you may need a cortisone injection or acupuncture, physical therapy, or a splint to immobilize your elbow. Some doctors believe that one cortisone injection is more effective than a month of treatment with other drugs. Surgery should be considered as a last option.
Strengthen your forearm muscles and develop their elasticity with exercises. Pay special attention to improving technique in your chosen sport.
There is pain, tingling and numbness in the ring and little fingers. The source of this injury is not the fingers, but the elbow (the ulnar nerve, which crosses the elbow joint, goes to the little finger itself). The injury may also be accompanied by pain and swelling on the inside of the elbow joint.
The cause is a bruise on the inside of the elbow or exceeding the limit of the range of motion in this joint. As a result of the sprain, irritation of the ulnar nerve occurred, which runs along the inside of the forearm from the elbow to the palm and is involved in the movement of the little finger. The tissue surrounding the nerve swells, causing pain, tingling, or numbness in the little finger.
Stop playing the sport that caused the injury for a while. Professional athletes suffering from ulnar neuropathy may require surgery if non-surgical treatments fail. If you are a fan of your sport, then you will have to leave it for two weeks to a month. During this time, the ulnar nerve will recover. You may need to wear a brace to help relieve nerve irritation during rehabilitation.
Carefully monitor the technique of performing movements and do not strain the inner surface of the elbow. If you ride your bike for long periods of time, change the position of your hands on the handlebars more often or wear gloves with padding to help absorb shock.
The pain is concentrated in the bones of the elbow, especially in the upper part. You may have difficulty turning your brush. The swelling may be so extensive that it is impossible to straighten the arm.
The radius bone, which connects the elbow to the hand on the thumb side, breaks as a result of a fall on a straightened arm.
The first step is to take an x-ray to determine the severity of the injury. A fracture can vary in severity: from a simple crack to a complete break in several places. If the fracture is severe, you will have to wear a cast for several weeks. Until the pain stops, you will not be able to begin rehabilitation exercises.
Try not to fall and wear a protective elbow pad.
Pain is felt in the dorsum (back) of the elbow, especially when straightening the arm or closing the elbow joint. In some cases, the injury may be accompanied by extensive swelling, making it difficult to straighten the arm. When you try to throw an object, you will feel pain the moment you release it.
The injury can be caused by repetitive locking of the elbow joint under excessive load, as in the case of throwing a ball. The pain is accompanied by swelling of the elbow joint.
Rehabilitation exercises combined with physical therapy will help soothe the pain. Once the inflammation goes away, the pain will subside. During the recovery period, try not to lock your elbow.
Avoid movements that cause pain and strengthen the muscles in your wrist and forearm.
The injury is accompanied by pain in the “heel” part of the hand - at the base of the thumb. You may also feel pain or numbness in your thumb, first three fingers, and forearm. Pain and numbness worsen at night because the hand relaxes during sleep, which increases stress on the medial nerve, which connects the forearm to the palm through the “canal” in the wrist. This results in the tingling and pain that characterizes carpal tunnel syndrome. The symptoms may be so severe that you shake your hand in the morning to restore feeling in your fingers. If these signs are left unchecked for several months, you will find it difficult to hold objects and your hands will be more sensitive to cold.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is typical not only for avid computer users, but also for athletes who are forced to hold their wrist and forearm in a fixed position for a long time - cyclists, tennis players and badminton players. You put stress on the medial nerve when you rest your hands on something for too long, or grip an object too tightly, or perform repetitive movements, such as typing on a keyboard in an awkward position for your hands.
By constantly irritating the medial nerve over several months, you may become inflamed and the tissue surrounding the nerve may swell.
First, stop the movement that caused the injury. Wear a brace to keep your wrist stationary at night. If the situation does not improve, your doctor may give a cortisone injection into the carpal tunnel or recommend surgery. Your doctor will also likely prescribe you a vitamin or non-steroidal pain reliever.
Find a comfortable wrist position while working at the computer, change the position of your hands on the handlebars more often when riding a bicycle. Take action at the first sign of injury.
The finger swells and hurts. Perhaps it is displaced, and the finger takes an unnatural position. In the latter case, a fracture or dislocation may be suspected.
Pinching of one of the fingers is accompanied by injury to the metacarpophalangeal or interphalangeal joint. When a dislocation occurs, the phalangeal bones are pulled out of the joint.
Apply ice to the finger and limit its movement by tying it to the adjacent finger. If the pain does not go away for more than two days or even worsens, take an X-ray of the finger. You may have broken one of your phalangeal bones.
The only way to avoid injury to your finger is to avoid exposing it to impact.
Pain in the entire wrist, swelling of the back of the wrist, difficulty moving. The swelling increases, the skin softens. You may hear a crunching sound when you move your wrist.
The bones of the wrist are connected to each other, as well as to the bones of the palm and forearm, using corresponding ligaments. Excessive external stress, such as from a fall, a catch, or an impact, can cause one or more ligaments to stretch or tear. bandage. Do not engage in contact sports until you have regained full range of motion in your wrist.
Do not fall on your hands and wear a support bandage on your wrist (wristband).
The pain is concentrated in the area of the ulnar collateral ligament, which runs at the base of the big toe. The injured area becomes swollen and you have difficulty moving your thumb or holding objects. In severe cases, it seems that there is nothing attached to the thumb in the joint.
The ligament holds the thumb in the joint. When you fall, your thumb bends in the opposite direction and sprains the ligament closest to your index finger. In particularly severe cases, the ligament may rupture. Ulnar collateral ligament sprains occur in skiers who often get their thumb caught in the strap of their ski pole when they fall.
Apply ice to the injured ligament for 20 minutes every 4 to 6 hours for 1 to 2 days to reduce swelling. Also use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to help reduce pain and swelling. If the sprain is not too serious, that is, there is no feeling as if the finger is not being held in the joint by anything, this treatment is quite sufficient.
A fracture of a finger can be characterized by the same symptoms as a dislocation and sprain of a joint. The fact that you can move your finger will not provide clarity comparable to fluoroscopy. Try making a fist. If the injured finger is displaced, go to a traumatologist. Most likely this is a fracture.
Cortisone effectively relieves swelling in injured joints and tissues. This medication is injected into the soft tissue surrounding the injured ligament or tendon. Reducing swelling reduces pain and speeds up the healing process, allowing you to return to exercise faster.
However, cortisone does not work immediately. Moreover, the day after the injection the pain may even intensify. Then within a week there is a significant reduction in pain. In the meantime, continue to use ice and immobilize and elevate the injured limb.