Part 7 - Understanding injuries
By now you should be actively engaged in a programme of regular stretching. As you progress you might start to find some pain or discomfort creeping in.
Before you get stuck in to this article please read the disclaimer.
Some of the points raised in this article have already been covered in previous articles. None the less I thought it would be useful to consolidate information on pain and injury into one more detailed resource.
Types of pain and discomfort
In general genuine pain or sharp discomfort experienced during or after stretching can be indicative of injury. If the pain is very localised and is the kind of pain that makes you want to say 'ouch' then there is a good chance the pain is related to injury.
The pain experienced while stretching is a generalised, dull aching pain (sometimes referred to as a type of 'pins and needles') accompanied by a sensation of tension. Remember, you are training your body to overcome the stretch reflex. In effect your body is resisting your efforts to increase the range of motion of its joints. There are nerve impulses being sent by your muscles telling your brain what is going on and as you reach your limits these nerve impulses may be exsperienced as discomfort. This is normal. A certain level of mild discomfort is to be expected as your body reminds you that you are reaching your limits.
On the other hand injury related pain is often an intense burning pain. It can occur deep in the tissues or near the surface of the skin. If you feel this kind of pain during or after stretching then you must consider discontinuing your stretching programme and seek professional advice. Don't be brave and push on regardless; doing so will only make things worse. This is particularly true of pain experienced in association with popping or tearing sensations. In such cases you must make an immediate assessment of your condition.
A certain amount of discomfort experienced after stretching is to be expected, especially when you are in the early stages of a programme and pushing your levels of flexibility. Once you enter a maintenance programme you may stretch less frequently and less intensely so you may not suffer any discomfort at all.
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The causes of pain and discomfort
Pain and discomfort during or after stretching can be caused in a number of ways. The first is microscopically torn fibres in muscle or connective tissue caused by overstretching. This can also occur if you fail to warm up properly before you stretch. Generally such tears are minor but if pain is felt at the time of stretching or immediately after you may have a more serious tear that requires attention.
You can avoid overstretching by monitoring how your body reacts to stretching sessions. Being sore the day following a stretching session is a good indication that you have over done it. Either back off on the intensity of your stretches or review your pre-stretch warm up.
Be careful even if you suffer minor tears especially if they happen frequently. You can actually lose flexibility through repeated minor tears. There is some evidence to suggest that the fibres heal at a shorter length that before the tear occurred. It may help to gently stretch the affected area in the case of a minor condition because this encourages the fibres to maintain their length during healing.
The second cause of discomfort are cramps or muscle spasms. These occur when the muscle has been subjected to excessive effort and blood flow is reduced. If this occurs you can try gently stretching the affected area.
The third type of discomfort comes from the accumulation of waste products such as lactic acid. This form of discomfort is associated with overexertion. Again, gently stretching the affected area may help.
How injury occurs
Injuries generally occur in two ways:
- Traumatic injury
- Overuse
Traumatic injuries are caused by such factors as blows, falls, twists etc. In the case of stretching you can induce traumatic injuries by failing to warm-up or being too aggressive while stretching (this is why ballistic stretches are bad).
Take care about causing injury through overuse. This occurs when you perform repetitive movements over a period of time. A good way to avoid this is to vary your stretching routines so that you exercise different muscle groups and maintain good balanced muscular development and flexibility. In general overuse injuries are caused by a combination of 3 factors:
- Genetic endowment
- Training methods
- Training environment
There is not a lot you can do about genetic endowment. You are born with a particular physical makeup and there is nothing you can do about it. Listen to your body and don't overdo things that appear to cause you problems. Seek professional advice if things persist or worsen.
Attention to training methods such as the frequency and type of training you do is important. Don't forget that overall levels of fitness will have an effect on your disposition to injury. Staying fit will minimise your risk of injury.
The training environment includes the type of surface you are training on and the equipment you use such as footwear. Make sure both are in good condition and pay attention to environmental conditions such as cold.
How to avoid injury
You can avoid injury by adopting the following rules:
- Maintain good overall levels of fitness
- Give your body enough time to adapt
- Check you training environment is safe (e.g. look out for slippery or damaged floors)
- Ensure your kit and equipment is in good working order
- Complete a proper warm up and cool down
Sudden changes in your stretching routine must be avoided. Don't wake up one day and say to your self 'I'm going to do the splits today no matter what happens'. You might actually do it but at what cost?
How to treat injuries (R.I.C.E.)
Time is a factor in treating injuries. The first 24 hours is paramount if you are to make a speedy recovery and the first 6 hours are vital. If you have a severe injury seek professional help as soon as possible. Injuries cause fluid to be released into the areas surrounding the injury resulting in swelling. Prompt first aid can result in reduced swelling, associated pain and bruising.
Less serious injuries can benefit from some self-help which is where the acronym R.I.C.E. comes in.
R.I.C.E. stands for:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
Rest the affected area as much as possible in the early stages. Apply ice or cold water to the injury as soon as possible after the injury occurs. Advice varies as to the duration and frequency of the application of ice from 5 minutes every hour to 10 - 15 minutes every 2 hours. Take care with ice, you can actually burn the skin or even freeze it if you are not careful. Avoid direct contact between the ice and your skin; use some sort of fabric wrapper to prevent direct contact. Keep checking to make sure you are not over doing it.
Compression may help in the early stages of treatment. A small firm bandage will help reduce the swelling but be very careful here! Don't over tighten the bandage and make sure blood circulation is unhindered. Your bandage should be comfortable.
By elevating the injury you can also help reduce the swelling. Gravity will become your friend as it minimises the accumulation of fluid at the injury site.
Exercise will be an important part of you rehabilitation. Of course what exercise you undertake and how you rehabilitate depends very much on the type and severity of an injury. If you are unsure seek professional advice to establish what is best for your injury.
What next?
In the next article in this series we are going to add a few more stretching exercises to our regimen.
Author: Andy French
