Unit 4

Exercise-related Injuries

Objectives

Identify the specific factors that increase your risk of injury
Training errors that produce overuse injuries
Appropriate first-aid treatment for exercise-related injuries

Focus Questions

How do changes in FITT increase your risks for overuse injuries?
What is the difference between microtrauma and macrotrauma?
What are the signs and symptoms of inflammation?
What are the classifications of overuse injuries?

Concepts

RICE
General inflammatory conditions
Appropriate equipment

Readings

Chapter 6: Wellness: Choices for Health and Fitness
Study Guide: Link opens new browser window.

Introduction

Our discussion of exercise related injuries for this class are limited to fitness related injuries due to overuse or microtraumas, which are the result of cumulative repetitive stress. There is no particular time or place of injury. Microtraumas occur over time the signs and symptoms that are presented in the study guide and textbook can alert an exerciser to the need to modify a program, equipment, or other appropriate adjustments.

The other type of exercise related injuries are macrotrauma such as turning an ankle, skiing when fatigued or deconditioned which results in a broken limb

The body responds to macrotraumas by producing inflammation: pain, swelling, local heat, redness, or loss of function.

Microtraumas are considered preventable if we pay attention to our bodies and note pain in muscles, joints, or tendons. We can address symptoms or precursors to injury before they become worse or more debilitating.

There are 100’s of types of overuse injuries that are classified in one of 5 categories.

General inflammatory: Conditions include plantar fasciitis, shin splints, runners knee, and swimmers shoulders are some of the most common.
Plantar Fasciitis: A condition in which the broad band of tough inelastic tissue on the bottom of foot becomes inflamed due to repetitive weight bearing activities. Some symptoms include pain at the heel and ball of foot, especially when first stepping out of bed. Treatment includes regular stretching of the foot.
Shin Splints: Includes over twenty conditions with symptoms pain below knee and above ankle often due to a deconditioned person who starts new weight bearing activity, increase in distance or pace before the body is ready, or worn shoes that cannot absorb some of the impact. Shin splints can include hairline stress fractures to the tibia and fibula as well as severe inflammation in the muscle compartments of the lower leg, which can interfere with blood circulation, and nerve impulses to foot. Pain is typically experienced along back and side of tibia during weight bearing activities, but there is an absence of pain during rest. A bone scan may be necessary to diagnose shin splints. The remedy or prevention is to strengthen and increase flexibility in the lower leg. Include a sufficient warm-up before working out.
Runner’s Knee: Most common in runners, but again runner’s knee describes a group of problems. The signs of runner’s knee include swelling, redness, tenderness at the knee, pain at muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the knee. This overuse injury is often due to muscle imbalances, abnormal hips, knees, or feet biomechanics. A professional assessment is recommended.
Swimmer’s Shoulder: More common in overhand strokes such as the crawl and butterfly. Symptoms include inflammation of muscles and tendons of shoulders and bursa. Pain is felt during the pull-through phase of stroke. Treatment and prevention includes a sufficient warm-up, strength and flexibility exercises for the shoulders, and the use of a variety of strokes.
Tendonitis: Inflammation of the tendon

Tennis Elbow is a form of tendonitis in which muscles and tendons that attach to elbow become inflamed. It is common in carpenters, painters, and other laborers that repeatedly use handgrip in their work related activities. Symptoms include pain during strong gripping and a loss of grip strength of affected hand. The remedy includes rest and use of a tendon band to provide support to the tendon. Patellar tendonitis is tendonitis of tendon that attaches the quadriceps muscles to the lower leg. Sufferers experience pain above and below the kneecap. They often have knee stiffness if it is kept in one position for any length of time. Significant loss of function requires medical.

Strains: partial or complete tear of the muscle fibers or associated tendons.

The most frequent exercise-related strains occur to the hamstrings, the low back, and the to the Achilles tendon. Three classifications of strains are:

Mild strain: Delayed-onset muscle soreness or DOMS in which there is some pain or tenderness, but little swelling or loss of function occurring 24-48 hours after physical activity. Occurs with increase in intensity or duration.
Moderate strain: Significant pain, swelling from internal bleeding, spasms to surrounding muscle, and temporary loss of function.
Severe strain: Complete tearing of musclulotendonous unit.
Sprains: partial or complete tear of the ligament or joint capsule. The ankle is most common site of sprains. Approximately 90% of all ankle sprains occur to the lateral ligaments of the ankle. Generally, ankle sprains result from an unexpected, forceful turn of the foot inward.

Three classes of sprains

Mild: The ligament is stretched, but no significant tear
Moderate: Partially torn ligament resulting in a less stable joint
Severe: Complete tear resulting in significantly weak and temporarily disabled joint. Can cause dislocation, the temporary displacement of a bone from normal position
Rest: Avoid further injury and allow for recovery time
Ice: Acts as an anesthetic and helps reduce pain. Reusable gel packs, single use cold chemical packs, or frozen peas can fit the bill.
Compression: Use a 4-6” wide elastic bands and wrap the effected area in a figure-8 or spiral being sure not too wrap it too tightly that normal blood flow is interrupted.
Elevation: Keeping the injured area above the heart decreases the amount of blood flow to the area thus minimizing the amount of swelling that will occur.