Subscription

Know Your Pain

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

IDENTIFY IF IT'S A MUSCLE STRAIN OR A LIGAMENT TEAR. THE CORRECT DIAGNOSIS COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SWIFT RETURN AND THE END OF YOUR SPORTING CAREER.

1 FEELS LIKE
STRAIN: A dull unfocussed pain. "With a muscle strain, resisted tests will cause pain," says Paula Coates, author of Exercise Your Way Back to Health.

TEAR: A sharper pain centered around a joint. "A ligament tear will hurt when prodded," says Coates. "Move the joint itself and the ligaments stretch, resulting in pain."

2 HAPPENS WHEN
STRAIN: "Strains occur when you suddenly exert a cold muscle, so warming up is essential," says Paul Massey, sports physio for the English Institute of Sport.

TEAR: A sudden movement or change of direction. "It's why so many footballers get ligament tears: studs stick in the ground so when you turn, your foot doesn't," says Massey.

3 HOW BAD
STRAIN: "With treatment, muscles will repair within five weeks," says Massey. "Their excellent blood supply means any waste products are carried away efficiently."
TEAR: "Rehab can take five months," says Massey. "The internal receptors are also turned off, so they don't warn your brain the joint's unstable, often leading to fresh injury."

4 BEST TREATMENT
STRAIN: Rest, take ibuprofen and ice for 10 minutes every four hours for the first three days. "Then start gently stretching and apply heat to encourage blood flow," says Coates.

TEAR: Get yourself some help. "You need immediate professional help to diagnose the extent of your tear," says Coates. Prioritize an MRI scan and keep the injury elevated."

5 NEVER AGAIN ?
STRAIN: Change your routine. Research at Lyon University found those who switched their gym focus from upper to lower body every fortnight were half as likely to suffer strains.

TEAR: Warm up with dynamic stretches. "Unlike static stretches, you're forcing blood through the joints while stretching the ligament, making it more resilient," says Coates.

Labels: Fitness

posted by Author @ 8:00 AM

0 Comments: