Health Tips
Treating Common Exercise Injuries
By
Feb 4, 2010 - 10:25:35 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - BOSTON — Exercise is better for health than any pill or potion. One long-term benefit is a lower risk of disability later in life. Yet exercise has a small downside: people who exercise sometime injure themselves, reports the February 2010 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

Injuries are much more common with intense exercise and competitive sports than with the moderate types of exercise usually done for health. Many exercise-related injuries are preventable, most are mild, and the majority will respond to treatment at home.

Although many sports injuries feel the same, there are important differences among them.

Sprains are injuries to ligaments. In first-degree sprains, the ligament is stretched; in second-degree sprains, some fibers are torn; in third-degree sprains, most or all of the fibers are torn.

Strains are injuries to muscles or tendons. A strain is also known as a pulled muscle.

Tendinitis is the inflammation of a tendon, often caused by overuse or poor body mechanics. Pain is the major symptom, but warmth, swelling, and redness may also occur.

Muscle cramps and spasms are strong and sustained muscle contractions. Gentle stretching will help relieve cramps; hydration and good conditioning help prevent them.

Harvard Men’s Health Watch suggests using the PRICE program to handle your injuries:

Protection. Protect small injuries by applying bandages, elastic wraps, or simple splints.

Rest. Injured tissues need time to heal. You may have to give up tennis while your serving shoulder recovers from tendinitis, but you can still walk or jog.

Ice. Ice is an excellent anti-inflammatory, reducing swelling and pain. For best results, apply an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes after an injury. Repeat each hour for the first four hours, then four times a day for the next two to three days.
Compression. Pressure will help reduce swelling and inflammation. In most cases, a simple elastic bandage will suffice.

Elevation. Elevating an injured leg or arm drains fluid away from injured tissue and reduces swelling, inflammation, and pain.

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