Tag: strain

Exposing Shin Splints

One of the harshest and most painful injuries that people suffer from are shin splints. While a relatively minor injury that does not involve surgery to correct, it does require plenty of rest and careful training to help prevent the injury from becoming worse. Taking a few minutes to acquaint yourself with shin splints and how they are caused can help you to avoid these painful little injuries and ensure that you are not suffering downtime because of them.

A shin splint in its simplest form is when the muscles and tendons of the lower leg pull away from the tibia. It is possible to have a shin splint that results in muscle and tendon damage to the fibula as well; however, this is much less likely since shin splints usually are associated with pain in the front of the lower leg, rather than the side.

Shin splints are typically caused by overstraining the muscles along the front of the leg. Running, dancing and various other activities can cause the muscles stress and fatigue, however it is weight that is sometimes blamed for shin splints. It is important to notice that rather than weight being the factor that determines shin splints, it is instead the impact of the weight onto the legs and muscles that cause shin splints. Because of this, it is possible for someone who weights 80 pounds to experience shin splints, just as someone who weights 300 pounds can experience shin splints.

Some of the methods that can really agitate the muscles are running or exercising on extremely stiff and hard surfaces such as concrete for prolonged periods of time, exercising or running on ground that is uneven causing additional strain on the muscles at times and even wearing shoes that do not fit properly can cause additional strain. Other factors that can increase the risks of shin splints include running or exercising uphill or downhill frequently and even starting an exercise program after a previously sedative lifestyle.

Avoiding shin splints may seem like an impossible task, however with some careful consideration paid to how your body functions and how you take care of yourself, it is possible to reduce the number of shin splints that you get. Remember, prevention should always be your priority, so that you reduce the time you spend healing after an injury.

Your first consideration should be your shoes. Having the wrong shoes can be a huge mistake. Whether they fit wrong, are they are just of poor quality having the wrong shoes is like pulling the muscles from your leg yourself. Ensuring you always wear shoes that fit appropriately and provide the support and cushioning that you need can ensure that you are reducing your risk. Additionally, you should never wear tennis shoes to play basketball if you play frequently for example. Sports that you play quite frequently you should invest in the appropriate shoes that are designed to support your feet properly during play.

Next, you should always carefully warm up before ever starting to play. This will allow your muscles even those along the tibia to slowly stretch and become more fluid before moving into faster and more stressful movements. This is an essential step that cannot be missed.

Additionally, carefully checking where you are exercising is another way to prevent shin splints. Avoid exercising on concrete and other extremely hard surfaces. Choose gyms that offer suspended floors under equipment and choose grassy areas that are flat, rather than riddles with holes and slopes.

Your last step should be to engage in a strength and conditioning class. Generally, this short class lasts about 20-30 minutes and helps to slowly and carefully strengthen all of the muscles in your body. Remember, prevention should be your best friend.

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Sprains and Strains in Adolescents

Sprains and strains are among the majority of the injuries caused while playing sports. Sports injuries can be caused by small trauma which involves ligaments, muscles and tendons including bruises, sprains and strains. The body part which is most commonly involved in spraining or straining is the ankle. The 3 ligaments that are involved during ankle sprain or strain include anterior talofubular ligament, posterior talofibular ligament and calcaneofibular ligament.

An injury caused to the soft tissue as a result of a direct force like fall, kick and blow is called a contusion or a bruise. A sprain is nothing but a ligament injury which is wrenched or twisted. Sprains usually affect knees, wrists and ankles. On the other hand a strain is an injury caused to a tendon or muscle which usually results from force, stretching and overuse.

Sprains/Strains are usually diagnosed by a physician after a physical examination. The physician asks for thorough medical history of the adolescent and asks various questions that lead to the cause of the injury. Various diagnostic procedures are also available which also helps in evaluating the problem. X-ray is one of the oldest and common diagnostic tests done to know the extent and exact location of the injury. An x-ray uses electromagnetic waves to get photos of internal tissues, organs and bones onto a film. MRI scan is one of the recently evolved diagnostic procedures which also help in evaluating a physical injury. This procedure actually called Magnetic Resonance Imaging makes use of bug magnets, computer and radio frequencies to get detailed pictures of structures and organs inside the body. Another diagnostic procedure called Computed Tomography Scan or CT scan is also used to evaluate the extent and location of injury. This procedure uses a blend of computers and x-rays to get cross sectional pictures in horizontal and vertical alignment. It shows thorough pictures of any part of the body like muscles, bones, fat and organs. They provide more information than conventional x-rays.

There are various symptoms of strain and sprain depending on each teens physical condition and they may vary accordingly. One of the symptoms includes pain in and around the area injury. There could also be a swelling around the injured area. Some teens also experience difficulty when they use or move the area of the body that is injured. Some teenagers also undergo bruises or redness in the area that is injured. Many times the symptoms of sprains and strains may look similar to other medical conditions and a doctors advice is the best option in this scenario.

Depending on various factors the treatment of sprains and strains will be prescribed by the teenagers physician that include teenagers age, overall health of the teenager, and medical history of the adolescent. To what extent the teen is injured is also a factor in determining the nature of treatment. A teenagers level of tolerance to certain medications, therapies and procedures is also taken into consideration before opting for a particular method of treatment. The treatment also depends of what expectations one has and also preference and opinion.

Various options available for treatment include things like restriction of the activity after the injury, application of cast/splint on the injured spot, crutches or wheelchair, physical therapy which involves stretching exercises to give strength to the muscles, tendons and ligaments that are injured and last but not the least is the surgery which is opted for in worst case scenario.

In the long-term scenario bruises, sprains and strains heal pretty quickly in kids and teenagers but it is important that the adolescent sticks to the restrictions imposed during the treatment and healing process like restriction of activity and regularly attending physical therapy sessions if any. It is noted that majority of the sports related injuries results either due to traumatic injury or excessive use of muscles and joints. But, they can be avoided and prevented with right training, by wearing right protective gears and by using right equipment for training.

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