Muscle injuries can throw a monkey wrench at an active lifestyle. Fortunately, and contrary to popular belief, these muscle injuries are not inevitable. Proactive measures can be taken to keep them from happening. Additionally, if injuries do occur, immediate and appropriate treatment is crucial to proper healing.
Warnings
Never try to self-diagnose an injury. Additionally, avoid posting about your injury on Internet message forums and asking advice from participants. Some muscle injuries may have similar symptoms. However, they may be a totally different type of injury. Appropriate treatment is impossible without a proper diagnose.
Effects of Muscle Injuries
Muscle injuries can effect athletic performance, even after they have healed. For example, an article in the October-December 2002 edition of the Journal of Athletic Training discusses studies performed at Brussels University in Belgium. The researcher found that muscle weaknesses resulting from an ankle sprain or strain can diminish proprioception, or one's awareness of body position in space. This can explain why the same ankle may be periodically re-injured. Additional effects of muscle injury may include postural misalignment, decreased range of motion and muscular imbalance. In some cases, people may tend to favor the opposite limb, even after the injured limb has been healed. The overuse of the "good" may lead to injury on that side of the body.
Prevention
While there are numerous methods of injury prevention, correcting postural misalignment should be given top priority. A chronically misaligned body usually has chronic muscle imbalances, which can in turn lead to muscle injury. Balancing muscular strength with muscular flexibility is also important. Weight lifters who avoid flexibility training may have limited range of motion, which can lead to injury.
Likewise, yoga participants who have an aversion to strength training may have excessive range of motion, which can lead to joint instability. In fact, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons cites some startling numbers from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. In 2007, there were over 5,500 yoga-related injuries, which were treated in clinics and emergency rooms. Many of these injuries resulted from overstretching the neck, shoulders, back, legs and knees. Learning proper form and avoiding fatigue and over use are also crucial to preventing injuries.
Types of Muscle Injuries
Muscle strains are graded according to the number of fibers involved. A grade-one strain involves overstretching of less than 10 percent of the muscle fibers. Grade-two strains involve between 10 and 50 percent of the fibers, and grade-three strains are total tears, which involve 50 to 100 percent of the muscle fibers.
Treatment
Treatment of muscle injuries usually involves a method known as RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. This involves resting the leg injured body part on an elevated surface, applying ice packs at 20-minute intervals and, if possible, compressing the area with an ACE bandage to avoid excess movement. This treatment should be applied for the first 24 hours after injury. After seeing a doctor, rehabilitation exercises that are specific to the injury will be prescribed.
