Exercising is an essential part of your daily life because it is good for both your physical and mental health. However, psyching yourself up to exercise regularly is not easy for most people. And when you add the likelihood of getting injuries while exercising may also make it more difficult to continue exercising.
Workout injuries are common and can happen to anyone and at any time. But if you follow some precautions during your workout sessions, you can avoid some injuries.
It is essential to recognize when you may have hurt yourself to give yourself time to heal and recover. In this article today, we cover the common injuries you may get while exercising. If you have any preexisting medical condition, ensure you get advice from your doctor before embarking on any exercise regime. With that said, let’s get to it.
Sprained ankle
Sprained ankles are pretty common during a workout. When you sprain your ankle, the foot turns inward while the ankle rolls forward, causing the ankle’s ligaments to tear. A sprained ankle is by no means just a minor injury. It ranges from mild to severe, and this is dependent on how many ligaments have been damaged.
Common symptoms of a sprained ankle are tenderness, pain, and swelling. You may experience excruciating pain followed by a snap or a pop. If you have experienced a sprained ankle, you will need some time off exercising to let the ankle heal. Enough rest and avoiding putting weight on that leg will help fasten the healing process. In some cases, you will need to use braces to immobilize the leg from moving to speed up healing.
Take some pain relievers if you are under a lot of pain. You should also try to elevate the ankle above the heart at least two to three hours daily. If you don’t let the sprain heal well, the ankle may become unstable, and you may experience discomfort for longer. So ensure you give it time and avoid using that leg for a while. In some cases of severe injury, you may need reconstruction surgery.
Ensure that you warm up before exercising and build up from there to avoid the risk of a sprain. Sometimes wearing braces will also help, or stretching and strength training will prevent you from getting ankle sprain injuries.
Wrist injuries
Wrist injuries are also another common injury that you may get when exercising. All it takes to hurt your wrist is a momentary loss of balance. When exercising and you lose your balance, you will automatically stick your hands out to break the fall. The impact will force your wrist to bend awkwardly and tear your wrist ligaments when you hit the ground.
While falls may cause your wrists to sprain, wrist injuries are sometimes caused by doing the same movements repeatedly, such as plank poses, pushups, or any activities that may cause the wrist to bend forward and backward excessively. This condition is referred to as carpal tunnel syndrome. The condition occurs when you repeatedly put pressure on your wrist. Sometimes carrying heavier weights without care may also cause wrist injuries.
There are many treatments options for wrist injuries because they may vary from mild to severe. In some cases, you may need to use wrist splints to support the wrist and avoid movement. You can find sugar tong splints here. Sometimes you may need anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids to deal with the swelling and inflammation. If the condition persists or all other treatments fail, you may need surgery.
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a common injury among runners. It is an inflammation that occurs at the bottom of your feet. Its symptoms are a feeling of a sharp, tight, painful sensation at the bottom of your heel. It feels more like stepping on a nail every time you move. The pain level of this injury can vary from mild to excruciating.
This condition primarily stems from overuse or wrong choice of footwear and overtraining. Your tight and weakened muscles in the foot take on excessive load and, with repeated actions, causes the area to be inflamed and painful.
Treatment options are taking anti-inflammatory drugs to heal the small tears of the ligament. During this time, you should refrain from training or exercising to allow your feet to heal. Remember to ensure you are using the right footwear for working out.
Muscle pull
A muscle pull or strain occurs when muscles are strained and overstretched until they tear. Muscle pull causes damage to the tendons it’s attached to. It is usually caused by overworking, fatigue, or improper use of muscles. Sudden heavy lifting or high-performance activities such as swimming may cause the muscles to tear.
The tear may also cause damage to the surrounding blood vessels leading to bleeding, pain, and inflammation. Treatment is usually done immediately by applying ice packs to the area and maintaining the torn muscles in a relaxed position. To reduce the pain and inflammation, some ibuprofen may be sufficient or other pain relievers.
Ensure you always stretch and warm up before taking on high-performance activities. Warming up and stretching helps increase blood flow and reduce the risk of injuries to your muscles. It’s like prepping your muscles.
Joint dislocations
Joint dislocations occur when the joint experiences heavy imbalanced and unexpected impact. The bone usually slips out of position. It can happen to your shoulder, knee, ankle, or hip. Joint dislocations may occur when you fall when running or training in the gym, and you try to lift very heavy weights without paying attention to your form.
Symptoms of dislocation include swelling and the area changing color or even looking oddly shaped. Treatment options will vary depending on which joint is dislocated. However, you will have to see a doctor to get the joint back in its position. Then they may use compression wraps to help with the healing process.
If treatment is not done in time, it may cause damage to the nerves, muscles, or ligaments, and you may require surgery.