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Whether you are a professional athlete or a weekend warrior playing frisbee at the park there is one thing anyone being active has in common, the potential to hurt yourself. From sprains to fractures, sport injuries can and DO happen to everyone, perhaps you’re recovering from one as we speak.
Returning to your regular activities too soon could cause a set back leaving you with a bigger issue than you started with. “Don’t play through the pain” ensuring adequate recovery time is critical, how long will vary depending on the injury and your current level of health. Getting proper rest and some help from the right tools can help expedite recovery. We’ve outlined a few of the more common injuries we see and offer some tips and tools to help get you back in your game sooner.
Sprains and Strains
If you’ve ever rolled your ankle and injured your ligament or joint, you had a sprain. If you pulled or have overused a muscle or tendon it’s called a strain. Both can be extremely painful, cause swelling, reduced range of motion, discoloration and even bruising.
The most common approach to treat (first aid) for all sprains and strains is RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Since you’ll be spending a little more time on the couch, why not speed up the recovery time is with Lifepro compression massage garments. This compression therapy penetrates deep into your muscles and fascia to boost recovery, mobility, flexibility it can even boost athletic performance. Combine active and passive massage your legs and feet while you rest, relax, read or watch TV.
For sprains and strains to the wrist or hands, the Legra Hand massager combines compression with acupressure therapy known ton boost blood flow and strengthen veins. Leaving you with soothing relief for sore fingers, hands and wrists.
Knee Injuries
A simple trip down the stairs or tackle in a game can result in a knee injury. Years of labor and other repetitive use activities take their toll causing wear and tear often needing treatment or even surgery. As we age recovering seems to be more challenging and sometimes our regular activities aren’t as kind on those bad knees as they used to be. Recovering from a knee injury and preventing another in the future requires regular activity. Whole body vibration has been shown to be not only a viable recovery tool, it’s low impact offering a fast, effective way to keep active. It’s a great way to warm up and recover in compliment with other activities helping prevent injury while expediting recovery. Lifepro has a variety of vibration plates and training tools to help you use them effectively.
Fractures Breaking or cracking a bone is another common injury that can happen when active in sports and lead to some major down time while you heal. Pain, swelling, bruising are usually present and depending on the type of break you may find yourself in a cast for weeks even months. Like any injury adequate recovery is key the last thing you want is to have it heal wrong and need correction down the road. Follow your doctors advice and give these type of injuries the time they need.
Tennis Elbow
Overuse and strain of your forearm during sports, repetitive tasks or even a bad bump to the elbow can cause tennis elbow. Small tears and inflammation can develop in the lateral epicondyle – that bump on the outside of your elbow. These types of injuries are often ongoing as we continue in sports or task that require the use of the arms and often don’t take the time to let it heal. Proper rest, keeping it iced especially where swelling is present and over the counter pain relievers are the most was to treat.
Plantar Fasciitis/Shin Splits
If you’ve ever had had plantar fasciitis or shin splints you are familiar with the shooting pain and discomfort they can cause. Overuse, improper footwear and even poor training techniques can contribute to the development of these conditions. Inflammation of tendons in the feet or shins will again require recovery time, you’ll want that cold pack too and even some good stretches can help. Light massage can also help relieve tension and help expedite recovery.
Back Pain and Injuries
Many sports enthusiasts have suffered some type of a back injury. Anything from tension and strains to alignment issues can cause discomfort. Depending on the type of injury over the counter pain meds, icing and giving the back some rest time is the best way to treat. If pain is persistent there could be something more severe going on like a bulging or cracked disc so pay attention to your pain and seek medical guidance if not improving. Treatments for the back range from simple rest to physical therapy or even surgery. Take that rest time and follow your doctors advise.
Author
Joel Gottehrer is the Co-Founder of Lifepro Fitness and has dedicated his life to helping people transform theirs. With over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and owner of two personal training studios, Joel has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping transform lives. After suffering from physical injuries, Joel and his business partner, Abraham Brach, came together with a common goal to alleviate the pain caused by their injuries.
They continued to find themselves disappointed with the results stemming from various products promising to relieve their pain, and with that – Lifepro Fitness was born. Joel's mission is to have a positive impact on millions of lives with the Lifepro brand. Whether it's finding new and innovative ways to help people recover from injuries or developing products to improve overall wellness, Joel is always looking for ways to push the boundaries. Thanks to his commitment to help people live their lives free of pain, Lifepro has been able to do this for thousands of people since its founding in 2017.
