Overuse Injuries Part Two

Yesterday we talked about how to avoid an overuse injury (don't be stupid), but sometimes that's easier said than done. How can you tell when you've injured yourself, and when you're just sore?

The number one differentiation between an injury and regular soreness is that injuries greatly limit movement. Sometimes there will be swelling, sometimes the area will look injured (redness, bruising, disfiguration), but sometimes there's no way you can just look at it and see that you're actually hurt. However, injuries limit movement more than soreness does. Regular exercise related soreness will make movement a little more uncomfortable, injury will make it darn near impossible.

If you have a regular stretching routine that you use for cool-down at the end of a workout - as you should, if you're being healthy about your exercise - this is probably when you will discover your injury. Stretches that would normally be difficult because of your soreness will bring you sharp pain and your body won't want to comply with the movement you're trying to accomplish.

For example: my traumatic tendinitis of the hip. One part of my stretches on distance days involves laying flat on my back (on my living room floor) with my heels on the ground, then lifting my legs up and pulling my knees into my chest to stretch my lower back and hips. On Sunday, because I had injured myself, one of my legs simply would not lift off the ground and I felt like someone was stabbing me right where my leg bone connects to my hip.

Once you've identified your injury, it's easy to know how to treat it. With the exception of major fractures or breaks, most overuse injuries call for the same treatment as a sprained ankle: Ice, elevation, and rest. Knowing this you can determine whether your injury requires a trip to the doctor, or just an ice pack and a pillow.