How to Avoid Overuse Injuries
By Sara Butler
Of all the injuries seen at The Joint Chiropractic, one of the most prevalent is overuse injuries. Never heard of them? Well, you've probably experienced them! To have a strong spine, you need a strong core. But in order to maintain that strength, you have to avoid overuse injuries. Here's what you need to know about overuse injuries, how to avoid them, and where the chiropractors at The Joint fit into the picture of your health and wellness!
The Basics of Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries aren't simply something that extreme athletes suffer from or people who perform high impact exercise. In fact, everyday movements such as sitting at a desk and typing on your keyboard can result in an overuse injury. Basically, performing an action over and over, or repeating a movement, can make you susceptible to an overuse injury.
What You Can Do
If you're worried about overuse injuries, then the chiropractors at The Joint suggest that you:
- Identify the underlying issue - If you have an ache or pain, then don't ignore it. The sooner you are seen and the sooner the underlying cause of the injury is discovered, the faster you'll be on the road to recovery.
- Do some cross-training - Life is about balance and the movements of your day require balance as well. If you like to exercise and you're worried about the possibility of overuse injuries, then you should cross train. Add something low intensity to your workout regimens such as yoga or swimming. This can help to move your muscles in a different way and increase your flexibility too.
- Rest - To avoid an overuse injury, don't overuse your muscles! Strenuous exercise every day or working at a computer where your body isn't properly supported can lead to injuries, so make sure to rest often during the day when you're working and take at least one day off per week from your exercise routine.
- Strengthen and stretch - Tightness in your muscles can be easily solved by stretching. Working on strengthening your muscles will also help you to build a strong but flexible body that is more injury resistant.
- Reduce inflammation - Overuse injuries can lead to inflammation, so do what you can to offset it. Chiropractic care along with ice and heat therapy can make a big difference.
Overuse injuries can be painful and can seem to appear out of nowhere. Over time, these small injuries can add up to some major pain, so make sure to see your chiropractor regularly and talk to them about ways you can avoid overuse in your daily life.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fort Worth, Tex.