Injury Prevention
- ro1272
- Feb 25, 2024
- 5 min read
Injuries, minor and severe, small and big, seem to plague everyone every year. Too often it is random, surprising and unexpected. Too often it sets us back weeks to months. Sometimes even years. The purpose of Injury Prevention is to avoid injury - avoid any setbacks.
Learn The 6 Major Factors of Injury Prevention
For athletes that push their body and mind to new higher limits, the fine line between injury prevention during peak performance training is as thin as a fine hair.
Whether being an athlete is priority or just getting through the errands of the day - each of us want to stay strong and healthy. We desire to achieve our goals without any setbacks. In a physically demanding world, injuries is one of the worst setbacks. An injury at the wrong time can cost a championship. It can cost a life’s dream of crossing the finishing line. It can derail months and even years of determined, focused training.
Injury prevention by definition is the thing that prevents those setbacks due to injury. Imagine the possibilities of always being injury-free.
Injury prevention may exist as a programming term, but it is seemingly imperfect - otherwise, why are we still getting injured.
To oversimplify, there are two types of injuries: preventable and unpreventable. An unpreventable injury is, for lack of better terms, a “freak accident.” An injury caused by an external force that could not have otherwise been prevented. An object falling on us. Us falling or stepping into an unseen hole. Etcetera etcetera… Preventable injuries are those that are caused by internal forces that could have otherwise been prevented. A torn hamstring from exerting too much force under too much tension. An unstable ankle that ‘rolled’ during a run. Chronic joint ache or tendonitis that reduced our performance to below our average peak output.
Within the realm of ‘Preventable Injuries’ there are many factors, including mental/psychological, nutritional/chemical, and of course physical. This article will focus on the physical only.
Within the realm of ‘Physical Preventable Injuries’ there are 6 major categories of prevention:
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INFLAMMATION
Physical inflammation may be considered a good healing capability of the body. When the area is under chronic inflammation, this is no longer a good indicator. As it shows that there is a chronic issue that is activating inflammation to heal it. The first factor to assess when chronic inflammation is identified, is ‘pressure’. A joint or muscle under chronic pressure will induce inflammation. Chronic pressure may increase myofascial tension, increase tightness of muscle and connective tissue, as well as impair the natural function of the area, inducing a compensation in movement - that induces greater pressure to fall onto the area.
TIGHTNESS
Tightness is most related to the ‘Range-Of-Motion’ across joints from a specific joint. Every joint has an optimal range-of-motion. When the movement is below the minimum standard of optimal it is considered to be ‘Tight’. Stretching and Mobility work are then recommended to increase the range-of-motion back to optimal degrees. The issue from tightness is that muscles attach to bones via connective tissues (tendons, ligaments, etc) across a joint. As these parts become tighter, consider the space between the joints as closing. Creating less space for the movement to occur, and greater pressure to be placed on the joint itself and the surrounding tissues.
TENSION
Tension is most related to the fascia, thereby creating pressure to the muscle and other parts of the body, including joints. The purpose of Fascia is to provide support, via tension/pressure, to muscles across the joints for movement. With an optimal balance of fascia tension, muscle does not require as much work to exert force. As the tension from fascia assists with some of the load. When too much fascia tension is present, consider a ‘choking’ effect on the muscle. Restricting not only movement, but blood flow, and healing properties being restricted as well. When there is too little fascia tension, the muscle receives no support, thereby requiring to generate maximal force production for even simple light work. Too much tension, or too little tension, creates an imbalance in muscle work, eventually leading to muscle strain, impairment, malfunction or injury.
COMPENSATION
As the word implies, one area compensating for another. When the demand of work is too much for the desired body part, the body will signal for other body parts to compensate. The human form is designed on survival - in terms of survival, we must be able to move to evade danger - as such, when the body identifies as one area of the body too weak to execute the movement, it will immediately signal for others to compensate - to optimize survival. It does not matter that our movements are not survival based, the code is written in the body, and must be considered. Compensations typically occur due to weakness. If the body part cannot sustain the work load, the next closest muscle groups and body parts will begin over-exerting themselves assisting with the work - prolonged compensation creates imbalances of pressure points on the joints and body positions. Eventually leading to issues and injury.
INSTABILITY
Instability is considered the showing of fatigue at a joint, before the signal to Compensate occurs. Instability is the struggle at the joints working to achieve stability - whether in a static non-movement position, or in dynamic multi-movement positions. Instability is weakness of the surrounding tissues, not only weakness of muscle - this includes weakness in the contribution of fascia tension, weakness in connective tissues, weakness in neuromuscular efficiency in movement coordination.
WEAKNESS
Weakness is considered a multi-factored component - weakness is not determined by muscle output alone - weakness consists of, as stated, muscle, fascia, connective tissue, nerves, and neuromuscular (including coordination). A runner may have optimal strength in their leg muscles, yet may still succumb to injury, due to weakness. The weakness in that case would have been to assess and identify which of the other factors were weak (fascia, connective tissue, nerves or neuromuscular).
INJURY PREVENTION
There are six major categories to ‘Physical Injury Prevention’. Notice that the first three are compromised by being “too strong” or having “too much”. Notice the last three are compromised by being “too weak” or having “too little”.
Inflammation - TOO MUCH pressure, often due to muscles being ‘over-strong’ in comparison to the joints, connective tissues, and the other connecting muscles.
Tightness - TOO MUCH shortness, often due to muscles being ‘over-strong’ and not ‘re-lengthened’ through stretching and mobility work to maintain optimal ranges-of-motion.
Tension - TOO MUCH pressure, often due to muscles being over worked and ‘under-recovered’ thereby inducing a signal to the fascia to keep assisting, leading to chronic prolonged over-tension.
Compensation - TOO LITTLE strength in the desired body parts, and TOO MUCH strength in the other body parts that compensate for it.
Instability - TOO LITTLE strength in the desired body parts, that fatigue quickly causing the instability and shakiness.
Weakness - TOO LITTLE strength in the desired body parts, from muscles to joints, and everything in between (including neuromuscular).
It is not possible to fit into one article all the possibilities and solutions to prevent every injury. Keep following updates for more material on this Injury Prevention series.
To begin Injury Prevention start with considering these six major categories.
Work towards acquiring and maintaining optimal balance across all components (not too much, not too little).
Focus on one desired movement at a time.
Perfect the movement, making it strong, stable and balanced.
Maintain a regimen of ‘Recovery’ every week to prevent excessive pressure, tension and tightness (these are the three major preventable culprits that increase the risk of injury).
Decompression movements of the joints reduce Inflammation
Mobility work reduces Tightness
Releasing myofascial techniques reduces Tension
Variability in movements front, back, side to side, and rotation
reduces Compensations
Progressions from ‘easy’ to ‘challenging’ reduces Instability
Frequent & Consistent Conditioning reduces Weakness.
The goal of Swift Recovery is to provide practical simplified information to Prevent Injuries and Enhance Performance - but most importantly for all of us to FEEL BETTER. MOVE BETTER. PERFORM BETTER.
Written by Ro Suarez Swift Recovery, LLC President & Chief Recovery Specialist Professional career since 2006 3x National Winning Coach (Body Transformations) Featured On Fox 26 Network Isiah Carey Show Featured on Houston Chronicle chron.com Top Fitness Pros 2019-2020 |
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