Training Related Injuries – Is it Serious or Just a Tweak?

If you’ve been involved with exercise or sports for any appreciable length of time, you’ve probably had a few aches and twinges along the way. With any kind of progressive training, it’s inevitable to have a few minor (and hopefully, not major) sprains and strains. The countless number of possible injuries would fill (and does fill) textbooks. The main thing is to stay safe and know when you should seek medical attention and/or rest, or know when it’s beneficial to continue to push through your discomfort.

So, how do you know when it’s something you can deal with yourself, or if it’s a good idea to seek medical attention? Of course this article is not a substitute for medical advice, but there are a few general considerations that can help you decide what is best for you.

Is it serious enough to need one of these?

See Your Doc Immediately

It’s actually easiest to tell you when you should absolutely go see a physician. Go see your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Numbness, tingling in an area that hasn’t subsided within a few days of first noticing it.
• Significant weakness (not related to pain) such as consistently dropping cups of coffee, or a foot dragging when you walk.
• Pain that consistently wakes you up at night.
• Sharp, “shooting” pain that goes down your arms or legs.
• Any pain from trauma (sprained ankle, wrist, fall onto shoulder, etc.) that doesn’t improve significantly within a week or so, and with pain greater than a 5 on a scale of 1 – 10 (with 10 being most painful).

Basically, this is all bad stuff. Don’t wait to be checked out by your physician if you experience any of these symptoms. These could be signs of significant issues and it’s best to go sooner rather than later.

You Can Probably Manage These On Your Own

Now, what about less serious injuries? Here are some general guidelines and examples of less serious injuries that can often improve without the need for medical attention from a physician.

• Muscle “pulls” that only hurt with certain movements, then improve with rest.
• Achy pain appearing to come from a tendon that hurts with certain specific movements, then quickly subsides.
• Joint sprain (with a known cause) that has improved significantly, with pain less than 3 on a scale of 1 – 10 (with 10 being most painful).

You’ll notice the commonalities are that the pain isn’t too severe, is only associated with particular movements, and is not constant. These are strong indicators of minor issues that often resolve with time and proper self care. The old standbys of ice, over the counter anti-inflammatories, and light exercise may be enough to alleviate the issues.

Real Life Example

I’ll use myself as an example. I started a barbell squat specialization program several weeks ago, and seemed to have developed a slight tendinitis of a muscle that attaches to the front of the pelvis (sartorius). I first noticed it a week ago and I only felt pain with touch. I noticed no pain in walking and only minimal pain in squatting (and this pain quickly subsided).

It was an interesting tendinitis that I’ve never had before, and I believe it developed from my attempts at a change in squat technique along with a relatively high frequency and  steadily increasing poundage. I’ve identified the technique issue (which was sitting back on my heels too much) and that should take the strain off the tendon.

This is actually a case where an injury wouldn’t benefit from a rest period. With the fix in form errors and the benefit of consistent exercise to improve blood flow to the area, it’s best to continue with my planned fitness program.

The improved technique performance takes care of the cause of the issue, but I still have the symptoms to manage. Along with the icing and light exercise and stretching to the area, I’ll also use the technique of transverse friction mobilization. This technique can be done as a self massage as long as the area is relatively accessible.

Transverse What?!

The technique is called transverse friction mobilization. Basically, this entails massaging the tendon or ligament perpendicular to its “grain.” And where to massage is pretty easy to determine, because that’s where it hurts! The original theory as to why this technique is beneficial, is that you are creating an inflammatory response to facilitate the healing process, and the perpendicular massage helps the damaged tissue to align correctly as it heals. A newer theory attributes the diminished pain to a neurophysiological response to pain receptors rather than a change in the tendon or ligament itself. Whatever the case, it has a great track record for helping alleviate pain.

Here’s how to try it out:

Massage the area until the pain numbs or lessens considerably, which is around 5 to 10 minutes. Then it’s best to do light active movements and stretch and ice the area directly following your massage treatment. Doing this treatment once a day is good, and twice a day  is great if you have the time. I’d expect results within a week of starting the treatments, as long as the causative factor of the injury has been addressed correctly.

Again, this advice is no substitute for proper medical care, but if its fits your situation it can save you a doctor’s visit and some nagging pain. Any questions?

Jarlo Ilano

GMB Content Manager - Jarlo is our resident Physical Therapist, Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, and martial arts instructor. He writes articles and manuals and keeps us clear of any BS.

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