VCSST_Overuse Injuries

VCSST_Overuse Injuries

NEWSLETTER

Overuse Injuries

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Newsletter

Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries can be a common occurrence in sports, but also among the general public. There’s a popular phrase by Tim Gabbett, an Australian physical therapist and researcher, that goes, “it’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the load you’re not prepared for.” In a nutshell, overuse injuries are most often due to doing more than what your training or activity level has prepared you for, or doing too much too frequently without adequate recovery. The challenge is that adequate load and recovery is highly variable among individuals, even those on the same team or participating in the same sport. These variables include genetics, age, experience with the activity, movement competency, cardiovascular fitness, and strength.

A familiar scene is unfolding at this very time of year: warm sunny weekends and yard work. However, if you’ve been relatively inactive during the winter and early spring months, are you really ready to take on hours of mowing, raking, weeding, squatting, stooping, lifting, etc? Or, perhaps you want to get that running or weight training program started. Again, if you’ve been hibernating for the past few months, your tissues and nervous system may not be ready for the impending activity load that will be undertaken. Working with a physical therapist can help better prepare you for renewing that active lifestyle. We can help assess your mobility, strength, and general physical preparedness for the variety of activities you want to do, to help you have a more productive, enjoyable, and injury-free spring!

Healthy Recipe

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR YOU IN 2019?

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa • 1 cup vegetable broth • 1 small onion, diced • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tsp smoked paprika For the Sauce: • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree • 1 tbsp maple syrup • 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

• 1 head of green cabbage For the Filling • 3/4 cup brown lentils • 3 cups water QUINOA & LENTIL CABBAGE ROLLS

May marks the fifth monthly step in our challenge towards a healthier you in 2019. We have proposed adding something positive to your life each month: January: Increase your water intake February: Love yourself first March: Nourish your gratitude attitude April: Spend time outdoors In May, we propose that you stop and take time to smell the flowers. Give yourself a break, literally and figuratively. In our hectic, often chaotic world of multitasking work and family life, we often move so fast, we are left feeling as if we’ve done nothing well. So next time you find yourself lost in busyland, just slow your roll. Stop, and pay attention to your breathing. Stop, and be more present to everyone and everything around you for that moment. Stop, and acknowledge what you’ve just accomplished so far and know that it is good enough for this moment. Stop, and allow your soul to catch up to your body.

Begin boiling the cabbage in 3 in of water until the leaves peel off easily (about 20 min). When done, allow them to cool. While cabbage is simmering, bring lentils to a boil in a separate small saucepan. Lower heat and allow to simmer for 35 minutes, adding water to the pot as needed. Drain any excess liquid. While lentils simmer, place broth into another saucepan, add quinoa, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20 min until all of the water is absorbed (about 20 min). Cook onion with oil in a large skillet over medium heat until soft and translucent (about 5 min). Add 1 1/2 cups of the cooked lentils and 1 cup of the cooked quinoa, along with red wine vinegar, soy sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Make sure ingredients are mixed before removing from heat. Preheat the oven to 350°. Stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, then distribute about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of 9 x 9 inch baking dish. After peeling leaves off of the cabbage head, roll about 3-4 tbsp of filling into the center of each leaf until all filling is used. Place each roll into the baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the rolls, cover and bake for 1 hour. Let the rolls cool before serving.

Patient Spotlight “...from a wheelchair to being ready to train jiujitsu and work full time on my feet again.”

“I did 6 months of PT after a bad bicycle accident. Martin Domínguez and Alex Famodu literally took me from a wheelchair to being ready to train jiujitsu and work full time on my feet again. In the process, I gained a new perspective on my own body.” - M.C. 5 Star Review

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Tendonitis or Tendonosis?

to grow in and around the tissue, small nerves travel with them, and this is thought to partly contribute to the discomfort when the tissue is then “loaded” or used. This persistent condition may take 3-6 months of proper care to fully heal. One aspect to keep in mind when treating tendonopathies is time. All tissues take time to heal and that time is dependent, in part,on available blood supply. Tendons have poorer blood supplies as compared to muscles, which makeshealingharder. Muscle,whichhasamuch greater blood supply can take 4-6 weeks to heal fromamild-moderatestrain,whereasamoderate tendon issues can take between 3-6 months. However, simply resting and avoiding activity will not help you heal! While your pain may alleviate, your tissues will not be ready to resume activity. During that time, the best treatment is a progressive loading process including strengthening and possibly some stretching along with adequate rest, proper nutrition, stress management, and sleep!

Tendonitis is a common overuse injury among athletes as well as the general public. Common areas affected include the lateral elbow, rotator cuff of the shoulder, knee, hip, and Achilles tendon at the ankle. Every bone in the body is connected to muscles with thick fibers called tendons. Tendons are flexible and allow the body to move freely by letting bones move in various directions. While tendons are designed for active movement, if individuals do too much activity too soon or when they haven’t prepared their bodies for the type or volume of activity, injuries of overload or overuse can occur. A more generalized term for overuse injury is “tendonopathy”, which indicates any disorder of a tendon, and may be further differentiated as tendonitis or tendonosis.

occurring early on. The suffix “-itis” implies inflammation, so tendonitis is actually the acute inflammatory stage of an injury caused by repeated micro-traumas. Swelling, warmth, and redness may be present at this stage but may respond well to POLICE (Protection, Optimal Loading, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). It can resolve within 6 weeks with proper care and may respond well to NSAIDS or injections. Tendonosis is the more common and chronic type of tendonopathy which occurs when there has been repetitive stressing of a tendon without adequate time to heal. It is non-inflammatory and does not respond to NSAIDS or injections. This failed healing process is actually due to a mismatch of stress and recovery resulting in changes in the actual structure and composition of the tissue. As new blood vessels attempt

Tendonitis is one type of overuse injury typically For more information about preventing or treating pain from tendonitis, contact us. PREPARE TO SWIM IN THE WATER SAFELY!

Swimming is a great recreational sport thatcanbeenjoyedbypeople ofallages.But it’s importanttoknow how to be safe while you’re in the water. These important swimming safety tips are what you should be awareofbeforeyouheadout to the pool or beach. • Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards. • Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone. • Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.

• If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care ofoneorbothparentsat the time. • Protect your skin. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15. • Drink plenty of water regularly, even if you’re not thirsty. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them.