Three Common Mistakes

How to stay injury free…

Don't Make these mistakes and keep fit...

With over 2 decades of working as an osteopath I have seen my fair share of sports injuries, back pain issues, achey knees, dodgy shoulders and well too many to name but it does cover quite a broad spectrum of ailments, though most commonly work and sports related.

We simply get wrapped up in what we do.. or think things will change and carry on, its human nature.

So what are the three common mistakes we all make?

Listening, Training and recovery…

So lets look at each one a bit closer.

Mistake 1: We don’t listen to our body

Your body is amazing and given attention will send signals something is wrong, these warnings let you know something is out of balance. You need to be tuned in to these signals to protect yourself from further injury. With backpain sometimes you can get little signs, twinges or aches after training that you don’t normally get, the painkillers are no longer as effective, if you are at home in the garden and when lifting a plant you experience a sharp pain, thats a signal something is irritated, ice and pain killers may dampen the sensation of pain however the issue which caused the pain may also still be there.

If you suddenly cannot sleep on your left side, yes lie on he opposite side but consider the why you can’t. Your body often gives many signals rather than accommodate the signals question them, you may get the answers you need.

MISTAKE 2: Back Pain Sufferers don’t train to train

Many Backpain sufferers enjoy sport and different activities as they train to keep fit, compete or simply stay slim, however after experiencing backpain they take a break and wait for it to settle down, once settled then go back training jumping straight back in full steam ahead, this cycle can happen a few times. What you need is a graded and gradual return to training to support your body, to help it handle the stresses and strains your sport will place on it, and to stay backpain free. To do this you train in a way to get you back to performance/pre injury fitness gradually with controlled cross training activities.

Some of these training methods maybe:

•Resistance training: improves or maintains muscle mass, tendon strength and bone density

•Core strengthening: a strong core helps with preventing injury and allows you to maintain control and correct technique for longer

•Stretching: reduces muscle soreness, restores flexibility between sessions

Even a small amount of these activities per week is great preventative maintenance for your activity performance and ability.

MISTAKE 3: INADEQUATE RECOVERY

Most backpain sufferers pay little attention to what happens between bouts of backpain. We are usually too busy rushing to work, picking up the kids etc. This is when the body adapts to the training stimulus and structural and functional changes take place in blood vessels, tendons, muscle which will improve performance. Most of this happens in our sleep. Not giving the body the optimum conditions to recover from your normal daily stresses, is a recipe for injury and illness. For optimum recovery’

•Stay hydrated.

•Your are what you eat, food contain nutrients vitamins/minerals and enzymes so watch what you put in. (remember we offer a substantial discount on our Green Organiks Complete superfood green shake)

•Make sure you get Adequate rest

•Make time for a massage

•Stretch

•Ensure you are getting adequate quality sleep.

•Backpain does not happen for no reason so be mindful of your activities and lifestyle.

Signs you are not recovering include

•Sudden drop in body weight

•Increase in resting and recovery heart rate

•Sleep disturbance/insomnia

•Constant fatigue

•Menstrual cycle changes

Last but not least backpain generally does not just disappear, you need to help the injured tissue (disc,nerve,muscle,joint) or illnesss by taking the pressure off and creating a nurturing environment implementing the above with good management and rehabilitation to prevent return.