Elbows and knees at risk for the improvised sportsman

It’s easy, especially in the summer, to get carried away by the desire to move. But be careful: those who are not trained risk tearing and joint injuries.

There are those who do not give up their sporting activity even when the weather is bad outside and those who prefer to stay warm and read a book during the winter.

Nothing wrong. Unless those who spend the winter in slippers don’t think, as soon as the good weather arrives, to get “on the track” as if they were a true sportsman.

If we are not trained enough, in fact, we need a lot of caution. When intense or prolonged efforts are occasional, they are often the cause of strains, sprains, tendonitis and muscle pain of various kinds.

But with a little attention, the risks for the Sunday sportsman can be minimized. And one can be ready, however, to correctly face the consequences. Let’s see how.

Hot or cold for sore muscles?

After a run or a long ride, but also at the end of a nice walk in the mountains, let’s treat ourselves to a nice hot bath. It will save us from getting up the next morning with two pieces of wood for legs, stiff and aching from the unusual effort.

And, even if it’s hot, don’t let yourself be tempted by a nice cold shower, which seems refreshing to us. At the moment.

The cold, in fact, would stiffen the contracted muscles even more, while the hot water will help us relax the muscles and drain the substances such as lactic acid, for example, which form after every muscular effort and which are a contributing cause of muscle pain.

And if the soreness is too bothersome, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication can also help relieve it. Although, in any case, it usually goes away on its own within 2 or 3 days.

When the knee gives way

While a little muscle soreness is annoying but not that bad, when it’s a knee or shoulder that suffers, things change.

In fact, untrained muscles have another bad flaw: they don’t help as they should to keep the joints firm. Thus, an incorrect or more abrupt movement than necessary, or a fall, even trivial, is enough to cause us a distortion.

At risk are especially the knees and elbows. And then wrists, ankles, and shoulders. And that’s trouble.

The first thing to do is stop all activity immediately to avoid putting further stress on the achy joint. And then, we immediately cool the painful part. Ice is fine, but also special bags or sprays that produce cold, making sure there are no wounds.

In these cases the cold has a double action: to reduce the perception of pain and to decrease the outflow of fluids, and therefore the swelling, thanks to the vasoconstriction it causes.

And these effects are increased if compression is also applied to the injured part, for example with an elastic bandage. Then, it’s good to rest until it passes.

If it’s the knees or ankles, don’t put the weight on and keep the leg elevated. When the arm (elbow or wrist) hurts, it must be held still at the neck.

In case of intense pain, anti-inflammatories can be used, better if applied locally with ointments or plasters.

The most commonly used drugs are in fact NSAIDs for external use ( topical NSAIDs ), such as those based on 10% ibuprofen lysine salt, which guarantee a good level of absorption, reducing the risk of side effects.

If the joint allows it, as in the case of the knee and elbow, the patch has the advantage of being easily applied and leaving no traces on clothing.

Does your elbow hurt from tennis?

It’s called tennis elbow , but it doesn’t actually happen when you play tennis. Although it is very likely. We are talking about elbow tendonitis, and anyone who repetitively stresses the joint can incur it.

Especially if the arm muscles are not adequate continuous movements of the elbow, even if not excessive (as well as repeated rotations of the wrist) can cause micro-injuries to the tendon which, in response, becomes inflamed and hurts a lot.

The pain appears on the side of the elbow and can be caused by a variety of activities, including baseball, golf, track and field, and swimming.

To keep tendinitis away, and not just elbow tendonitis, and prevent it from coming back, in addition to rest and anti-inflammatories when necessary, you must also pay close attention to how you perform repetitive movements.

It is also essential to work on muscle lengthening: stretching, before and after training, is a panacea

Finally, let’s avoid resuming sports practice before the pain has completely disappeared.

And let’s remember that, like all physical activities, any sport must be started (and resumed after a trauma) in a soft way. And only gradually can its intensity and duration be increased.

Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.

The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.

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