How To Treat A Strain Or Sprain

That moment you realise that old injury that you had long forgotten has come back to haunt you.

That was me this week. I had a car accident in my 20s and injured my back. 99.9% of the time it’s fine and the training that I do is specific to strengthening and protecting my back, but if you are training regularly and pushing the envelope there is a chance you might injure yourself.

What do you do if you get injured whilst training?

I am not a medical professional, so the advice below comes from trusted sources such as the NHS website, and my own experiences recovering from injury.

If you get injured the first thing to do is assess. Most injuries are a Sprain or a Strain, which is a common injury affecting the muscles and ligaments and can be treated at home without the need to see your GP.

The NHS advice on sprains and strains says that:

It's likely to be a sprain or strain if:

• you have pain, tenderness or weakness – often around your ankle, foot, wrist, thumb, knee, leg or back

• the injured area is swollen or bruised

• you cannot put weight on the injury or use it normally

• you have muscle spasms or cramping – where your muscles painfully tighten on their own 

Is it a Sprain or a Strain?

Sprains are where you tear or twist a ligament (tissue that connects a joint), and most common in wrists, ankles thumbs and knees. Strains are where you have either overstretched or torn a muscle, also known as a pulled muscle.

How to treat Sprains and Strains yourself

You may have heard of R.I.C.E. therapy, it stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate.

• Rest – stop exercise or activities and try not to put any weight on the injury.

• Ice – apply an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel to the injury for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours. (note to self don’t then try and cook the bag of veggies you used…)

• Compression – wrap a bandage around the injury to support it.

• Elevate – keep it raised on a pillow as much as possible.

To help prevent swelling, avoid heat (such as hot baths and heat packs), alcohol and massages for the first couple of days. When you can move the injured area without pain stopping you, try to keep moving it so the joint or muscle doesn’t become stiff.

Your pharmacist can help with sprains and strains

They might suggest tablets, or a cream or gel you rub on the skin. Painkillers like paracetamol will ease the pain and ibuprofen will bring down swelling. But you should not take ibuprofen for 48 hours after your injury as it may slow down healing.

When can you get back to training?

Everybody heals at different rates and it depends on the severity of the injury as to how long your recovery will take.

Most people find that strains and sprains feel better in 2 weeks. The NHS advises that strenuous exercise should be avoided for up to 8 weeks as there is a further risk of damage.

When to call 111

It is really important here that if any of the following is true you get advice from NHS and call 111 immediately.

• the injury is not feeling any better after treating it yourself

• the pain or swelling is getting worse

You also have a very high temperature or feel hot and shivery – this could be an infection. 111 will tell you what to do. They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone.

When to go to A&E or call 999

• you heard a crack when you had your injury

• the injured body part has changed shape

• the injury is numb, discoloured or cold to touch

You may have broken a bone and will need an X-ray.

So how can you reduce the risk of injury when you’re training at the gym, at home, or when doing sport?

In the same way your car needs to warm up before you thrash it, you need to get your body ready for exercise.

Often guys skip their warmup and get straight into lifting. The same guys are hitting the showers as their warm down. Who are the first guys to get injured in the gym… 3 guesses…

If you want to maximise your chances of staying injury free, the right warm up and cool down for the training you are doing is key. If you are already following one of our L6-30 training programmes you’ll know we schedule in warm up and cool down exercises which are specific to your training plan.

What else can I do to reduce the risk of injury when training?

Positioning

Check and make sure your body position is correct before you start each exercise. Ensuring your feet and/or hands are placed correctly will help ensure you lift properly.

Correct Form

As soon as your form breaks down during an exercise you increase your risk of injury. If this happens reduce the weight and get your form back on track. A couple of weeks of lifting lighter and increasing your strength is better than 4 weeks out with an injury.

Breathe

Make sure your breathing is correct throughout the exercise; holding your breath through the entire exercise is likely to make you feel light-headed… so keep breathing!

Stay hydrated

Your body needs water. Don’t dehydrate. Keep drinking throughout your workout to stay hydrated.

If you have recently embarked on your fitness journey and finding you are plagued by injuries in your training then give us a shout. All our training programmes and coaching are designed to help you stay injury-free and progress to your chosen goal.