Most of us have experienced muscle soreness after an intense workout. However, sometimes participating in sports or an exercise program brings about chronic pain which interferes with everyday movement and makes exercise a painful experience.

Some conditions associated with exercise include: tennis elbow, runners knee, rotator cuff tears, shin splints, muscle cramping, strains and sprains, bursitis and tendonitis. In the next few weeks I will be helping you to recognize some of the conditions that may be causing you problems with your exercise routine and what you can do about it. To better understand how exercise stresses the body, you need to know how muscles and connective tissue work under repetitive motion and resistance, as in a strength training routine. Muscle tissue is elastic and is able to withstand an enormous amount of stress. Muscle tissues provide movement and act as springs for the body by absorbing shock. Tendons are strong connective tissue that connect your muscles to your bones. Tendons transmit the force that is generated by muscular contraction to the bones, resulting in movement at a given joint. With improper training technique, tearing or overstretching muscles or tendons can occur. This results in injury known as strain. Strains can be mild to severe in nature. In severe strains, actual rupturing or complete tearing of the tendon from the bone occurs. Ligaments are tough, non-elastic tissues that connect bone to bone. They provide stability to the joints. For example, the kneecap, a free-floating bone, is held in place by ligaments. Sprains occur as a result of overstretching or tearing of a ligament. The ankle is the most commonly sprained joint, and typically occurs as a person lands off balance with the foot turned inward. A complete tear of a ligament produces severe pain and swelling and possible discoloration. Connective tissue is two to three times weaker than muscle. Both tendons and ligaments can be made stronger with specific training methods which help to increase their size, making it less likely that injury will occur. The bursa is a fluid-filled sac that surrounds a joint such as a shoulder or hip joint. If this bursa sac becomes inflamed it is referred to as bursitis, if a tendon becomes inflamed it is known as tendonitis. The causes for tendonitis and bursitis are similar: sudden or repeated trauma, overuse, or possible infection.

Most acute injuries are treated with the R.I.C.E method, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Depending on the circumstances, this usually means as soon as possible after the injury. Rest the joint as much as possible for at least 24 to 48 hours after the injury. No weight bearing activities should be performed during this time. Ice should be applied as soon as possible, within minutes. Protect the skin with a towel and apply ice packs 20 to 30 minutes at a time throughout the first 24 hours. Never apply ice to an area that is already numb. After the first 24 hours with a sports injury, alternating hot and cold packs are generally more effective to promote healing than either heat or ice alone. The contrast of hot and cold acts like a local pump to bring fresh blood (oxygen and nutrients) to the injury and flush out debris from the damage. Compression Elastic bandages help to reduce or prevent swelling. Wrap the bandage from the largest muscle area below the injury, to the largest muscle group below the injury. Elevating the injured limb while resting helps to reduce swelling. Try to elevate the area at least level with or even slightly above the heart.

The best medicine for injuries, of course, is prevention. Before exercising, remember to warm up and stretch to prevent further injury. Using good judgment when you begin any new activity means starting out slowly and carefully, and above all, listening to your body

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