Staticfeign,
I found this online, take a look:
The one thing also to look at in an injury situation is the amount of inflammation. The muscle to tendon to bone attachment will swell. The joint swells, so the inflammation needs to be taken away. Icing first, then heat after 48 hours post injury.
RICE or PRICES can refer to an ankle sprain or strain, it is a good example of when to use this protocol.
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Keep your joints healthy: A complete guide to staying strong
POSTED: 11:11 a.m. EST, February 27, 2007
By Ted Spiker
CookingLight.com
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About 21 million adults have osteoarthritis -- the wear-and-tear condition that causes achy joints and may eventually lead to can't-get-up-from-the-sofa pain.
"A third to half of doctor visits deal with musculoskeletal issues. They're one of the most common health problems," says Sharon Kolasinski, M.D., an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Depending on risk factors, joint pain can affect anyone, though osteoarthritis mostly starts as our bodies begin to show the effects of aging.
In women, it occurs more frequently after age 50; in men, it's more likely before age 45. Also, sites of joint pain are different. Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis in their hands, knees, ankles, or feet, while men are more likely to develop it in their wrists, hips, or spine. (CookingLight.com: New strategies for stronger bones.external link )
But just because a condition is prevalent doesn't mean it's inevitable, or that you can't do a number of things to either prevent or control it. Here are the basics of how your joints function and how to keep them moving smoothly.
How your joints change with age
There are various kinds of joints; shoulders have a ball-and-socket-type construction, while knees work more like door hinges. Still, all joints have the same basic anatomy and function: They connect one bone to another to give us the ability to bend, twist, or win dancing contests.
Inside a joint, similar features reside. There's the connective tissue -- the ligament, which essentially serves as a bridge from one bone to the other via your muscles. There's also cartilage -- a fibrous and somewhat elastic tissue that acts as a cushioning material between joints. Cartilage acts as a shock absorber to prevent bones from grinding against each other.
Osteoarthritis appears when we start to lose that cushioning, and a number of factors contribute cumulatively to the loss.
Aging: "Cartilage thins as we age," says David Felson, M.D., professor of medicine at Boston University, who specializes in bone and joint problems. "That makes it easier to damage." Over time, the surface of cartilage can change from smooth to fissured. That's when erosions in cartilage begin to appear.
Previous injuries: Seemingly minor joint injuries (an unlucky twist here or there) when you were younger can be a factor. "Even people who don't remember injuries see areas of damage with age," Felson says.
Inflammation: Small injuries upset the biomechanics of your joints. That, in turn, changes the molecules that make up cartilage. "Part of the destructive process of osteoarthritis is that microtraumatic injuries can cause low levels of inflammation," Kolasinski says. "Inflammatory cells can gather at a site of injury and release chemicals destructive to cartilage."
Loss of muscle mass: Everyone naturally loses some muscle mass as they age. If you don't work to maintain it, your joint -- instead of your muscle -- will absorb more of the pounding from daily living, and that contributes to more damage.
Excess weight: The more a joint has to carry, the more damage it experiences in the long run. This is especially true for knees, which have to support your body weight. "All these little wear-and-tear events throughout life erode cartilage," Kolasinski says. "The cushion can get thinner until there's nothing left."
Keep your joints in top shape
You can't bring back cartilage that's already lost. However, there are several common-sense steps you can take to either prevent the wear or reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis.
Maintain a healthy weight. It's the best thing you can do to preserve your joints. Keeping your weight down will help reduce those small tears that break down cartilage. In fact, a weight loss of as little as 11 pounds can reduce arthritis pain by 50 percent for many women. Weight loss may also help slow the progression of osteoarthritis over time.
Vary your exercise. Working out helps reduce stiffness in the joints. Kolasinski recommends varying your exercise routine -- low- or no-impact aerobic exercises (swimming, walking, or cycling) twice a week, strength exercises (lifting light weights or household items) twice a week, mixed with stretching and relaxation exercises. "You don't want to overtax any one area, because that'll increase pain, and then you might avoid exercise altogether," Kolasinski says. (CookingLight.com: Smart moves for strong bones.external link )
Keep your muscles in mind. Weight training helps strengthen the muscles and ligaments surrounding joints, protecting them from damage. Modify muscle-building moves so they don't strain the joint of the part you're exercising. For example, Kolasinski advises that people with arthritis do seated leg lifts instead of squats and lunges, which can increase pressure on the knee. Sit on a chair with both feet on the floor. Bend your knee and raise your leg so it's parallel to the floor. You can do one leg at a time or both; as the exercise becomes easier, you can add ankle weights to increase the resistance and build even more muscle strength. (CookingLight.com's Personal Coach: Weight trainingexternal link )
Add ice. Icing your joints after exercise can help you manage pain and prevent swelling. When you exercise, you draw a lubricant called synovial fluid to your joints. But if the fluid sticks around too long after exercise, it can cause cracks in the cartilage. "Ice gets the fluid out of the joint and into the lymphatic system, the garbage disposal of the body," says Kevin Olds, M.S.P.T., C.S.C.S., a physical therapist at Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee. Olds suggests icing the joints you use during exercise for 10 minutes after the activity.
Eat beneficial foods. Studies show the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can help not only reduce symptoms associated with joint pain but also change the levels of inflammation that may be causing some of the pain. Fish oil slows the production of inflammation-signaling cells. The best sources are fish such as salmon and tuna. Research shows vitamin D may help protect your joints, too, via an anti-inflammatory effect. Make sure you get 400 to 800 International Units of vitamin D daily; one cup of milk contains 100 IUs, and three ounces of salmon has 300-650.
The latest news on supplements
Late last year, a study of 1,583 knee osteoarthritis patients conducted by the University of Utah School of Medicine found that glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate -- two of the most popular dietary supplements used as alternative therapies to treat osteoarthritis -- provided a modicum of pain relief for patients whose arthritis was deemed moderate to severe. However, people in the study with milder forms of arthritis pain reported no benefit whatsoever.
Also found this one:
Injuries like tendinitis and bursitis may be avoided with proper stretching and warm-up before activity.
Who hasn't pulled or strained a muscle at some time in their life? Whether you injure yourself working out or during leisure athletics, you want the most appropriate remedy.
An accurate diagnosis of your injury is necessary to decide the best course of treatment. Ask your doctor if it is a muscle strain or tear, tendon pull, ligament strain or an irritated bursa. Don't settle for a general diagnosis, such as "you've irritated something in your shoulder." Get the name of the specific muscle, bursa or ligament involved. Muscle names can be long and difficult to pronounce. If you aren't familiar with a certain name, have your doctor write it down and explain its exact location and action.
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Two common types of skeletal injuries are bursitis and tendinitis. Bursitis is an inflammation of a bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac surrounding a joint or muscle tendon. Bursae function to guide and lubricate the muscles and joints. Symptoms of bursitis include constant pain, especially upon touch, and limited range of motion.
Tendinitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of a muscle tendon. The tendon is the end portion of the muscle where it anchors to the bone. Although it is part of the muscle, it has a different composition. It is painful to move a muscle or joint if a tendon is inflamed.
Both tendinitis and bursitis may heal without any long-lasting effects, although many of these injuries can be avoided with proper stretching and warm-up. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you begin to feel pain while exercising, stop.
The goal of any treatment plan for either bursitis or tendinitis is restoring proper joint motion. Rehabilitative stretches, physical therapy and nutritional supplementation are effective in controlling pain and preventing damaged tissue from scarring. If you don't receive appropriate care for an injury, it is less likely to heal properly.
HEAT AND ICE
Ice packs constrict the blood vessels, causing less blood to stay in an area. This action decreases swelling, numbs the area and reduces pain. Ice also tightens ligaments and decreases muscle spasms. It should be applied if an area is painful to move or swells after exercise.
The best way to use ice is to directly apply an ice pack or bag of crushed ice wrapped in a thin wet towel to the painful area for 15 to 20 minutes every two hours following an injury. For general irritation or overuse, an ice pack two or three times a day is recommended. Don't forget to use a towel or several tissues between the ice pack and your skin. If you don't have an ice pack handy, try a bag of frozen vegetables.
Ice is not recommended for previously frostbitten areas or areas with poor circulation. If ice is best for a given situation, but you can't stand the cold, try applying the ice pack to the affected area and then draping a hot pack over the ice pack. This allows the sensation of heat around the injury while icing it.
If an injury is in an advanced healing stage, which is usually after four to five days, heat is recommended. Heat relaxes the local blood vessels, causing more blood to flow to the area. This increased blood supply brings healing cells to the area and takes away cellular waste products. Heat also relaxes areas such as the lower back and shoulders.
Use moist hot towels or microwavable heat packs for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, several times a day. If the heat is too intense, put a layer between the heat source and your skin. The area will become reddened during use, but should return to normal shortly after the heat is removed. Don't ever sleep on a heating pack.
If an area swells after it's been used, it usually means it just wasn't ready to be worked. After the initial healing, start a series of slow and gentle range of motion exercises to maintain mobility and decrease the formation of scar tissue.
RESUMING ACTIVITY
How do you know how much activity to undertake after an injury and how soon to do it? Consult a reputable health practitioner who specializes in musculoskeletal health and injuries. Also, use your own common sense and listen to your body. Many re-injuries are incurred by intentions to "work it out." On the other hand, people who are afraid to move an injured area are sometimes left with arthritic and locked joints, shortened muscles and weakened ligaments.
THE HEALING PROCESS
There are many factors involved in the healing process. The severity of the injury and adherence to a good treatment plan play major roles in how quickly you heal and whether you will suffer from residual dysfunction. Complete healing time can range from two to six weeks. If there are major tears in the soft tissue or other conditions involved, such as fibromyalgia, healing can take longer.
Eventually, injured tissues are absorbed into the body and new tissue is produced. You want this new tissue to be healthy with no adhesions or scars. Re-education of the soft tissue is important. Rehabilitative exercises designed to help stretch and strengthen the injured area will help new tissue to be healthy and flexible with no adhesions or scarring.
Sean Royer
ABB/ON Athlete
www.americanbodybuilding.com
www.optimumnutrition.com
