Soft tissue injuries are a common occurrence in athletes, and if they aren’t properly managed, it can quickly become a persistent issue. Soft tissue injuries are when damage occurs to your muscles, tendons, or ligaments, often caused by acute trauma (falls, twists) or chronic overuse. Resulting in pain, swelling, and bruising.
Once after you have been to rehab and been given the green light to return to play, you may be wondering what are the things you need to consider when coming back to fitness.
Have Patience
- Not going 100% straight away is key
- Build up patiently to give your body time to adapt to increasing level of force being put on the muscles
- If you push yourself too hard too quickly, there’s a chance that the soft tissues won’t be able to handle the demands being asked of them and risk the chance of re-injury
Prevention
- Warmup
- Always, and I mean always stretch before you are undergoing exercise
- Warming up prepares the body and mind for physical activity by gradually increasing heart rate, body temperature, and blood flow to muscles.
- This process improves performance, increases joint mobility, reduces muscle stiffness, and helps reduce the risk of injury. It transitions the body from rest to intense exercise, which decreases the risk of re-injury
Load Bearing
- Listen to your body
- Like most things, your body tells you how it is feeling
- If you feel your existing muscle injury starts to give you slight soreness or tightens up, that is your body’s way of protecting itself from further injury
- When this happens, stop exercising and take a break, stretch the muscle to keep it loose and relaxed rather than pushing it harder
Coming back from a soft tissue injury requires patience, smart preparation, and awareness of your body. Rushing the process or ignoring warning signs can easily lead to setbacks, but taking a gradual and careful approach helps ensure a stronger, safer return to exercise. By warming up properly, managing your load, and listening to your body, you not only recover but also reduce the risk of future injuries. In the end, a controlled comeback is always better than a quick one.
