What to do to speed up recovery . . . ?

[ACrimsonRapier]

So it must have been around November 2007 when I hurt my leg, where my thigh meets my butt. I went to the physical therapist and she has had me doing stretches and some light training in order to build up strength in my legs, and after months and months it's almost healed and I can lunge again without feeling pain or being doped up on ibuprofen! Yay.

Unfortunately during spring break about two months ago I hurt my lower back. -__- So now the lower, right side of my back hurts. It varies from day to day . . . like sometimes I can't feel it at all and sometimes it's a little annoying. The physical therapist has me doing a few to strengthen my core and loosen my back. When I fence it encourages me to stay low and in good form, because it hurts if I get sloppy and start standing up or moving in awkward ways. I imagine that's how I hurt it in the first place.

Anyway, is there any other advice anyone has for me? Any stretches or exercises to help my back recover quicker? Anyone experience problems similar to this, or have any words of wisdom? It's a bummer that I'm having back problems at 19. =\

[ddavis]

Sounds like you need to get on a good program of general physical preparation. This would include things like weight training, running/sprinting, etc. Take it easy at the start and build up your capacity. Talk to your coach or even a good personal trainer at a local gym.

When you find yourself fighting injury after injury, it says to me that you have not spent the time to lay the foundation on which to build your game.

Also, as you mention in your own post, make sure that you are doing your fencing actions in a technically sound manner. You can have a strong foundation, but easily destroy it by performing improper movements.

[Hauptman]

My first thought is that if your physical therapist can't adequately answer this question for you then you might need a new physical therapist.

Second opinions are always a good idea.

[BAD KNEE 2]

Second the thought that if your therapist can't suggest something, get a new one.

I have a back with several protruding disks and my occasional bad form lunges (leading with my head) really make it hurt. I find that if I do lots of hamstring stretching (static, 15-20 seconds strecthing at a time, several reps each leg) every night before bed I have lots less pain in my back. Note that is less, not none. And as a hangover from a previous "correction" in a different thread, I can't say this will help you at all. It does help me.

[fencerbill]

One thing to remember is that there are at least 2 kinds of stretches.

Before you do much you should do "cold stretches" which to me means just a little challenging to range of motion.

Then do something like jogging, bicycle, exercise machine or footwork until the whole body is warmed up.

Then I do what I call "warm" stretches which to me means trying to extend range of motion with holding for a minimum of almost a minute each or more. These warm stretches are what give you additional flexibility and range of motion.

I am sure some of the more experienced or professionals in the field could describe this more elegantly.

[sloper]

Originally Posted by ACrimsonRapier

So it must have been around November 2007 when I hurt my leg, where my thigh meets my butt. I went to the physical therapist and she has had me doing stretches and some light training in order to build up strength in my legs, and after months and months it's almost healed and I can lunge again without feeling pain or being doped up on ibuprofen! Yay.

=\

I had pain in the same area that came from a massively tight right hip flexor muscle. It took me weeks to realize that stretching my hamstring was _not_ helping and that stretching the opposing muscles did. I had irritated the attachment of the hamstring, and stretching it more did not make it happier.

While pain in the same area doesn't mean pain from the same cause, it's something to consider. It could even be an underlying problem that's part of your back pain now. Have your PT assess your hip flexor flexibility. Because you're a fencer, they're almost certain to be tight. Then get some advice on stretching your hip flexors and see how that changes the overall picture.

And I second the notion that all PTs are not created equal. Consider looking around. Find a place that deals with college and pro athletes.

[nufencermom]

First time post, just my 2 cents:

Since Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs have serious side effects on blood and stomach, it is not a good idea for long-term use. When I got hurt, Chinese medicine works for me. I use medicinal oil to massage for at least 10 minutes 2-3 times a day, after massage I apply a patch. For a fresh injury it usually takes me 3 –7 days to recover. It works for my husband too.

[Fencergrl]

I damaged my back a few times in work related injuries, so I am familiar with back pain. The only times I haven't pulled muscles in my back is when I do yoga on a regular basis.

Just once a week is enough to keep the back limber, strong and less susceptible to injury. After you heal-up you might want to consider this as a way of preventing injuries.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

I've had the same problem before.

Nothing fixed it for me except for weighted squats (and its worked for some other fencers, too), but everyone is different.

Go find a corrective exercise guy who works with professional athletes. It will
cost you a fortune, but it will work. A regular doctor or physical therapist is a ****ing waste of money; they only know how to treat accident victims and old people, not high velocity athletes.

[Grey]

Originally Posted by ACrimsonRapier

So it must have been around November 2007
I hurt my lower back. -__- So now the lower, right side of my back hurts. It varies from day to day . . . like sometimes I can't feel it at all and sometimes it's a little annoying....

Anyway, is there any other advice anyone has for me? Any stretches or exercises to help my back recover quicker? Anyone experience problems similar to this, or have any words of wisdom? It's a bummer that I'm having back problems at 19. =\

Hmm I think it would be best if you explain how you incurred your injury. It would also be good to describe if any sounds was heard, what type of pain did you feel, was there any restrictions to your normal range of movement. It would be useful if you could detail any protective measure you have taken such as utilising principles of PRICE etc etc.

If you want to get a doctor to treat these injuries, I recommend that you go and see a physiotherapist. Usually they are the ones for sports related injuries and they handle rehabilitation as well.

Before I advice what you can do... I like to clear up the misconceptions which are potentially damaging especially to sports injuries.

DO NOT DO MASSAGE THE INJURY!!! (Well not quite literally but...)

i) Do not massage any sports injury within 48 hrs of the injury (or longer if necessary. Consult an expert in this field). When you incurr an injury, tissues are damaged and therefore, fluid are pooling in the injured area (such as blood, tissue fluid, damaged tissues etc etc.). Massaging it will traumatise the injury further and increase the time taken to recover.

Only after the injury has been contained (received ice treatment and given time to rest etc etc. once again I stress that you consult an experienced knowledgeable personnel), then you can start to massage it to help aid circulation to remove the blood, damaged tissues whatever is left.

This only cover bruises. If you have incurred injuries to your musculature such as damage to the tendons, massaging it is definitely not a good idea because technically if you pulled your muscle, your tendon is already strain. Massaging will cause your muscle to tighten up and may aggravate the injury further. Even if massaging helps, if you massage it in the wrong direction, you'll increase tension on the tendon and damage it.

For general strengthening exercises I can recommend the following.

Streamline body push up.
Simply do push ups with your body straight without sagging. Execute it slowly in perhaps... 3 sets of 10? Increase the repetitions per set to your comfort level. Most of the time people sag their bodies which reduce the efficiency of this exercise.

You can also place your legs on a swiss ball to increase the difficulty and place more stress on your core and shoulders to balance your body. Please exercise caution in these.

Forward Planks
There are many names for these exercises. Some call it planks, some call them bridges. There are no doubt many variations but its a really simple exercise.

Simply enter the push up position and maintain a streamline body position, then place both forearms flat on the ground infront of you so your profile is closer to the ground. Try maintaining for sets of 30 seconds. Increase the timing as you get better or decrease it if its too difficult.

Side Planks
It is important to train the muscles at the side as well and they are commonly neglected. It is similar to the forward plank in the sense that you use your forearm to balance your upper body.

Prop your body on the side, form a triangle profile. Assuming you are executing a left side plank, form a triangle by placing your left elbow on the ground directly below your shoulder. The forearm should point straight out at your chest level away from your body. Form a straight line with the rest of your body. The other point of contact with the ground should be the side of your left feet. Wearing a shoe is alright so long as it doesn't slide around. Place your right arm flat against your own body and keep it straight.

Remember to do so for BOTH sides.

Note: You may want to use a towel for your forearms & elbows if the ground is rough.

Prone Row
Lie flat with your torso/belly on the ground. Look forward and place your arms stretched out straight in front of you, shoulder width apart.

Execute the exercise by simulating a rowing action, imagine you are pulling a bar towards your chest. Lift up your chest by arching your back. You should feel your lower back muscles tightening up. Take note that when you pull your hands in, it should go to the side of your torso and be about one and a half to two chest width wide.

Breathe in when you "pull", breathe out when you relax and return to the starting position. Complete about 10 repetitions to form a set. Moderate the sets and repetitions accordingly.

Hip Extension
Go on the floor on a baby crawl position. Basically it means place both palms on the ground and both legs with the knee and feet as the points of contact on the ground. If your shin touches the ground let it be.

Start the exercise by extending your leg (one of it) until it is straight with your body then return it to the ground. Continue with the other. This is a really simple and mild exercise.

You can increase the difficulty by raising an alternate arm to a level height with your body. This increases the amount of coordination your core has to do to balance your body.


Stretches
The benefits of stretching is that it helps reduce the chances of injury. Injury can be sustained to the muscles (usually called a muscle pull) when the muscle is subjected to a range of motion which it is incapable of. By increasing the flexibility of the muscle, it reduces the possibility of getting sprains (minor) & pulls (more serious).

Scientifically speaking there isn't such a thing as "cold" stretch or "warm" stretch. Its a misconception. The human body stretches best when warmed up. I forgot the precise temperature for it but if I find it I'll put it up. A good indicator is when you're hot and sweating = )

Holding your stretches anywhere between 6 and 30 seconds is effective. Personally I stretch for about 20-30 seconds if I've time, if not I'll stretch for 10 seconds.

Your lower back is often stretched indirectly by stretches involving the hamstring and gluteus as it is somewhat connected.

As the back stretches tend to be rather complex to describe... I'll refer you to external websites for a clearer idea on how to execute them = )

http://www.lower-back-pain-answers.c...stretches.html

The cat stretch is a good way to start.

http://www.healthified.com/lower-bac...using-a-chair/

This is a really good exercise. Do take care in executing this stretch as this type of stretches might place strains on your spine.

Remember at the end of the day, recovery is a holistic issue. It isn't about treating an isolated area. Its about recovering the entire area. In this case, that would be your core or torso. You also have to get plenty of sleep (which is the time when your body repairs itself), have sufficient and proper diet, maintain your metabolic level so that your body can recover fast.

Performing lighter exercises involving the back such as swimming can also help to recover your lower back. I stress again. Recovery (and training) is holistic. It is not isolationist.

Hope this helps.

[Grey]

I dig up an old article that someone posted a long time ago on stretching. It'll be a good read.

http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/...ec/stretching/

It explains a lot about stretching for you.

[CabernetRich]

Grey - two amazing posts. Thank you much for the content!

[Redblade]

Think about changing perspective: If all your opponents are suffering from even more severe injuries, you'll heal faster by comparison.

I suggest the ever-classic crowbar attack to the knee(s).

[ACrimsonRapier]

Hey guys. Its been awhile but I wanted to thank you for all your help and suggestions. I really appreciate it.

My back got pretty bad after a tournament on Saturday, and I haven't fenced since. It's feeling better now. There's another tournament on this coming Saturday that I'm looking forward to, but I'll see how my back feels that morning.

I've been stretching my legs and all sets of muscles surrounding them. I've been doing the exercises suggested by the physical therapist and the chiropractor I've recently been seeing, and the ones that were mentioned on this board (many of which were repeated, so I'm very confident in them). I got x-rays back and it seems like the muscles are just strained. Nothing wrong with my spine, though. Fencing probably triggered this particular pain, but apparently there's some long-term problems, too, due to the way I sit and sleep. =X So I'm working on those as well.

Again, thanks for all your help and suggestions. =]

[rory]

Self-myofascial release using a foam roller.
That'll increase the blood flow to the muscles, aiding recovery and repair.

Like Grey said, not for when you're actually hurt though; it's a general maintenance technique.

And a program of squats and deadlifts will strengthen your back and prevent it getting hurt again. Just make sure someone teaches you correct technique.

[teamusaepee]

First, recovery happens when you REST, whether you are injured or actively training. Athletes have a hard time wrapping their heads around this concept - myself included. If you've injured yourself, you need to stop doing the activity and determine exactly what caused it (with the help of a doctor/PT/etc.). Is it your technique? i.e., leaning forward in the lunge, letting the front knee drift past the toes in the lunge, etc.

Is it training volume or intensity? Going from fencing 0 days a week to 3-5 days + competitions on weekends = injury . Also fencing 6 days a week all year long at high intensity = injury (overtraining).

Is it equipment? Worn out fencing shoes, type of grip, etc.

Is it general physical preparedness? I continue to be amazed at how many ways you can screw yourself up physically through muscle imbalances or having certain muscles being too weak or tight. i.e., back pain from weak abdominals/hip flexors, knee pain from weak quadriceps/tight IT band, etc. A PT (particularly a sports PT) can help immensely in this area. This and other outside exercise needs to address imbalances we get from fencing and daily life (sitting a lot, etc.).

Originally Posted by rory

Self-myofascial release using a foam roller.
That'll increase the blood flow to the muscles, aiding recovery and repair.

Like Grey said, not for when you're actually hurt though; it's a general maintenance technique.

And a program of squats and deadlifts will strengthen your back and prevent it getting hurt again. Just make sure someone teaches you correct technique.

I use a foam roller from time to time and apparently I really need it because it is INTENSE, esp for quads and IT band. Not quite as bad as having the PT stretch your quads (which feels like your quad is being ripped completely in half...), but I feel like it really helps muscle tightness.

[Grey]

If you find your muscles too "tight" you can simply go for a sports massage. I could explain further why your muscles get "tight" after long periods of training and why you need to "massage" it out.

Always sit up straight if possible.

Sleep on a medium firm bed. You don't need an ultra firm bed because your back isn't exactly straight... its curved. A medium firm bed will allow enough room for your back's curvature.

Don't sleep on your belly as it is bad for your back.

[nufencermom]

BTW, usually there are two general types of sports injury. As Grey said, massage is only used for overuse or chronic injury type, or after certain time of injury. For acute traumatic injury type should start with conservative treatment such as rest and ice pack to decrease swelling. Pain relief (like vicodin and darvocet) and NSAID (like ibuprofen and naproxen) may be prescribed by the MD. Splints, casts, and surgery also may be needed depending on the injury diagnosis.