Everything that glitters is not gold! This principle definitely extends into the world of sport and fitness. Many people love sport for different reasons. It’s fun to participate in, thrilling to watch and it brings people together. So, what could possibly be the down side? Simple answer, injuries.
When it comes to injuries, there are numerous different forms to think about. This includes things like bone injuries, stress fractures as well as soft tissue injuries. When a group of injuries begin with the word “soft” it makes them sound subtle and like something that doesn’t require a lot of attention. However, these injuries are anything but subtle.
Soft tissues refer to tendons and ligaments therefore both of these soft tissues are made up of fibrous connective tissue, but other than that tendons and ligaments are completely different. Ligaments attach bone to bone, are strong, flexible and function to stabilize all the joints in the body. Whereas, tendons attach muscle to bone and can be found throughout the entire body.
Ligaments
Ligament injuries can occur in two primary forms, partial or complete tears and are classified in three grades:
- Grade 1 Sprain – heals in a few weeks. Recovery can be aided with rest and physiotherapy.
- Grade 2 Sprain – heals within 6-12 weeks. Recovery can be aided with rest and physiotherapy but this type of injury also typically requires a brace that will help to protect the injured area.
- Grade 3 Injury – can take >3 months to heal. In order to recover, you would require input from an orthopaedic surgeon to determine the need for surgery. Recovery can be aided with rest and physiotherapy post-surgery.
Tendons
Tendon injuries can occur in three primary forms:
- Tendon ruptures - happen when too much force is placed on that tendon.
- Tendonitis - inflammation of a tendon and typically occurs when you overuse a certain area of the body.
- Tendinosis – chronic inflammation of a tendon that has now resulted in thick scarred tissue.
As you can see from the different types of soft tissue injuries that can occur, it is evident that these injuries are anything but subtle. To find out if you are at a higher risk for developing soft tissue injuries or any specific injuries, make the better choice and choose to do Fitwellgx™ test today!
