It’s often not a single incident that contributes to injuries such as tendinitis, muscle strains, and joint sprains. Although trauma can be a factor in some cases, many people don’t know what caused their pain. It usually develops as part of a gradual process of wear and tear and muscle imbalances. And then one day when you bend over, like you do every day, your body sends you a message that it won’t take any more.
You’ve gone too far. It’s “the straw that breaks the camels back.”

Many times our postural habits and patterns of activity contribute to imbalances in the body where some muscles become weak, and the opposing muscles become tight. This creates uneven forces at the various muscles and joints, and can cause injury. The other day while biking, I felt my right hip flexor getting really tight. I started to notice that when I coasted down a hill, I always rode with my left leg extended straight on the pedal and the right leg bent (so my right hip flexor was always in a shortened position, and the left relatively stretched). As I became aware of this, I changed the pattern that I unknowingly had fallen into, and started to alternate which leg I straightened. I noticed a difference in how my body felt as a result. So something as simple as that can wreak havoc on the body and contribute to pain and injuries.

So what can we do to reduce the likelihood of these sorts of gradual injuries? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Cross train: varying your sport or activity reduces the likelihood of overuse and imbalances 2. Stretch the major muscle groups on both sides of the body 3-5x/week or after any workouts 3. Engage in regular strength training to optimize muscle strength and reduce stress on the joints 4. Allow 1 or 2 days off a week to allow the body to rest and recover 5. Be aware of postural habits that you may have; if you notice pain when performing an activity, try to look and feel what’s happening in your body 6. Eat a well balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight to reduce overall stress to the joints

We can’t prevent every injury, but we can certainly try.