SportsMedToday.com YOUR COMPREHENSIVE SPORTS MEDICINE RESOURCE FOR ATHLETES, COACHES AND PARENTS The Truth about Post-Exercise Recovery WINTER 2019 and Muscle Soreness Jeff Fleming, DO Athletes of all levels use techniques to reduce muscle soreness and recover faster. At the professional level, it’s common to hear of elite athletes spending thousands of dollars per year on post-game recovery. From hyperbaric oxygen chambers to personal massage therapists, top-notch athletes seem to have limitless recovery resources at their disposal. But do all these expensive therapies and extravagant techniques make a difference? The short answer is – probably not. In reality, the recovery process is less about a single recovery method and more about your overall approach to fitness and attention to detail. immersion, massage and heat wraps occurs. You should begin the recovery It’s difficult to imagine how amateurs reduce muscle soreness following process immediately after your workout could care for their bodies the same way exercise, but there is still a lot of debate. has concluded. Most research is in professional athletes do, but they can! In The most effective way to combat agreement that recovery techniques are this article, we will look at post-exercise soreness is to continue light activity and most effective if done within the first two recovery principles and shed light on use whichever recovery strategy you like hours after exercise. how you can recover just like the pros, best. for a fraction of the cost. True or False? True or False? Muscle soreness is harmless. True or False? Stretching reduces muscle soreness. False. Microscopic tears in your Soreness is inevitable. False. Stretching is the one of the muscles cause muscle soreness. This is True. Delayed-Onset Muscle most widely recommended recovery usually a good thing because these tears Soreness (or DOMS) is the soreness techniques used by athletes today. But give your body a chance to build new, that you experience one to two days it has not been shown to reduce muscle stronger muscle. However, it’s possible after an intense workout. DOMS can soreness or improve performance in to become so sore that your body’s be particularly painful if you do not any meaningful way. The good news normal movements become affected. exercise regularly and can even last for is that stretching does not seem to be This can change your exercise mechanics up to 10 days. There is evidence that harmful to the recovery process either. and potentially lead to injury. If you recovery techniques such as cold-water However, it should typically be used after feel that your normal exercise motions a workout, where as a dynamic warm- have changed to compensate for muscle up is best before. Over-stretching has soreness, reduce the intensity or volume been shown to decrease performance. of your training. Stretching is best utilized to improve muscle flexibility and increase joint range • The Truth about Post-Exercise of motion. True or False? Recovery and Muscle Soreness Healthy nutrition and adequate sleep • 5 Things to Ask Your Doctor About True or False? are the best ways to ensure proper Jammed Fingers Timing of recovery matters. recovery. • Sports Hernias True. Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness True. Nutrition and sleep are the two • Apophysitis Treatment and is typically at its worst about two days single most important factors to ensure Management after a workout. So it’s important to a successful post-workout recovery. start your recovery well before this peak continued on next page… Resource courtesy of SportsMedToday.com. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 recover from high-intensity workouts. A you select. Most techniques are not Inadequate sleep can affect your body’s healthy, well-planned diet can promote detrimental to your recovery. You should metabolism, inflammatory response and rebuilding of damaged muscle. Ample choose one that works best for you, immune-system function. Each one of hydration is also essential to replace while also focusing on quality sleep and these is a critical factor that contributes fluids and key nutrients lost in sweat nutrition. Ultimately, consistent exercise to your body’s ability to recover. during exercise. and healthy lifestyle habits will help you Proper nutrition is necessary to ensure Bottom Line: It doesn’t matter to prevent excessive muscle soreness that your body has the fuel it needs to which post-exercise recovery strategy before it occurs. 5 Things to Ask Your Doctor About Jammed Fingers Jacklyn D. Kiefer, DO The classic ‘Jammed Finger’ results when the end of finger comes into forceful contact with another object – a ball, the floor, equipment or another player. These injuries range from a relatively minor sprain, strain or bruise to more severe like a ligament tear, fracture or dislocation. Pain happens immediately after impact and sometimes occurs with a snap or pop. Typically, the finger will become difficult to use and bend during the next few minutes or hours. Can I keep playing? If there is a noticeable deformity where the finger is not aligned or dislocated, you should sit out and be evaluated immediately. If the pain is to the sides of the knuckle and you can bend and straighten it, you may be able to buddy tape it to the neighboring finger and continue to play. What symptoms should make me see a How long does it take for these injuries doctor sooner rather than later? to get better? How should I treat this injury initially? Feeling a pop or snap could indicate Most jammed fingers take about two Remove any rings right away. The most you tore a ligament or tendon, or to six weeks to fully heal. However, as common symptoms following a jammed perhaps even broke a bone. These tenderness and motion improve the finger are pain, swelling, bruising and types of injuries should prompt you finger can be buddy taped, and you may loss of movement. The following to be evaluated sooner. If there is be able to return to play with appropriate approach should be used initially: any deformity, you should seek care protection by taping or bracing. Range • Elevate the finger, ideally above the immediately, as this points to a joint of motion and strengthening can usually level of your heart. dislocation or serious fracture. Any be done on your own and no further treatment is needed. Fractures take • Ice for 15-20 minutes then off for finger injury where you cannot bend or about 4-6 weeks to heal and will require the same amount of time to avoid straighten one of the joints on your own bracing/immobilization during that damage to the skin. warrants an evaluation by a physician, including an X-ray to rule out a bony time, and more therapy may be needed • Buddy tape the finger to its longer injury. to regain full function. However, some neighbor – which acts as a splint and swelling of the joint can last for six to can help stabilize the injured one. nine months. • Gentle bending and straightening, as Do these injuries ever require surgery? tolerated, in order to improve range Most jammed fingers do not require of motion surgery. However, if you have a fracture involving the joint or a significantly • Medication: Acetaminophen or an misaligned fracture, you may need anti-inflammatory medications like surgery to regain full function. ibuprofen to help with pain. Sports Hernias By Adae Amoako, MD What is it? ligament. You should also be checked Athletic pubalgia, also known as a for true hernias, by exam or ultrasound. “sports hernia,” involves an injury to One of the common exams done is the the muscles, tendons or ligaments that “resisted sit-up test.” You will be asked attach to the pelvic bone from above or to do a sit-up with your legs braced and below. True hernias involve abdominal being pushed back down. Another test tissue pushing through the abdominal used is resisted adduction. In this test, wall or the inguinal canal, causing similar the doctor will ask the patient to bring an symptoms, making the diagnosis of opened leg close to the body while being “sports hernia” difficult. The highest resisted. Pain with these tests indicates incidence occurs in ice hockey, soccer, a possible sports hernia. However, these rugby and tennis, as these sports require tests are not specific to athletic pubalgia, sudden direction changes and twisting and your physician will discuss the need movements, which often leads to these for further diagnostic tests. injuries. This article will review athletic Diagnostic Tests: X-rays, ultrasound pubalgia and its treatment. and MRI can rule out other causes of groin pain like snapping hip syndrome, Symptoms true hernias or hip impingement. MRI Sports hernias typically come with is the most specific imaging test and groin pain that can start either acutely or usually shows inflammation in the develop slowly without a specific injury. involved tissues at their attachment to the with the pain. Return to play while Pain typically improves with rest and ice pubic bone. Ultrasound is helpful in the injured is not believed to make problem initially. However, pain usually resumes diagnosis, but its sensitivity depends on worse and completely depends on the when you return to activity and can also the patient. athlete’s comfort level. happen with activities such as coughing Surgical: In severe cases where injury or sneezing, mimicking true hernias. If Treatment is not responding to the above treatment you are experiencing symptoms that Non-surgical: Treatment starts with after three to four months, surgical are not improving or that affect your cross-training and avoiding all activities intervention should be considered. Most activities, you should be evaluated by a that make the pain worse for 6-8 weeks.