Risks and Causes of Injury from Increased Physical Activity

Preventing Exercise-Related and Unintentional Injuries

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Risks and Causes of Injury from Increased Physical Activity

Main Causes of Exercise Injury

Improper Training Techniques• Overtraining syndrome: a major cause of injury• Too much exercise with not enough recovery time

Inadequate Shoes• Runners especially benefit from proper footwear• Use shoes specifically designed for your activities

Alignment Abnormalities in Legs and Feet

Improper Exercise Techniques• Excessive distance or duration• Drastic changes in exercise routine


Intrinsic and Extrinsic Risk Factors in Exercise

Intrinsic Factors• Age• Body size and composition• Physical fitness level• Bone density and structure• Gender (hormones)• Muscle flexibility and strengthExtrinsic Factors• Environmental conditions (terrain, surface, weather)• Equipment (footwear, clothing)• Type of activity (competitive vs. leisure)• Intensity and amount of activity• Warm-Up


Common Conditions and Injuries

Back Pain• Cause: Muscle weakness in abdomen & lower back• Prevention: Increase flexibility & strength, reduce body fat, & improve

muscle imbalancesAcute Muscle Soreness• Cause: Excessive duration or intensity of exercise• Prevention: Begin and end exercise sessions gradually, not suddenlyDelayed-Onset Muscle Soreness• Cause: Excessive duration or intensity of exercise• Prevention: Refrain from strenuous or prolonged exerciseMuscle Strains• Cause: Overstretched muscle or muscles forced to shorten against a

heavy load• Prevention: Limit stress on muscles, and always warm-up


Common Conditions and Injuries, continued

Tendonitis• Cause: Swelling in the tendon• Prevention: Avoid joint overuseLigament Sprains• Cause: Excessive force applied to a joint• Prevention: Use a brace and refrain from high-stress activitiesTorn Cartilage• Cause: High force or unusual movements• Prevention: Limit activities producing excess stress on the joint or

movements taking the joint outside its normal range of motion


Muscle Strain

Figure 12.1


Common Injuries to Lower Extremities

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)• Cause: Patella gets “off track” causing wear and pain• Prevention: Avoid stress on the knee, strengthen quadriceps, and

use proper footwear

Shin Splints• Cause: Muscle/tendon irritation, or inflammation of the

connective tissue in the lower leg• Prevention: Run on soft surfaces, wear well-padded, shock-

absorbing shoes, and advance exercise slowly

Stress Fractures• Cause: Excessive force applied to the leg or foot• Prevention: Avoid overtraining by increasing exercise load

gradually and maintain flexibility in the legs and hips


Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Figure 12.3


Shin Splints

Figure 12.4


Stress Fractures

Figure 12.5


Managing Injuries

Techniques for treating less-severe injuries

Initial Treatment of Exercise-Related Injuries• Objectives: decrease pain, limit swelling, prevent further injury• R.I.C.E: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

Rehabilitation (increasing use as pain lessens)• Minor injury rehabilitation occurs naturally• Drawbacks: Progress is slow, damaged area may get re-injured,

lack of more aggressive treatment may prevent return of full functioning

Cryokinetics: new rehabilitation technique• Regiment of alternating ice with light exercise


The Cryokinetic Process

Figure 12.6


Preventing Unintentional Injuries

Unintentional injuries are the #1 killer of people ages15-34 in the U.S.

Risk Factors for Unintentional Injury• Having an unsafe attitude• Being overly confident• Craving excitement / thrill-seeking• Using alcohol or drugs• Stress• Environmental factors (storing unsafe or

combustible chemicals, using equipment wrong)


Leading Causes of Death Among Young Adults

Table 12.1


Treating Unintentional Injuries

Best method: Take a first-aid or CPR course

Choking• Abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)Poisoning• Check the label for key information and contact the Poison Control

Center and/or 911Bleeding • Lie the person down, remove dirt or debris from the wound, apply

pressure until the bleeding stops, don’t remove any bandages, get to an emergency room asap

Stopped Breathing or Heartbeat• Call 911 immediately and if trained, perform cardiopulmonary

resuscitation (CPR)


The Heimlich Maneuver

Figure 12.7

Risks and Causes of Injury from Increased Physical Activity

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