Hey everyone, it's been awhile since I've last posted. I think its' been since April since I actually posted my last blog entry. I have a few other posts written, but I can't find them on my computer..oh well, if I find them I will upload them! I think before I burnt myself out from writing a few entries per week; I think aiming for one entry per week is more reasonable. Today I wanted to talk about dealing with injuries..whether it's sports related, or any physical limitation. Recently, I've developed patellar tendonitis (jumpers knee) in my right knee. The first question you should ask yourself if how did this injury occur. For me, I've been playing basketball very frequently during the summer, and this involves a lot of jumping and stress on the knee joint. Having said that, there were times when there would be knee pain present, but I would continue to play anyway. Definitely not the right solution! The problem with this is that the longer I procrastinate to allow my knee to rest and heal, the more serious this injury can become. From what probably started out as an acute injury, could lead to a chronic injury (long-lasting). Chronic injuries must be dealt with every day, or else the symptoms will recur. Always listen to your body; if there is pain present, avoid that activity! Every injury must be handled differently based on the circumstances, but most of the time you will be able to identify the injury from research.
My patellar tendonitis has finally healed; however I might have a case of pre-patellar bursitis as well. Any kind of "itis" is very similar, and usually when there is one of these present, an individual has the other as well. Going back to what I said earlier in my post, I probably wouldn't have developed pre-patellar bursitis had I listened to my body and layed off of my knee when I was feeling pain. This is a sign of a chronic injury developing. Let me say first-hand that it is so frustrating to deal with, especially since I love playing sports and doing high-impact activities. For now, I have to treat it the right way so my health is better for the long-term. The main lesson here is to listen to your body, and always prepare for the worst. At the time of playing basketball, I wasn't lifting my legs as intensely as I normally do. Had I been doing that, my supporting muscles around my knee joint would have been stronger and took a lot of the pressure from the high-impact landings off of the joint. So even though a lot of people avoid strength training, it is necessary not only for building muscle and burning fat, but preventing injuries as well!
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