Struggling with a dull ache, recurrent twinge, slight but consistent discomfort after exercise or a sudden sharp pain with certain movements? Low-level pain, soreness/tightness or mild discomfort commonly experienced in knees, shoulders, ankles, hamstrings, quads, calves and heels may cause you to wince from time to time or slow you down but doesn’t impact too heavily on your sport, so you carry on exercising with your fingers crossed and hope for the best. But these persistent niggles are an indication that something isn’t working properly and should not be ignored!
What causes these niggles?
There are two common underlying themes to these kinds of niggles which are lack of strength and muscle imbalance. When there is an imbalance of muscles and one muscle becomes stronger than its opposing muscle (agonist and antagonist muscles e.g. hamstrings and quadriceps), the weaker muscle becomes fatigued quicker and is more susceptible to injury. Muscle imbalances can also lead to chronic pain in joints because of the abnormal pull of the stronger muscle causing irregular joint movement. Muscle weakness in one area of the body can often affect another area e.g. people can experience knee pain which is actually caused by weak hips. Also, overuse or excessive loading on weak tissues will commonly result in pain.
So, what can be done?
Although injuries cannot be completely avoided when doing sport, numerous studies have consistently proven the indisputable benefits of exercise therapy. More specifically, strength training has been utilized for over 30 years as a very effective tool for injury prevention.1 In fact, strength training has been shown to reduce sports injuries to less than a third and overuse injuries could be almost halved.2
But how does it work?
Strength training involves moving joints through a range of motion against resistance which ultimately strengthens bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Weight bearing exercise with optimal load is known to increase bone density thus making it stronger and reducing the risk of bone injury. Muscles, tendons and ligaments are the support system of joints and are at risk of injury or inflammation with dynamic movements. However, resistance training helps strengthen muscles and tendons whilst improving ligament flexibility therefore reducing the risk of tears and strains. It also results in improved joint stability, range of motion and mobility.
The take home message
Don’t wait for the niggles to develop into something more specific or deteriorate into a full-blown injury which could lay you off exercising for weeks or even months! The good news is that physio-based strength and conditioning training and exercise programs, based on individual need, are extremely beneficial for building a foundation of strength, flexibility and control. This is definitely the way forward to tackling those niggles and once corrected, not only are you stronger and more robust, but you are able to exercise more efficiently leading to better performance!
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- Fleck SJ & Falkel JE. (1986). Value of resistance training for the reduction of sport injuries. Sports Med, 3(1): 61-68.
- Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. (2014). The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med. 2014 Jun;48(11):871-7
