Have you ever had a moment where an injury occurs but you haven’t done anything? How is this possible? How can a muscle – or a joint – be injured from doing nothing?
This is a typical response for a lot of musculoskeletal injuries. It is also a common response when we see patients returning to activity and sports as COVID restrictions are lifted. But, have you really done nothing during your time of shut down?
Here are a few things to consider that might be affecting your body as you return to activities: First, although you might have been finding new ways to stay fit, they might not be the ones your body is used to. You may have adapted to doing new workouts at home – perhaps more of a dumbbell weight workout rather than the equipment you use at the gym.
Working from home: Your ergonomics of working from home or school might not be the same setup as what you were used to. You might be working on a smaller laptop, a different chair, or a tablet for work and virtual meetings. It is not that any one kind of setup is bad, but eight hours of sitting in these positions can result in stiffness in areas you didn’t usually have while you were at work.
Shoes: Typically, we wear them every day. Essentially, any time that we go out in public. However, this spring many of us spent months not wearing shoes inside. This is not to say that people should wear orthotic fitted shoes all the time, nor is this the argument to say that you should train in bare feet. However, if you have spent many years wearing shoes and then spent months not wearing them, it may have a mechanical effect.
Stress: Regardless of your circumstances, for many people this spring and early summer has caused us to react to changes – and for some it caused increased stress levels. We know that stress can have a physiological change on our body and how it performs. With no access to sports or athletics during this time, it has also decreased our outlets for stress management.
As we return to activities this year, we suggest to our athletes to have a gradual return to sport and activities to decrease injury risks. However, even if you are left with the question of ‘how am I sore? I didn’t do anything,’ our Pro Function practitioners have the answers for quality treatment to get you back on track.
‘Known for our Expertise. Chosen for our Care. Pro Function.’
Submitted by Pro Function Sports Injury Clinic
