The 5 most common gym injuries

Rotator Cuff Tear

Is this you?

• Throughout the day you hunch over your desk with your shoulders rolled forwards

• You go to the gym and train bench press, military press and lateral raises for that awesome pump and swell to look great in a T- shirt

• You’ve joined an Olympic lifting class or CrossFit class- but only attend the heavy shoulder days or avoid the warm-up and mobility sessions

All of the above can lead to a rotator cuff tear. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that stabilises the shoulder joint. If you have poor balance between your trapezius, lats, deltoid and rotator cuff you can easily damage the fibres of your rotator cuff.

Prevention

Ensure you have done some rotator cuff strengthening at least once per week. I usually start my patients on cables or resistance bands. Keep hydrated as most tears occur due to dehydration. Foam roller your upper back to ensure you have good upper back extension this can help you achieve better shoulder mobility.

Tendonitis

Is this you?

• I come to the gym after a busy day at work and jump straight into a spin class. I’ve started getting knee pain

• I’m trying to build up my runs for cardio to get me through an obstacle race

• I’ve just bought snazzy new trainers from a running shop which I’ve been told are great for shock absorbing . My Achilles is painful but I’ve been told to run through it.

• Me and the lads are working on our chin ups, we are aiming for 100 but my biceps are playing up.

All of the above are very typical complaints of how people get tendonitis. Tendonitis occurs where the attachment of a muscle joins the bone and gets over loaded repetitively and starts to inflame and become irritable. Whether its biceps, Achilles, rotator cuff or patella tendonitis often they are more comfortable as you progress into the activity and feel worse with rest.  This can occur when someone has poor mechanical alignment, such as from poor shoulder blade control, rotator cuff or glutes weakness. This can also be due to poor foot and ankle biomechanics such as with Achilles tendonitis.

Prevention

If you get one of these pains- stop the activity! We don’t want to fully rest the area but you will need a graded loading programme. Ensure you have a graded running programme or better still if you are building your cardio you could do this on a static bike or rower to avoid heavy joint loading. Many people require orthotic devices for running or a more structured shoe, it’s best to consult your Physiotherapist or a Podiatrist to find out what is best for you.

Strain and spasm

Is this you?

• I can deadlift 200kg but rarely warm- up before and I’ve been told my glutes don’t fire

• Are you working on your teep to the face during Muay Thai classes, can you feel a tweek in your hamstring

• Have you just started box jumps but you can’t find the box you used last week so you just use a higher one

• Are you practicing backwards rolls and not done any neck mobility before your bjj class?

• You have no idea how to use a kettle bell and you try to copy the person in front of you

A muscle strain is where you get a tear in the muscle fibres. This will not always show an obvious bruise or swelling. The feeling can be horrific like a gunshot in this muscle. Usually you would be unable to perform any further reps due to pain or poor mobility. Spasms can occur due to dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities or overuse.

Prevention:

Eat plenty of protein and add some carbohydrate to help to rebuild muscle and restore glycogen after a work out to avoid overuse injuries. Keep hydrated during your training session. Foam roller and stretch all muscle groups before training, or even attend a yoga class. Try saunas and heat packs to warm muscles pre-workout. Many people also find regular deep tissue massage can prevent this type of injury.

Anterior knee pain (PFPS: patellofemoral pain syndrome)

Is this you?

• I’m a Sunday runner and I always get pain at the front of my knees when I run more than 5km

• When I’m spinning I try and come out of the saddle but my knee doesn’t like it

• My Illiotibial Band is tight and my personal trainer tells me I need to strengthen my glutes

• When I squat my knees track inwards and my feet roll in

PFPS is described as pain under or around the knee cap (patella). It is often associated with sitting prolonged periods at a desk, poor hip to foot alignment and reduced strength of hip abductors such as the glute muscles. The above can be due to flat feet, ineffective dorsi-flexion of the foot, ITB (iliotibial band) and groin (adductor) tightness.

Prevention:

Try running on soft ground or a treadmill instead of road running, this will be less impact on your knees. Try some glutes strengthening such as side lying banded clams. Custom made orthotics are a great way to get deeper into your squat without your knees moving towards your midline. Pilates classes are a great way to strengthening your core to stabilise you on the spin bike.

Disc Prolapse

Is this you?

• When I deadlift I pull from my lower back and have severe back ache after training

• When I spar in MMA and go for a back suplex I felt a sharp pain down my buttock

• After training I put away my kettlebells by lifting them off the floor without bending at my knees

• My back can feel like it tweeks on the leg press machine when I’ve not warmed up

Your lower back (lumbar spine) is comprised of 5 spinal segments (vertebrae) between each of these is a disc with a fibrous outer rim and a soft centre. The discs degenerate over time and dehydrate therefore reducing their ability to shock absorb. A disc prolapse or protrusion is often caused by an action that flexes and rotates the spine. Lower back and glutes weakness can cause this to happen more easily. You may get pain into your leg due to the disc affecting a spinal nerve root.

Prevention:

Speak to a PT or gym instructor for appropriate form when deadlifting as this is vital to prevent injuries. Ensure you are not perform moves and exercises that too high level and that you are not conditioned for. Always gradually increase the weight you are lifting, never jump into a higher load without a warm-up set. Move equipment carefully, bend at the knees and lift and carry equipment close to your body.