Prevention

How can you avoid problems before they begin? Consider that many athletes, when questioned about their injuries, often comment about clues such as their shoes not fitting or something just not feeling normal in the foot or ankle. It may be a passing thought, a subconscious note. But it’s there. In my years of private practice, conducting a careful and adequate oral history was one of the most important aspects of treating and training an athlete.

Learning how to accurately read your own body comes with time, but it is worth the effort. More importantly, when your body provides an obvious clue that something is not right, such as a hamstring twinge, it’s time to stop and assess what’s going on. If you don’t take that first step, it may soon be too late. Waiting until you’re physically unable to train—the point at which your body forces you to stop—just results in more unnecessary damage and wasted time.

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At the same time, you don’t want to become obsessed with every little feeling, real or not, that your body produces. It’s important to consider the fact that many of the symptoms you feel, including those related to some significant imbalance, are self-corrected by your body, often before you realize it. Being able to observe this process and intervene at the appropriate time is an important part of self-care.

Physical injuries are also associated with chemical factors. The complex interaction with various body chemicals that control inflammation and anti-inflammation is one example. This is sometimes the primary injury, and so in addition to physical injuries, many athletes have chemical types.