At the present, more and more people want to stay fit and practice some sports but by doing it incorrectly they can do more damage than benefits to their body. The reasons for that are usually incorrect body posture, non - physiological or extensive physical loads or not warming – up properly.

• Wrong posture: When in wrong position the muscles are exposed to the unnatural forces that can damage the muscle fibers in terms of fiber strain and wear all to muscle rupture.

• Extensive physical loads: Like all the other materials, when a repetitive mechanical load is applied to the muscle, ligament or a tendon, it can eventually break, rupture for the soft tissues and fracture for the bones.

• Not warming – up: Putting a muscle, tendon or a ligament in an extensive use without prior preparation in form of stretching and bending may lead to the injury.

The injuries here mentioned may lead to a serious medical issue for the patient himself and should be prevented as much as possible. The processes like inflammation, nerve- and muscle irritation related pain and tissue swelling can be initiated by these injuries and should be avoided. For that reason, it is very important to do the exercise in a correct fashion in order to avoid the results completely opposite from those we started to practice for – strengthening our body and relieving the pain.

Joint Cracking

In most cases, it's a normal physiological phenomenon as long as its not causing you any pain.

In case of joint cracking and in same time pain and/or mechanical symptoms presentation like locking of the affected joint we should start to pay more attention to their appearance. This could be due to rough/non - smooth articular surface pointing out on a potential cartilage damage or relative instability of joints due to ligament injury, muscle weakness or joint capsule injury. We can lower these problems, if not completely resolving them, by a proper physical training by regaining the muscle, tendon and ligament strength thus stabilizing the affected joint and preventing the joint laxity and uncontrolled movements of the joint.

Wall sit-ups

Basically, the same as the usual sit-ups without any extra weights applied apart from your body weight. This time you are using the wall behind you for the stability purposes but even the gluts and posterior thigh muscles extensive work-out by leaning to the wall. Go down as low as you can and try to hold for at least for 30 seconds or as tolerated. Start with 3-4 sets and go up to more with time.

Elbow Pain

Usually caused by monotonous repetitive stress to the forearm muscle tendons like hammering, screwing, hitting the object for many consecutive times (while playing tennis and golf for example). The pain localized at the lateral aspect of the elbow joint is called tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and the one at the medial aspect of the joint known as golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis). These conditions could be relieved by grip ball exercises strengthening the forearm muscles and even by stretching exercises to lower the tendon tension and thus reducing pain.

Grip Ball Training

Squeeze a grip ball for 10–15 minutes each time, 2–3 times per day.

Stretching Exercise

Stretch your arm straight forward with your palm facing inward. Use your other hand to gently press down on the back of your hand (you should feel a slight pull along the outer forearm). Hold it extended for 15–30 seconds. Then turn your palm outward and gently press down on the palm (feeling a stretch along the inner forearm).

Lower back and knee pain

Bending and lifting heavy objects for a longer period of time and in an incorrect body position and thus putting the non – physiological pressure solely on your lower back or your knees may lead to soft tissues damage in these joints and consequently pain and stiffness occurrence.

Plank, as a core – strengthening exercise can help stabilizing the abdominal and lower back muscles, giving better support for the lumbar region. As for knee rehabilitation, straight leg raises may improve the quadriceps strength and thus improve knee function.

Plank

Hold for 40–60 seconds per set. Complete 2–3 sets.

Straight Leg Raise

Lie on your back and raise your extended leg to about 30 - 40 degrees, hold for 5 - 10 seconds and repeat this exercise for 15–20 times per set.

Leg Numbness

A herniated lumbar intervertebral disc can compress a nerve root and besides pain may give a very troubling and discomforting numbness of the lower extremities. Inadequate exercise techniques and/or overload can increase pressure on the affected disc and worsen the symptoms.

The McKenzie Method is commonly used in rehabilitation—its main principle involves specific extension exercises to relieve nerve compression caused by the affected disc and improve pain and leg numbness. Moreover, the"Superman" exercisecan strengthen the back muscles and therefore stabilizing and maintaining the normal curvature of the

"Superman" Exercise

Lie on your stomach and while facing down, lift your both arms, legs, and head as much as possible. Keep this position for 5–10 seconds and repeat it for 10–15 times per set.

Doctor's Reminder

Physical exercise done in a correct and scientifically proved manner, is the only form of training that could be beneficial for your physical health as the patient. For that reason, try to get a professional help or at least inform yourself before starting with these exercises on your own using the information and protocols publicly available and published by the relevant medical professionals.

Dr. Nenad Andjelkov
Senior Consultant in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Shanghai United Family Hospital