sports injury

It's marathon season, and FitSugar reader isureamheather has caught the bug. Unfortunately, she's a few weeks into her training program and experiencing those dreaded shin splints. She posted this question about how to deal in our RunningSugar group.

Hi all! I'm new to the group (hello!) and hoping some of you might have some advice. I've recently kicked up my running to start a 12-week half marathon training program. I'm really jazzed about it and the first two weeks went well (I'm up to the point where I'm running about 4 miles, but lower distances staggered throughout the week). However, I've started having terrible shin splints (which I haven't had since I first started running over a year ago) and they're awful. I even went so far as to pick up a new pair of sneakers (I was due), but it's barely helping. Any advice? Pre- or post-workout stuff I should be doing? Thanks for your help!
— Heather

Training for a marathon with shin splints? Ouch! Shin splints are the bane of runners everywhere — the injury frequently occurs in runners just starting out or those who make a change to their routine too quickly (like moving to a different surface, or starting out too fast after a period of inactivity). The crippling, shooting pain you feel around your shins can make it hard to do high impact activities, especially running. We're glad you went and bought supportive shoes already, since the correct pair of running shoes can go a long way in making sure you stay injury-free. Here are some more tips for you for managing your shin splints and preventing them from happening again.

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear DrSugar,
I think I strained my hamstring sprinting at the end of a run. I don’t think I pulled or tore it — there was no bruising. I guess I am not as in shape as I used to be. I iced it when it started feeling weird, about an hour to two after my workout, but when do I start heat? How long should I wait to stretch it? Is strength training a good idea?
— Harming the Hammies

Thank you so much for this great question, as I’m sure there are many readers out there who have suffered a muscle strain and had similar questions regarding how to manage the condition. To clarify, I’m sure readers out there are wondering . . . well what’s the difference between a muscle strain and a muscle sprain? A muscle strain is a stretching or tearing of a muscle or tendon and often occurs in the lower back and in the hamstring muscle in the back of your thigh. A muscle sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments (tough bands of tissue that connect one bone to another in a joint) — think ankle sprain.

Keep reading for advice on treating a muscle strain.

There comes a time in nearly everyone's life where physical limitations get in the way. I've had a shattered ankle, sprained ligaments, and broken bones that have often left me on the sideline cheering my teammates on instead of joining them on the field. But, truth be told, I didn't always hate it when I was told I needed to "sit this one out." In fact, I sometimes (gasp!) liked it. It made me take a breather and allowed my body to relax when I couldn't see the need myself.
Kelly Ripa, one of daytime talk shows' wittiest and self-deprecating personalities, recently chatted about her own injury. A fitness maniac, the pint-sized mother of three is admittedly obsessed with working out daily. Having experienced some pain in her hip, she went to see a doctor who discovered she has a stress fracture of the fermoral neck in her right hip. Unfortunately, the fitness guru immediately started to worry about her routine and admitted to being freaked out that her doctor demanded she not work out for three to six weeks. Knowing her love for the gym, she'll find some way to sneak in a sweaty activity or two.

Could you walk away from the gym, even on doctor's orders?

OnSugar blogger Running Nina needs some advice. She's training for a half-marathon and is dealing with a knee injury. Can you help her get through it?

It is now less than a month to my first half-marathon. Despite not running for 2 weeks because of being sick I feel ready for it, well, almost. I still have a few more long runs to tackle first!

I ran an eight mile run yesterday and it went pretty well. I had to run on the treadmill because it was too hot outside, so I finished in 77:20. I'm sure it would have taken longer had I run outside. However, on race day I'll feel the energy of the other runners, and it should be around that time when I get to the eight mile mark. It is cooling off this week so hopefully I will be able to run outside on Friday for my nine miler. The only thing that will stop my nine miler is my knee. The last 1/2 mile of my run, it started to hurt. I finished my run and the pain stayed. I can walk, but going up/down stairs and fast walking hurts.

Any suggestions on what to do other than ice it and elevate it? It isn't swollen and doesn't hurt to the touch. Rather, I can feel the soreness/stiffness on the inside.

Are you in the same boat as Running Nina and need advice about your fitness goals from fellow readers? Join one of our community groups or start your own OnSugar blog. Your posts might end up right here on FitSugar!

If you run or hike, chances are high that you're familiar with shin splints. These micro tears in the lower leg muscle that attaches to the tibia (shin bone) most often occur from overuse — when you push yourself too hard, too soon. A calf muscle that's stronger than the muscles on the front of your shin makes you prone to this injury too.

We recently wrote that Jennifer Aniston pumps up the incline to maximize her treadmill time. The post prompted a reader to ask: "At what point or incline does this cause shin splints?"

Learn the answer when you read more

I've officially said goodbye to my treadmill for the season and have been loving bringing my runs outside. My shins, on the other hand, have not been too psyched. I've been experiencing this shooting pain in my right shin when I run on the roads in my neighborhood. I assumed it was shin splints, since I've experienced them before in the Spring, but since I was only feeling it on one leg, a marathoner friend of mine suggested I see a doctor to rule out a stress fracture.

I freaked out a little, worried that I'd have to sideline my runs for a while, so I saw my doctor and learned the difference between the two running injuries. To find out if the pain you're experiencing is shin splints or a more severe injury, a stress fracture, read more

Having tennis elbow is no walk in the park; in fact, it hurts like hell. But a surprising treatment is having positive results on relieving the pain: Botox. That's right, Botox. Widely seen as a cosmetic treatment, the wrinkle-smoothing elixir may help individuals who suffer from tennis elbow. It's not without its flaws though — participants who underwent treatment suffered from multiple side effects, according to the report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

If you're unfamiliar with the pain associated with tennis elbow, it's no joke. The area of the upper arm around the elbow is inflamed, and tendon tears aren't uncommon either. Simple tasks like picking something up can be excruciating for individuals suffering from tennis elbow. Doctors in Iran performed the study on 48 participants who had tennis elbow, and found that those injected with Botox had a "significant" reduction in pain. Unfortunately along with the reduction in pain came a reduction in strength. Some participants even lost the ability to move their third and fourth fingers, albeit temporarily (up to four months). While doctors are not saying Botox is OK to treat the condittion yet, these initial findings do show some promise.

Today's lesson: be careful when strength training. Research findings show that injuries related to weight training have increased by almost 50 percent between 1990 and 2007. During this period, US emergency rooms treated almost 100,000 weight-training injuries — about 6,000 per year. The good news for women is that men suffered the brunt of the injuries, making up 82 percent of the group. Individuals between the ages of 13 and 24 came in second, accounting for almost half of those injured.

The report, which was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, says that almost all of the injuries were caused by people using free weights, and most often because the weights were dropped on someone. Luckily, the majority of the injuries weren't too serious — sprains and strains — but a sprain is serious enough to set your fitness regimen back a few weeks.

To avoid injury, consult a trainer on proper technique when using free weights. Also make sure you are lifting the right amount of weight when working out. If it isn't possible to consult a trainer, limit your chances of injury by using weight machines, resistance bands, or doing strengthening moves that require no equipment. If you do hurt yourself, make sure to take care of your sports injury in the best way possible.

Many of you are excited to kick-start your Spring with some outdoor sports, but if you're a bit overzealous in your return to this active season, you may end up with an injury. The big question is, do you go see a doctor or treat it yourself? Dr. Thomas Best, a doctor and marathon runner told The New York Times, "Know how you typically recover. When you are not recovering as you typically do, that’s the first warning that something more is going on."

Other signs you should seek medical attention include:

• You're constantly in pain, even when walking and resting.
• The pain gets worse.
• Your joints lock.
• Swelling or bruising doesn't go away.

If you aren't experiencing the above signs, there are many ways to treat minor injuries at home. Find out my tips when you read more