Five commongym injuries,and how toavoid them!

Nichole Hamilton

Five Common Gym Injuries, and howto avoid them!

We all head to the gym in the hope of improving our health andfitness! However, as physiotherapists we can occasionally see peoplecoming out worse for wear after their gym program!

So what are the 5 most common injuries that physiotherapists cansee related to gym training? How do these injuries occur? And evenmore important, how can you avoid these common injuries and staysafe and injury free in the gym?

Here are our top five injuries:1. Shoulder pain and rotator cuff injuries2. Lumbar disc injury 3. Hernia and abdominal injury4. Neck pain5. Lumbar facet joint injury Here are the most common ways of causing these injuries:1. Tricep Dips2. Deadlifts3. Resisted sit up machine4. Kettle bell swings5. Back lifts So are you heading to the gym and would you like to prevent thesecommon injuries? Lets explore all of this in more detail to help you prevent injury andstay fit and healthy in the gym!

Five Common Gym Injuries (and how to avoid them!) – Synergy Physio

Five common gym injuries, and howto avoid them!

NUMBER ONE

PROBLEM AREA: Shoulder pain, rotator cuff injury and bursitisCULPRIT: TRICEP DIPS

Tricep Dips are one of the mostcommon ways of injuring thedelicate shoulder tendons andbursa! 

We have 4 small rotator cufftendons that hold the ball stablein the socket. We also have abursa that lies nearby to protectthe underside of our bonycollarbone. A bursa is a small sackof fluid that acts to cushion ourboney prominences. 

When doing a tricep dip, this can force or jam the ball up and forwardinto the socket, which can pinch the bursa excessively causingswelling or inflammation.  Tricep dips can also contribute to wear andtear on the rotator cuff tendons.  Pain associated with rotator cuff injury or bursitis is often felt over theoutside border of the shoulder and radiates down the upper arm. It isoften felt with overhead actions or taking the arm behind the back.  Tricep dips are our number one cause of shoulder pain in the gym!

Five Common Gym Injuries (and how to avoid them!) – Synergy Physio

Five Common Gym Injuries, and howto avoid them!

Solution-

Avoid the Tricep Dip machine especially if you have had pastshoulder injuries or pain.  To replace this you can simply try tricep pulldowns, or supine overhead triceps to get rid of the bingo wings. This isa much safer way of exercising the triceps, without potentiallydamaging the shoulder. If you do have shoulder pain, its advisable to seek an assessmentfrom your local physiotherapist who can advise you on the bestmethod of managing your pain. This might involve rest, ice andstrengthening exercises for the important scapula muscles or rotatorcuff tendons. Find out more about shoulder pain here

 

Five Common Gym Injuries (and how to avoid them!) – Synergy Physio

Five Common Gym Injuries, and howto avoid them!

NUMBER TWO

PROBLEM AREA: LUMBAR DISC INJURIES CULPRIT: DEAD LIFTS

The lower lumbar discs are designedto allow movement and cushioningin the lower back. Like manyligaments in the body, the discs canbecome vulnerable if they areoverstretched or overloaded.  Excessive stretching or load ontothese tissues of the body can resultin micro tear and a temporarypainful inflammatory response.  Excessive stretch in the lowerlumbar disc region can occur with

excessive bending (flexion) or twisting, especially with weights. Flexionin the lower back occurs when the chest gets closer to the pelvis. Now, in the ideal world, a dead lift does not flex or twist through thelower back region at all. However if your hamstrings are restricted ortight, the tendency can be to start to bend through the lower back(with the chest compressing closer to the pelvis), creating a stretchload into the lumbar discs.

Five Common Gym Injuries (and how to avoid them!) – Synergy Physio

Five Common Gym Injuries, and howto avoid them!

A good deadlift should be performed with a hinge at the hips so thelower back maintains a straight posture with a core on to protect thelumbar discs. But if you are one of these people who have extremelytight hamstrings, it can be very difficult to perform a deadlift withgood technique! As physio's, we have seen many disc and lumbarinjuries as a result of deadlifts that are inaccurately performed. Wecan also see overload on the hamstring tendon attachment at endrange dead lift positions.

  Solution: Protect your lowerback by skipping the dead lifts-especially if you areexperiencing back pain or havehad a past lower back injury. 

Squats are very healthy alternative for the lower back and are a greatway of improving leg hamstring and gluteal strength without injuringyour lower back! Learning to squat well with a hinge in the hips, pelvisout and knees bent is also a great way to train yourself to lift well andprotect your lower back in your daily life. Find our more about back pain here

Five Common Gym Injuries (and how to avoid them!) – Synergy Physio

Five Common Gym Injuries, and howto avoid them!

NUMBER THREE

PROBLEM AREA:       Hernia, pelvic floor problems, pelvic organ prolapse.CULPRIT:                    Resisted sit up machine

We all want a strong six-pack for thebeach in summer, however there areplenty of ways to improve your corewithout risking abdominal or pelvicfloor injury with resisted sit upmachine. This weighted machine canplace additional load onto theabdominal area and the method ofcompressing the chest toward the

pelvis can increase pressure in the abdominal region. This cancontribute to such injuries as inguinal hernia and pelvic organprolapse. If you can imagine your abdominal cavity like a waterballoon, if you squeeze the top of the water balloon with a lot of force,the bottom can blow out!

Solution: If you have any weakness in your pelvic floor or abdominalmusculature, then these areas can be prone to injury with a high loadabdominal crunch with resistance. Instead, replace this exercise with lowerlevel pelvic floor or core stability exercises and perform more repetitions. Find out more about women's health physiotherapy and pelvic floor healthhere

Five Common Gym Injuries (and how to avoid them!) – Synergy Physio

Five Common Gym Injuries and howto avoid them!

NUMBER FOUR

PROBLEM AREA:                     Neck and shoulder pain       CULPRIT:                                   Kettle Bell swings 

Kettle bell swings are a greatfunctional movement that canimprove strength through the hips,gluteals and quads. 

However, for those people who haveweakness through the neck andshoulders, it can contribute to painfulload through the neck. 

The position of holding the kettle bell in front of the body will tend toprotract or round the shoulder girdle as well as rounding through theupper spine. In a squat position like this, with the shoulders roundedthat can place tension through the muscles of the lower neck.Additionally, if your chin also goes forward this can add tocompression in the upper neck region. Solution: If you have a vulnerable neck, avoid heavy kettle bell swings.As an alternative stick to straight squats with either a weighted bar ordumbbells. Ensure that the back of your neck stays long with the chinslightly lowered to protect the neck.  Keep your shoulder blademuscles engaged and active to support your neck and shoulders. Find out more about neck pain here

Five Common Gym Injuries (and how to avoid them!) – Synergy Physio

Five Common Gym Injuries, and howto avoid them!

NUMBER FIVE

PROBLEM AREA:            Lower back pain and facet joint sprain CULPRIT:                         Back lifts 

We all want a strong spine andthere are certain ways we canimprove our spinal health withgentle stability exercises withoutforcing end range positions. 

In the prone back lift, thetendency can be to hyperextend,which can cause compressionand load into the lower lumbarfacet joints. These joints can be

vulnerable, especially if you have such conditions asspondylolisthesis which can often lay undiagnosed. Solution: If your lower back is painful after these exercises, it’s bestavoided.  You can perform alternative back strengthening exercises,such as lat pull downs or seated rows, which will improve your erectorspinae strength without the risk of compressing or injuring yourlumbar facet joints. If you have pain or injury as a result of your gym program, seek theassessment and expert advice from your physiotherapist. You cancontact us at Synergy Physio on 07 54483369 orwww.synergyphysio.com.au 

Five Common Gym Injuries (and how to avoid them!) – Synergy Physio