- Soft
Tissue Damage
Excessive
force applied to soft tissues will cause damage. This results in
pain and may lead to a certain amount of internal bleeding and
swelling. Depending on the depth and severity of the injury, a
bruise may appear. Bruising is visible evidence that blood
vessels have been damaged and blood has seeped out.
- Inflammation
Inflammation
is your body's first-aid response to injury. It is a localized
protective reaction triggered by damage to your soft tissues.
Often this inflammatory response is excessive when compared to
the actual amount of soft tissue damage. The signs of soft
tissue inflammation are: pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss
of movement. The inflammatory process may continue for five days
or more.
If the
initial injury is not treated effectively, the inflammatory
response can persist for an extended period of time. This may
delay repair or lead to a loss of normal flexibility, strength and
function following injury.
Early
and appropriate self-treatment can limit the inflammatory response
and enhance recovery.
- Repair
Two
to three days after the injury, while the inflammatory response is
still taking place, the repair process begins with the formation
of new blood vessels around the edge of the injury site. After a
further three to five days new tissue is produced. This repair
process may continue for several weeks.
The new
tissue that is formed is known as scar tissue. This new tissue does
not have the same properties as the original tissue. If not
exercised regularly, scar tissue will shrink and shorten. This leads
to a reduction in flexibility of the soft tissues and will be felt
as pain, stiffness and weakness when attempting to return to normal
activity.
Scar
tissue has the tendency to shrink and shorten.
To avoid
the problems described above you must start exercising to stretch
and strengthen the healing tissues as soon as possible. Continue the
exercises until the injured area has regained its normal
flexibility, strength and function. This may take from several weeks
to several months, depending on the severity of the injury.
Lack of
appropriate exercising is the main reason why soft tissue injuries
do not fully recover.
If you have specific
training questions please send email to trainer@activeankle.com
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