Soft-tissue injuries fall into two basic categories: acute injuries and overuse injuries.
- Acute injuries are caused by a sudden trauma, such as a fall, twist, or blow to the body.
- Overuse injuries occur gradually over time when an athletic or other activity is repeated so often that areas of the body do not have enough time to heal between occurrences. Tendinitis and bursitis are common soft-tissue overuse injuries.
TYPES OF ACUTE INJURIES
Acute soft-tissue injuries vary in both type and severity. The most common of these are sprains, strains, and contusions… but what’s the difference?
A sprain - this is a stretch and/or tear of a ligament. Ligaments are a strong band of connective tissue that connects the end of one bone with another. Ligaments stabilise and support the body's joints. The areas of the body that are most vulnerable to sprains are the ankles, knees, and wrists.
While the intensity of injury can vary… pain, bruising, swelling, and inflammation are common to all three categories of sprains.
- Grade 1 sprain (mild): Slight stretching and some damage to the fibres of the ligament.
- Grade 2 sprain (moderate): Partial tearing of the ligament. There is abnormal looseness in the joint when it is moved in certain ways.
- Grade 3 sprain (severe): Complete tear of the ligament. This may cause significant instability.
Treatment for sprains can begin with the P.R.I.C.E.S protocol, but if in doubt always seek medical advice, either via your GP or by calling 111.
Protection
Protect the affected area from further injury – for example, by using a support.
Rest
Take a break from the activity that caused the injury. If the injury is to your leg, your doctor may also recommend that you use crutches to avoid bearing weight.
Ice
Use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Do not apply ice directly to the skin. A bag of frozen peas works a treat, as the peas mould to your joint shape.
Compression
To prevent additional swelling and blood loss, wear an elastic compression bandage.
Elevation
To reduce swelling, elevate the injury higher than your heart while resting.
Supercharge
your recovery with U Perform Collagen.
The objective of P.R.I.C.E.S is to stop the injury-induced bleeding into the muscle tissue and thereby minimise the extent of the injury… and promote injury recovery.
While REST is the second word of the P.R.I.C.E.S acronym… the duration of rest/ immobilisation should be limited to the amount of time it takes to produce a scar of sufficient strength, which can bear the forces induced by remobilisation… without re-rupture.
The return to activity (mobilisation) should then be started gradually within the limits of pain.
Early return to activity is needed to optimise the regeneration of healing soft tissue and recovery of the flexibility and strength of the injured soft tissue to pre-injury levels.
Moderate sprains often require a period of bracing (for example, a CAM walking boot can be worn to help support and immobilise a sprained ankle). The most severe sprains may require surgery to repair torn ligaments.
A strain - this is an injury to a muscle and/or tendon. Tendons are fibrous cords of tissue that attach muscles to bone.
Similar to a sprain, a strain may be a simple stretch of your muscle or tendon, or it may involve a partial or complete tear of the muscle and tendon. Symptoms of a strain may include pain, muscle spasm, muscle weakness, swelling, inflammation, and cramping.
Contact sports, like football & rugby, put athletes at risk for hamstring strains, as do sports that feature quick starts, such as running. Gymnastics, tennis, rowing, golf and other sports that require extensive gripping have a high incidence of hand sprains. Elbow strains frequently occur in racquet, throwing, and contact sports.
The recommended treatment for a strain is the same as for a sprain: Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. This should be followed by simple exercises to relieve pain and restore mobility. Surgery may be required for a more severe tear… but if in doubt always seek medical advice, either via your GP or by calling 111.
Contusions (Bruises) - Contusions occur when a direct blow (or repeated blows) by a blunt object strikes part of the body, crushing underlying muscle fibres and connective tissue without breaking the skin.
A contusion can result from falling or jamming the body against a hard surface. Discoloration of the skin is caused by blood pooling around the injury.
Most contusions are mild and respond well to the P.R.I.C.E. protocol. If symptoms persist, medical care should be sought to prevent permanent damage to the soft tissues.
COMMON OVERUSE SOFT-TISSUE INJURIES
Tendinitis - this is an inflammation or irritation of a tendon or the covering of a tendon (called a sheath). It is caused by a series of small stresses that repeatedly aggravate the tendon. Symptoms typically include swelling and pain that worsens with activity.
Football & Rugby players, and Runners are prone to tendon inflammation in their knees and ankles.
Tendinitis may be treated by rest to eliminate stress, anti-inflammatory medication. More severe cases may require steroid injections, splinting, and exercises to correct muscle imbalance and improve flexibility.
Persistent inflammation may cause significant damage to the tendon, which may require surgery.
Bursitis - Bursae, are small, jelly-like sacs that are located throughout the body, including around the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and heel. They contain a small amount of fluid, and are positioned between bones and soft tissues, acting as cushions to help reduce friction.
Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. Repeated small stresses and overuse can cause the bursa to swell. Many people experience bursitis in association with tendinitis.
Bursitis can usually be relieved with changes in activity and anti-inflammatory medications, such as Ibuprofen. If swelling and pain do not respond to these measures, your doctor may recommend removing fluid from the bursa.
Prevention:
Injuries often occur when people suddenly increase the duration, intensity, or frequency of their activities. Many soft-tissue injuries can be prevented through proper conditioning and training, as well as warming up the muscles before doing physical activity and by avoiding overstretching the muscles.
Tendon disorders are a major concern in most sports. Tendons have the highest tensile strength of all connective tissue because of a high proportion of collagen in the fibres and their closely packed parallel arrangement in the direction of force.
Active Collagen is ‘Your Proven Advantage’ when it comes to strengthening & repairing ligaments & tendons… but don’t just take our word for it. Why does the science suggest you should take Active Collagen as part of your injury recovery & injury prevention nutritional strategy?
THE SCIENCE
The primary role of collagen is to maintain connective tissue health and mechanical properties of the skin (Ricard-Blum 2011). As collagen is the principal component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), it is vital for the strength, regulation, and regeneration of this tissue (Frantz et al. 2010).
Collagen also contributes ~ 65–80% dry weight of tendons, with collagen crosslinks aiding the tendon structure to endure resistance from high-impact stresses and shear forces (Kannus 2000). Thus, collagen plays a vital role in maintaining tendon health and mitigating potential injury-risk in sport (Goes et al. 2020).
Collagen is hydrolysed enzymatically, degrading it into smaller bioactive peptides (the primary supplemental form of collagen) that are easily absorbed within the digestive tract before entering circulation (Iwai et al. 2005).
In addition, collagen synthesis is likely to increase with of the co-ingestion of vitamin C, through its role in the hydroxylation of proline and lysine, both of which are essential in creating the collagen helix formation and intermolecular cross-linking (Paxton et al. 2010).
ACTIVE COLLAGEN
Active Collagen is a unique blend of two Bioactive Collagen Peptides® and other vitamins & minerals, clinically proven to improve the structural quality of ligaments and tendons… therefore reducing the risk of injury.
Active Collagen has also been clinically proven to speed up recovery.
The Department of Sport Medicine, at the Australian Institute of Sport, conducted a double blind clinical study looking at whether oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides improves symptoms and tendon vascularisation in patients with chronic mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy in combination with structured exercise.
Read the results from the Australian Institute of Sport study.
To help you recover from injury and improve tendon/ligament strength, we have put together 30, 60 & 90 day subscription offers… These ensure that you have a constant supply of Active Collagen to assist your recovery… while also offering you the best value for money. View our subscription offers here.
Muscle injuries are one of the most common traumas occurring in sports. Muscle strains vary in severity depending on how much damage the muscle fibres sustain. Strains range from mild overexertion to a partial or complete tear of the muscle.
Mild overexertion is very common in training where you are looking for muscular hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is an increase and growth of muscle cells. Hypertrophy refers to an increase in muscular size achieved through exercise.
For hypertrophy to occur you need to have both mechanical damage and metabolic fatigue. In turn, this can result in structural damage to the muscles.
Active Whey & Collagen is ‘Your Proven Advantage’ when it comes to strengthening & repairing muscles... but don’t just take our word for it. Why does the science suggest you should take Active Whey & Collagen as part of your injury recovery & injury prevention nutritional strategy?
THE SCIENCE
The risk of muscular injury is increased by overuse brought about by the inappropriate use of training techniques or poor workout design. These practices include the constant use of high volume training, and the chronic use of near maximal workouts (Green 2007).
Science has identified the body’s two main processes for healing torn or ruptured muscles: regeneration of muscle fibres simultaneously with the production of connective scar tissue. The key to both of these processes is collagen formation. In a study measuring the rates of collagen protein production for three weeks after a muscle rupture, scientists found collagen synthesis rates to be heightened in muscle cells during this time (Hurme et al. 1991).
ACTIVE WHEY & COLLAGEN
Active Whey & Collagen is a unique blend of Bioactive Collagen Peptides® and Whey protein, which in combination have been formulated to support muscle growth, strength & recovery.
Active Whey & Collagen has been clinically proven to improve muscle strength and increase fat-free mass.
The Department of Sports Medicine and Sports Nutrition, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, demonstrated that collagen peptides containing mostly non-essential amino acids increase fat-free mass and strength in sarcopenic men.
In a double-blind, randomised design, subjects consumed either 15g of specific collagen peptides or a non-caloric placebo every day within 60 minutes after their training session. A full-body hypertrophy workout was completed three times per week and included four exercises using barbells.
The study found training in combination with collagen peptide supplementation results in a more pronounced increase in Body Mass, Fat-Free Mass, and Muscle Strength than training on its own.
Read the results from the Department of Sports Medicine and Sports Nutrition, Ruhr University study.
To help you recover from injury and improve your muscle strength, we have put together 30, 60 and 90 day subscription offer. These ensure that you have a constant supply of Active Whey & Collagen to assist your recovery… while also offering you the best value for money. View our subscription offers here.
Joint pain is unfortunately very common, especially as you get older. You might feel pain in 1 joint, or more than 1 joint at the same time, such as your knees and hips. There are many possible causes of joint pain. It might be caused by an injury or a longer-lasting problem such as arthritis.
Your symptoms might give you an idea what could be causing the pain. But do not self-diagnose, see your GP if you're worried.
Joint discomfort is common and usually felt in the hands, feet, hips, knees, or spine. Pain may be constant or it can come and go. Sometimes the joint can feel stiff, achy, or sore. Joint pain may affect the function of the joint, and can limit a person’s ability to do basic tasks. Severe joint pain can affect the quality of life.
The most common cause of chronic pain in joints is:
Osteoarthritis, a common type of arthritis, happens over time when the cartilage, the protective cushion in between the bones, wears away. The joints become painful and stiff. Osteoarthritis develops slowly and usually occurs during middle age.
Active Sport Collagen is ‘Your Proven Advantage’ when it comes to strengthening & repairing joint health... but don’t just take our word for it. Why does the science suggest you should take Active Sport Collagen as part of your injury recovery & injury prevention nutritional strategy?
THE SCIENCE
Collagen is a protein that makes up two-thirds of the dry weight of cartilage in knees and other joints.
The results of this study have implications for the use of Bioactive Collagen Peptides® to support joint health and possibly reduce the risk of joint deterioration. The results show that athletes consuming Bioactive Collagen Peptides® can reduce parameters (such as pain) that have a negative impact on athletic performance (Clark et al. 2008).
ACTIVE SPORT COLLAGEN
Active Sport Collagen has a Bioactive Collagen Peptide® specifically formulated to support joint health. Current research suggests that Bioactive Collagen Peptides® are more effective in treating Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid arthritis than glucosamine & chondroitin, which have been the traditional treatment for years.
In several clinical trials, the efficacy of oral collagen peptide supplementation could be demonstrated in osteoarthritic patients (McAlindon et al. 2011; Benito-Ruiz et al. 2009; Adam 1991; Krug 1979; Oberschelp 1985; Bruyère et al. 2012). After treatment, significantly reduced pain and increased mobility were reported.
Read the results from the ‘Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides’ study.
To help you recover from injury and improve your joint health, we have put together 30, 60 & 90 day subscription offers… These ensure that you have a constant supply of Active Sport Collagen to assist your recovery… while also offering you the best value for money. View our subscription offers here.
-min.png?v=1666945693032&options=w_750)
-min.png?v=1666945621832&options=w_1600)
