Weightlifting Modifications for Different Injuries
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What are some Weightlifting Modifications for Injuries?
Millions of individuals worldwide participate in regular physical activity, whether for health benefits or an athlete competing at the highest level. Physical activity can range from being recreational, organized, and/or sports-specific.
All three have something in common, the risk for injury. Despite attempts at minimizing risk and injury prevention, it is bound to happen at some point with varying levels of severity. Being evaluated by a health care professional and developing a rehabilitation program is the first step in treating your injury so you can return to the activities you love most. They will give you some weightlifting modifications to add to your workouts.
Read this Article to learn the 3 Top Shoulder Exercises.
JOI Rehab Weight Lifting Modifications
Why is Strength Training Important?
Strength training is one of many vital aspects of the rehab process. Weightlifting and therapeutic exercises are methods to restore strength and regain function.
A common question among patients is whether you can continue weightlifting while injured. The simple answer is it depends. We must consider the type and severity of injury incurred and whether the individual is treated operatively vs. non-operatively. Isometric exercises are common and appropriate in the early stages of rehab, where immobilization is required either by cast, brace, or splint. At that point, weightlifting modifications will be assessed.
What is Isometric Exercises?
The quick answer is that with Isometric exercises, the muscles contract but the length or the muscle and the joint position does not change. An example is when you push a wall but nothing moves.
Isometric exercises are useful when weightlifting through the full range of motion can exacerbate the injury or is prohibited by the MD or therapist. Isometric exercises can increase static strength, decrease atrophy, and even reduce swelling by activating muscle pumping to remove the fluid.
Weightlifting during the acute stages of injury is not ideal due to the risk of reinjury and further exacerbation. Still, as you progress throughout the rehab program, the healthcare professional will determine when it is safe to do so.
Read this Article to learn the top 5 Worst Shoulder Exercises.
Weightlifting Modifications for Injuries
Modifying workouts are necessary to maintain and increase strength while minimizing risk for reinjury or further aggravation. Utilizing the FITT principle, you can tailor your workout by varying the frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercises involved in your workout. Altering each variable can allow the individual to build muscle and increase strength while rehabilitating from an injury.
Exercise resistance bands
For example, using resistance bands instead of free weights or machines provides movement less restrictive, thus providing resistance in more functional planes. Despite what technique is used to improve strength and grow a specific muscle, it must be overloaded progressively. Following your weightlifting modifications plan will help you gain strength without further injury.
As you progress throughout the rehab program and full range of motion is permitted, isotonic exercises can then be utilized to increase muscle strength and size. Isotonic exercises cause the targeted muscle to lengthen and contract throughout the entire range of motion compared to isometric exercises with no length change in the muscle.
Common weightlifting injuries and conditions can include but are not limited to:
- Rotator cuff or labrum tears
- Shoulder impingement and bursitis
- Biceps or pectoral rupture
- Tennis or golfer’s elbow
- Stress and avulsion fractures
- Dislocations
- Tendonitis and tendinosis
- Ligamentous sprains
Many factors can lead to injuries while weightlifting, including:
- Improper technique
- Excessive weight or resistance
- Lack of warm-up and stretching
- Fatigue
- Deficiencies in conditioning, endurance, or strength
- Loss of balance
- Insufficient recovery time
JOI and JOI Rehab
JOI Physicians continue to offer online new patient appointments. This is another option to make it more convenient to make new patient appointments with less phone hold times. Follow the link below to select your JOI MD and schedule online.
You can still call 904-JOI-2000 to make new patient JOI Physician Appointments if that is your preference.
To schedule an appointment for physical therapy at one of the 12 JOI Rehab Centers, please call 904-858-7045.