With strenuous working out come injuries and if you’re wondering what may be good temporary solutions for common afflictions Dr. Scott Weiss, a licensed physical therapist and board certified athletic trainer in the state of New York has some answers. Dr. Weiss is also a registered exercise physiologist, strength and conditioning specialist and fitness trainer with over twenty years of experience. In 2012 he was selected to be a member of the United States sports medical team for the Olympic Games in London where he provided emergency medical and physical therapy services to the U.S. Sailing Team.

Here Dr. Weiss gives the low down on recovering from three common ailments:

1- SPRAINED ANKLE -(RICE) Rest , Ice ,Compression and Elevation higher than your heart. Most minor sprains take 1 to 2 weeks to fully heal. You must not only regain strength and ROM (range of movement) but proprioception, as well. Proprioception is regaining the awareness of where your body, specifically your ankle, is in space.  This is very closely related to balance. Most people blow this off, but fine tuning of the nervous system is integral before returning to activity.

2 – STRAINED ROTATOR CUFF– Immediately ice the area more towards the back of your shoulder.  Good old crushed ice or a pack of frozen peas or veggies works best. Use a sling if you cannot lift your arm.  If it is minor, start heating and stretching it 48 hours later with a cross arm stretch, doorway stretch or trying to hang from a bar if possible.  Keep heating the area to increase blood flow to the healing tendon.  Then strengthen at the end with a few key stretches like prone, horizontal abduction with thumbs up, push ups either on a wall when acute or on the floor in sub- acute phase of injury or side lying external rotation with a towel under arm for blood flow reasons.

3 – ACUTE LOWER BACK PAIN– Use contrast baths for this (the prescription is 102 hot and 52 cold temps is ideal and 3:1 ratio for 3X is ideal) , hip flexor stretching (lunge), hamstring stretching,  standing hamstring stretch, as well as side bending and reaching with left hand toward ceiling. Isometric exercises for the core  – for the front try side planks held from five seconds to two minutes. And for the back perform bridges.  For proper positioning: If you lay on your back use a pillow under your knees, if you lay on your side, then put pillow in between legs and if you are a stomach sleeper a pillow should be under your pelvis to keep it in neutral.

If at any point things are not feeling better and or pain increases for several hours after these exercises, see you doctor of physical therapist.   More importantly TRUST your instincts.. if you feel something is deeply wrong go to the doctor ASAP.

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