Weekend Warriors

A body in motion stays in motion. The best thing we can do for our bodies is….MOVE! Research supports that movement and exercise supports bone growth and joint health.¹ The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity with 2 days of muscle strengthening activity.² This can include anything from walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week to weekly yard work .

Adult sports leagues can be a great way to not only relive the glory days, but to have fun with movement. Movement should be fun and enjoyable, however there are instances when injury can make movement unenjoyable. As our bodies age, our tendons become less elastic and are prone to a process called tendinosis.³ Tendinosis is the process of our tendons (the connective tissue connecting muscle to bone) weakening due to chronic overuse motions.³  The result can be pain and limited function. Weekend warriors can endure throwing injuries, low back pain, and even jaw pain from neck and facial injuries. If left untreated, these conditions can become chronic and cause movement avoidance, further contributing to the tendinosis process. Weakness and or movement limitations can contribute further to the issue.
So, what’s the cure? Rehab! Tendons respond amazingly well to exercise correctly prescribed by a Physical Therapist.⁴ Physical therapy can also help with injury prevention. We can improve overall strength of the muscle and tendon to avoid throwing injuries, low back pain and even jaw pain. During the process of tendon healing and strengthening, we can provide pain relief through soft tissue mobilization, functional dry needling and other hands-on manual techniques. Weekend Warriors, if you are currently suffering from an injury or just want to become stronger to prevent injuries we can help!

Author: Heidi Plotzke, PT, DPT
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 Sources:
1.    Carter MI, Hinton PS. Physical activity and bone health. Mo Med. 2014;111(1):59-64.
2. How much physical activity do adults need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm. Published March 17, 2022. Accessed March 22, 2022. 
3.   Bass E. Tendinopathy: why the difference between tendinitis and tendinosis matters. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. 2012;5(1):14-17. doi:10.3822/ijtmb.v5i1.153
4.    Ian Burton, Aisling McCormack, The implementation of resistance training principles in exercise interventions for lower limb tendinopathy: A systematic review, Physical Therapy in Sport, Volume 50, 2021, Pages 97-113,

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