I'm injured AGAIN!

MakePeasNotWar

I have been trying to train for a Muay Thai fight forever, it seems. Every time I get back into training after injury rehab, I hurt something else. This time I have been off for 2 weeks with a strained rectus femoris, and my physiotherapist wants me to wait until at least next week even to start running. I finally had progressed enough on my ankle rehab to go back to the gym and managed to go FOUR DAYS without an injury.

I do rehab with a trainer twice a week, and see an osteopath and massage therapist monthly. I try to be so careful, but it's like I'm made of glass!

Not sure if I am looking for advice as much as encouragement (though if you do have suggestions I am all ears). I just feel like quitting sometimes but I know in the long run I would always regret not having fought competitively.

jwdieter

38 years old and unable to train due to recurring injuries. Maybe competitive muay thai is not in the cards.

Willbenchforcupcakes

I spent 12 long years in physio rehabbing one injury after another. I learnt two things about myself - I have very loose ligaments, which means if I'm not being thoughtful in movements, I can very easily hurt myself.

The second is that I tend to have my big injuries during times of big emotional distress. The physical pain of an injury and rehab is much easier to take than dealing with the emotional pain. It took a lot of time to learn not to allow myself to be uncareful and allow an injury to happen.

SueInAz

I think part of the problem is that you have a 20-something mentality about what you can do and a 38 year old body. As we get older, we do need to take things a little slower. We seem to get injured more easily and it takes longer for our bodies to repair themselves when we do. Then we try to start up again before we're really ready while compensating for the injury and injuring something else as a result. It's like having your knee hurt after you've been limping around all day with a sore ankle.

As a youngster, I was a gymnast and competed in Japanese karate. I got hurt, healed quickly and got back at it. In my mid-40s, I know there's no way I can hope to recover as quickly and so when I took up running three years ago, I did it very cautiously and backed off when I felt any pain at all. As a result, I haven't had even a minor injury in 3 years in a sport that's crazy with knee, shin, ankle and other problems especially amongst people my age.

I'm not saying that you can't meet your goal of competing but you might want to take things a little more slowly than you like. Give your body time to fully recover before jumping in again. Be sure to work at simply building your core strength so your body can compensate for movements that might injure someone less fit.

LishieFruit89

I've been dealing with injuries since April.

Tweaked a hip with a deadlift in April.
Effed my left knee in May with a run.
The right knee pain I already had stuck around most of the summer.
Right ankle joined the party about the same time as the left knee.

I've been in therapy since August for my knees.
And just added my shoulder/back to the therapy since I pulled a deadlift wrong in December.

I've been on restricted workouts for a bit now. November/December only two months where I was allowed to run, squat, deadlift, etc.
Right now, I'm allowed to walk and squat.

You've got to give yourself more time off than just a week.
That's not enough time to let things heal and you very well could be doing more damage.
Which is why you're repeatedly injuring yourself.

AllanMisner

Yep, you're not 12. Far be it for me to tell you what to do and not do, but I think you should use this down time to evaluate your goals and find something that you can maintain for the long run. I gave up tackle football when I was 41. I still play a touch game from time to time (Thanksgiving family tradition). Not exactly the same, but I'm moving (and I don't end up with broken bones when I'm done with a game).

VastBreak

Same here! I get into a consistent routine and gradually build up and then wham another setback! I been trying to switch up different activities and lower the intensity! Not sure what the solution is but now I think the extra weight adds to my joint instability!

james6998

I have been trying to train for a Muay Thai fight forever, it seems. Every time I get back into training after injury rehab, I hurt something else. This time I have been off for 2 weeks with a strained rectus femoris, and my physiotherapist wants me to wait until at least next week even to start running. I finally had progressed enough on my ankle rehab to go back to the gym and managed to go FOUR DAYS without an injury.

I do rehab with a trainer twice a week, and see an osteopath and massage therapist monthly. I try to be so careful, but it's like I'm made of glass!

Not sure if I am looking for advice as much as encouragement (though if you do have suggestions I am all ears). I just feel like quitting sometimes but I know in the long run I would always regret not having fought competitively.

Are you truly recovering before heading back at it? I hurt my elbow after 9 months of intense training and it took almost 3 months of NOTHING, no light workouts, nadda. I am now 98% back to rights and I am still taking it easy when training.
Also put the Glucosamine sulfate to me just to help.

MakePeasNotWar

Thanks for the replies. Many of you have suggested I may be pushing too hard to get back quickly; you are probably right.

For the record, 38+ is considered senior class in most big tournaments, so I wouldn't be fighting 20 year-olds. I'm not completely nuts, lol.

I feel a lot of pressure from my husband to get in the gym (he won the North American TBA title for his bracket last year at age 51, and teaches the sparring classes) and from my Ajahn, but I guess I need to listen to my own body and take it a bit slower. I feel like they are disappointed in me when I take too much time off, but I need to just get over that.

AllanMisner

Consider opportunities for an active recovery. There may be some areas of fitness (strength, balance, flexibility, etc.) that could translate to improved performance once you've recovered and are ready to return to active training. That way, you haven't stopped, you're just getting a better foundation to kick *kitten* later.

SueInAz

Consider opportunities for an active recovery. There may be some areas of fitness (strength, balance, flexibility, etc.) that could translate to improved performance once you've recovered and are ready to return to active training. That way, you haven't stopped, you're just getting a better foundation to kick *kitten* later.

Thank you for putting this in a much better way than I did when I mentioned working on core strength.

Work areas that aren't affected by your current injuries while you are recovering. Work on your flexibility by stretching every day, Build strength in your arms and upper back using free weights. Whatever you can do. Taking time off for an injury doesn't have to mean lying on the sofa all day.