Serge B. Pierrecharles

Hi! Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately, there is not anything we can do to "speed-up" the healing process. Your specific situation sounds like a pretty serious muscle strain, and that type of injury takes time for the body to respond, rebuild and repair the tissues that were damaged. While I would advise to always stick to a balanced diet (moderate carbs, plenty of fruits and vegetables, protein), ensuring adequate intake of protein will help the damaged muscle heal. Be sure that you are getting a protein source with each meal of the day, and do not skip any meals in order to keep the muscle fed. The best diet that I would recommend would come from the International Society of Sports Nutrition:

-Overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4–2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day (g/kg/d) and protein doses should be evenly distributed throughout the day (every 3-4 hours)

-45%-55% of total daily calories should come from carbohydrates

-Fats will be about 30% of the diet, and emphasis should be placed on Omega-3 fatty acids as there have been positive health benefits relating to muscles, heart, and mental health seen in research.

It is my philosophy that simple is best when it comes to diet.

Hi! Thanks for reaching out. Was the sprain diagnosed by a medical provider? If not, I would advise you to have the ankle evaluated in a clinic or urgent care to ensure that there is no further injury or fracture. Ice is one thing that can help a sprain. A common expression that is used for ankle sprains is R.I.C.E. Rest. Ice. Compression (w/ ACE wrap bandage). Elevation (sitting with ankle propped up often). During the first 2-3 days of the sprain this is the best option for the sprain to assist with the initial pain, swelling, and inflammation. If the ankle is too painful to walk without a limp, then it is better to use crutches and rest the ankle until weight-bearing is non-painful. After the first 2-3 days of healing, then it is important to begin moving the ankle actively to achieve and improve full range of motion. This is also important for regaining proper weight bearing without limping. Ultimately, the proper implementation of motion and slow progression of activity will help to return to full activity without any deficits. I would encourage you to look for assistance from an athletic trainer that might be located at your son's school. If there is not an athletic trainer to speak to locally, then advice from an urgent care or clinic is advised.

Hi! Thank you for reaching out. I would have a couple of questions for your regarding the pain and the softball. How long has it been since the last time you played softball? Are you fast-pitching or slow-pitching? And, do you remember a specific instance when you felt the on-set of pain or was it gradual? The answers to these questions could possibly help determine which muscles need stretching, but also if the muscles are even involved. The shoulder is a very complex joint and shoulder pain could be coming from many different things besides muscles. I would encourage you to reach out to your doctor (or physical therapist/athletic trainer) for evaluation before providing an stretches that might worsen the pain.

Hi! Thank you for reaching out. Yes, that could be the cause of your hip pain, especially if you routinely stretch prior to running and have never had this pain before. However, there are many other details involved in this type of question. A consistent/routine warm-up is important for all exercise to prepare the muscles for a larger than normal amount of exertion. However, it is also possible that at some point during the run there was a muscle strain in your hip or tendon that is now causing the pain. Current research points to using dynamic stretches such as high knees, lunging, butt kicks, etc. to warm-up; and then using static stretches such as seated or standing hamstring or quad stretch or a calf stretch against a wall or inclined surface to cool-down after exercise. However, I would recommend gentle stretching over the next couple of days along with icing the painful area, and do not resume your running routine until the pain resolves. I would caution you against assuming that not stretching correlates with the hip pain. If your hip pain persists, I would recommend seeing your doctor for a full evaluation and diagnosis.

Hi! Thank you for reaching out. While you cannot sprain your Achilles tendon, you can tear or partially tear it through overstretching or trauma. Achilles tendon injury does not automatically mean you will completely tear it in the future, however, proper treatment can contribute to recovery and prevention of future injury. It will be important to have the proper combination of stretching and strengthening exercises to ensure that the muscle and tendon tissue can still accomplish full range of motion while maintain strength to prevent tear in the future. I would encourage you to reach out to your doctor (physical therapist/athletic trainer if you know of someone) who can perform a full evaluation and give you proper instruction on what type of exercises can help accomplish these goals.
If you do have a partial tear and it is not allowed to adequately heal, then yes, you are more likely to completely rupture it.

Hi! Thank you for reaching out. Drink plenty of fluids! If you are not already a daily water drinker, I would start with trying to drink 2L daily of plain water. It is also important to have a proper warm-up prior to exercise and a proper cool-down after exercise. A proper warm-up will include things such as lunges, high-knees, butt-kicks, etc., and this is also known as a dynamic warm-up. Preparing muscles for exercises is key for injury prevention. It is also important to have a proper cool down afterward exercise. After you finish exercise, but while you are still warm, I would encourage you to perform a full-body stretching routine and specifically focus on the muscles that seem to be the "extremely tight" muscles you mention. Stretching should NEVER be painful. You may feel a slight stretching discomfort, but it is important to not experience pain while stretching. Lastly, eat a balanced snack after exercise that includes protein and carbohydrates to help fuel the tissue repair process. If you are already doing these things and still have this problem, I would advise further evaluation by your doctor.

Hi! Thank you for reaching out. Without knowing the mechanism that caused the pain or where the pain is, I hesitate to give treatment recommendations. There are many different structures in the knee that could be affected and causing pain. The knee can also have pain that is caused by biomechanical dysfunctions of the hip also. Since the pain has lasted for about 3 months and doesn't seem to be going away on its own, I would encourage you to reach out to your doctor for relief. A full evaluation, diagnosis, and rehabilitation program might be able to help you achieve the relief that you desire.