Injuries and Training

[Scott Lusk]

Yeah bro, I was out for 11months with a similar issue because I didn't take time to let it heal properly. If you had actually broken a rib healing would have been much quicker, but the cartilage takes forever to get back to 100% and gets re-injured if you fucking look at it wrong. I know this isn't the answer you wanted but if you want to continue training for the rest of your life you need to stay out of the gym right now.

can I ask who/how were you diagnosed? I fear i may have a similar issue going on.

[Aaron Gustaveson]

I require toe surgery...my hand is still healing from about 4-5 months ago. I think Forrest Griffin put it best when he said if you aren't injured you didn't train hard enough.

I don't know man, partly matters how old you are I guess but. we've seen a lot of fights getting called off due to injuries sustained in training. Also we've seen Forrest Griffin run out of the arena bawling (not crying like a man) and he takes TRT. I'll never come close as a fighter but he's not my role model of choice.

[Sam Davis]

So when I was 16 I was working a welder in a fabrication shop. I was making a huge thing, at the time is was pretty much a big rectangle of steel on the ground. I was crouching down like a catcher, I reached out with my right hand and grabbed the bottom rail of the rectangle, and pulled (trying to drag it). Felt like hot water got poured on my back. I thought that somehow my skin had torn and it was blood running down my back. Turned out I tore the connective tissue that connects your shoulder blade to your spine (used when you pull your shoulders back) I occasionally re injured it for many years. I developed a nerve problem , think its called nervosis? any way felt like a hot piece of shrapnel was in my back when it was bad. When it wasn't so bad it felt tingly and or numb and just always felt out of place or strange. I continued occasionally re injuring it until I was about 23. Thats when I got a new line of work that was physically easier. After maybe 2 years it got so it never really burned and hurt really bad, it just felt off and tingelly. After maybe 3 more years of not injuring it and light exercise it kinda went away. If I do somthing like kayaking or rock climbing sometimes I think I kinda feel it. Nothing like the hell it used to be. Forgot to say I went to a physical therapist and got some exercises that maybe helped. S that was 7 years of re injury and constant pain, then 5 years of being very careful about avoiding certain movements.

Heating pad, and tigerbalm back patches help. Good luck.

Heat pad has really helped me too. Thanks.

[Sam Davis]

Yeah bro, I was out for 11months with a similar issue because I didn't take time to let it heal properly. If you had actually broken a rib healing would have been much quicker, but the cartilage takes forever to get back to 100% and gets re-injured if you fucking look at it wrong. I know this isn't the answer you wanted but if you want to continue training for the rest of your life you need to stay out of the gym right now.

If I knew it would get better over time, then I would keep training, but I don't want it to get so bad that I permanently injure myself. Thanks for the feedback.

[Sam Davis]

Thanks everyone.

[Cody Kietzman]

I don't know man, partly matters how old you are I guess but. we've seen a lot of fights getting called off due to injuries sustained in training. Also we've seen Forrest Griffin run out of the arena bawling (not crying like a man) and he takes TRT. I'll never come close as a fighter but he's not my role model of choice.

I'm 23, and regardless of what Forrest has done I think the statement holds some weight.

[Josh Passini]

Injury is always looming around you, each and every day that you put it all on the line. You just have to learn to manage them and find a way to get back on the mat. If I can stay under 3 injuries at a time Im in good shape IF its real bad then I have to work around them and focus on what I can do anther than what I cannot.

Truth. I feel your pain. Three different injuries at the same time seems to be the norm, but figuring out a way to stay on the mats is key. Adjusting what game you play based on what options you have due to injury.

[Greg W]

My rib cartilage is my weakness for sure. When I first started BJJ I paid my dues for my first month and went to the first class. During the class my first partner was HUGE. We learned Upa and roll. During the bridge and twist I tore the cartilage in my ribs. Went to Doc, he took x-ray and I had no broken ribs. I could barely freakin' breath. A sneeze sent me to the floor. Since I already paid however, I wasn't going to miss a single class. I very painfully rolled thru it. Since then I have had the same thing 3-4 more times in a couple of different spots. Rolled thru every one. It has been almost 2 years since the last one. I am either just rolling smarter or my ribs have finally gotten conditioned to rolling. Choose your rolling partners carefully for a while. Find people that you can work with but will take it alittle easy on that side for you. With your Doctors permission of course!!

And ICE, ICE baby!!

[Aaron Gustaveson]

I'm 23, and regardless of what Forrest has done I think the statement holds some weight.

Yeah, one way to look at it is, based solely off his accomplishments, anything hes says regarding mma has some weight. On the other hand great fighters aren't always the great coaches. You also have to consider the severity of injury. We get mat burns and bruises almost everyday. (I do anyway) but injuries to connective tissues like ligaments and tendons, some cartilage take a long time to heal. One of the climbing gyms I used to frequent had a limit on the number of days you could train on this one particular apparatus. That was because muscle can grow and heal so much faster than connective tissues that you can develop to rapidly and rip you own tendons.

[Steeyle]

Just keep your mind active, look into things that you didn't have time to before. Remember healing is training too, being patient and taking the time to heal up isn't easy, but theres so much in this world to be learned and nows the perfect time to do it. I blew my knee out in April and have been dying to get back on the mats but nothing would be more disapointing than reinjuring myself and being out even longer. Just concentrate on healing and being patient. In the long run it'll be better, some injuries are worth pushing through and some are better off having time to heal.. In my opinion haha