Strains, sprains, and yoga pains: the rise of lockdown injuries
Clinics are reporting a spike in patients needing help for ‘home gymjuries’, reports Rob Kemp
Newfound enthusiasm for exercise has led to millions of Britons rediscovering exercise or trying new sports during lockdown. But medical specialists are reporting a dramatic rise in exercise-related injuries – from sprains and strains to pulled muscles and back injuries – as a result.
“Before the Covid-19 outbreak I was going to the gym two or three times a week,” explains Tom Bourlet, 32, a Brighton-based travel blogger. “When lockdown came I paid £500 for an adjustable dumbbell set and an exercise bench so that I could work out from home.”
Bourlet found that the convenience of not having to journey to the gym led him to push his training beyond his usual routine. “I’d get a bit bored and do more weightlifting than usual, upping my sessions to five times a week and with heavier weights,” he adds.
“It started well, but I pushed myself too hard. I was doing shoulder press exercises one morning and felt a twinge in my neck and shoulder down my left side.
Within a few minutes, the pain really kicked in.”
Bourlet self-diagnosed a
“rotator cuff ” injury. “They’re the tiny muscles that connect the joint in the shoulder and arm.
They’re easy to injure and once you’ve done them they tend to recur.”
He stopped lifting weights immediately. “I couldn’t even go out on my bicycle as I couldn’t turn my head to see when riding.”
According to the private health insurer, Bupa, Bourlet is one of 7.2million Britons who have been injured while trying to stay fit during the lockdown. Of those who reported injury as a result of exercise during lockdown, 30 per cent had been doing classes online or via apps, 28 per cent had been weight training and 22 per cent have used home gym equipment.
“Exercise is enormously important for both our physical and mental health,” explains Damian Mcclelland, clinical director for musculoskeletal services at Bupa. “But new regimes and workouts should be taken on with caution to avoid ‘home gymjuries’.”
The British Chiropractic Association reports a 660 per cent increase in traffic to its website as injured Britons seek out local specialists. Around 90 per cent of chiropractors are now offering telehealth/video consultations in response to the rising need for chiropractic treatment throughout lockdown.
“We’re seeing a sharp increase in people who’ve ‘Joe Wicks-ed’ themselves,” explains Ulrick Sandstorm, a BCA chiropractor specialising in sports injuries, referring to patients who have injured themselves whilst following popular online exercise classes like the daily class by trainer Joe Wicks. “These people have injured themselves because they’re diving straight into an exercise routine they’re not used to – often at the wrong intensity or load. Many of them are picking up small muscle injuries then trying to ‘run them off ’ or ‘push through the pain barrier’. But there’s no science to say that works. Instead, they’re risking more damage and a longer lay-off by not listening to their bodies.” One such victim of the lockdown switch to working out from home is Mark Brown, 63, managing director of a building contractor in Isleworth, Middlesex. “My gym has closed and the yoga classes I was attending have had to stop too, so I started running a few miles a day, two or three times a week.
“It began OK but I was also reading about how high-intensity interval training can really help combat weight gain. That involves short sprints during longer runs. I felt better for it, but then I sprinted one morning and felt a muscle pull in my groin. Even though I know from my days playing football that you can’t really ‘run off ’ an injury, stupidly I tried to carry on. It’s got a lot worse and now I’m unable to run at all.”
Despite millions of exercisers picking up injuries, Bupa estimates that just one in four has sought medical help. Instead, people have been patching themselves up with painkillers or joint supports, while a further 42 per cent have done “nothing”, running the risk of causing a more significant injury.
Orthopaedic doctors and surgeons at London’s Total Orthopaedics clinic have also seen a 30 per cent increase in the number of patients reporting fitness-related injuries (via virtual consultations) since “unlimited exercising” outdoors was permitted.
Before taking up a new exercise regimen, Bupa’s Damian Mcclelland recommends that those working out from home follow the lead of elite athletes. “Make sure to build in 15 minutes to stretch out and cool down muscles after a workout, take rest days in between exercise and make sure that you’re getting enough sleep,” he says. “Try to gather as much information and guidance on technique as possible before you embark on a new workout, and if you do suffer an injury, seeking medical help remains essential.”