Injuries are frequent during the course of a long triathlon season. A typical reaction from an athlete is to stretch the affected area. Few athletes realize, however, that this stretching can lengthen the healing process or cause further damage.

Microtrauma or overuse injuries are the most common injuries to endurance athletes. Typically, these injuries are due to repeated or abnormal stresses that tissues are subjected to through continuous training or allowing too little recovery time between training sessions. Muscles, ligaments and tendons are the tissues that receive the most stress during prolonged training and are most commonly injured. Strains are injuries to the muscle itself and are usually graded minor, moderate, or severe. Tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon; which attaches the muscle to bone, and are graded acute, sub acute or chronic. Sprains are injuries to ligaments and are graded I, II and III. A grade I is no more than a minor stretch to the ligament and a grade III is a complete disruption of the ligament.

With all of these injuries tissues go through a healing process as follows: Inflammation phase, Repair phase and Remodeling phase. The inflammation phase general only lasts 1-3 days after injury. The repair phase starts as early as 48 hours after injury and can last up to 8 weeks. Lastly, it can take 2-4 months for a tissue to go through the remodeling phase. In the case of a complete ligament or tendon disruption, surgery may be required as many of these injuries are unable to repair themselves.

The question is when is the athlete able to stretch the injured tissues without causing further harm? In the case of ligament sprains, stretching is always contraindicated. When a ligament is sprained, the joint becomes unstable and a period of immobilization is required for the ligament to try and repair itself. An athlete should always seek the attention of a medical professional if he or she suspects this type of injury. They can give you guidelines for when it is safe to start mobilizing the joint and surrounding tissues.

Muscle strains require rest during the inflammation phase along with ice and anti-inflammatory medicines. After this phase of initial healing, gentle stretching along with massage and muscle-setting exercises can be initiated as the tissue repairs itself. Progressively higher intensity stretches and strengthening exercises can begin as the athlete's pain level decreases and they are ready for return to sport.

Tendon injuries are slower to heal than muscle strains because of the decrease in blood supply in the tissue. Acute and sub acute tendon injuries respond well if given a period of rest followed by liberal application of ice and progressive stretching. Deep friction massage across the fibers of the tendon helps to increase the blood flow to the tendon and aid in the healing process. Anti-inflammatory medicines are also helpful. In the case of chronic tendonitis, the athlete should seek the help of a health care professional. Chronic tendonitis can weaken the fibers of the tendon and make it susceptible to tearing. Whenever an athlete suspects a torn tendon, the body part will also need to be immobilized and any form of stretching or exercise should be avoided until he or she is evaluated by a professional.

By following these guidelines you may more quickly return to your regular training program and avoid further complication.

Steve Elton is a physical therapist for Body Pros, strength and conditioning specialist, coach, and triathlete. He received his MS from the University of South Carolina and holds certifications through the NSCA, NASM. Steve is a former elite triathlete with racing experience from sprint to Ironman distance.