Dr. Grapple

Injuries are an inevitable part of training Jujitsu, but when do you work through the pain and when do you set your training aside and seek professional care for your injury so you don't end up with permanent damage? Here are some tips and questions to ask yourself to help clear up questions about what you should do about your injuries and whether or not you should take some time off or train through your injury. First off, when the injury occurred, did you feel any "pops" or "snaps"? Did you wake up the next day with bruising or swelling? Well if so, I've got some bad news for you; you probably dislocated something or tore a ligament or tendon and you need to seek professional care. You can't train through this type of injury as you may need surgery or some type of therapy. If you do find yourself with a potential torn ligament or tendon, what you don't want to do is go to the ER. The emergency room is to make sure your life is not in immedia...

You don't have to spend much time on a mat before you will experience the inevitable jammed finger. A jammed finger can turn into a nagging injury that usually won't prevent you from training, but it can make it really uncomfortable and annoying when you do train. So next time you jam one of your fingers, use these methods to dramatically speed up your recovery time. Use Ice and Heat Appropriately Ice and heat are not new modalities for dealing with injury, but it helps to know how to use them properly and I have found many people are confused when to use each. Basically, ice restricts blood flow to an area and heat increases blood flow to an area. Ice should be used immediately after the injury has occurred to reduce swelling, but after that heat will help the injury to heal faster since it increases blood flow to the affected area. When a joint is damaged, like a jammed finger, the body needs "supplies" in order to repair the damage and these "supplies...