Within the different types of training that exist, what we propose to address today is muscular strength/endurance training.
What is strength training?
According to the literature, muscular strength is described by the ability of the neuromuscular system to develop tension against external resistance that requires more effort and energy than usual. Physical Activity and Health Guidelines (2010)
What are the key principles to remember?
Integrating muscular resistance training into a rehabilitation plan can promote increased muscle volume, maximum strength and power through several mechanisms. These range from muscular hypertrophy to neural changes, such as increased activation of more motor units and supraspinal adaptations.
Among the various injuries/conditions that can affect the normal functioning of our musculoskeletal system, muscular strength training is one of the valid tools for treating the most common ones, including those that are in a chronic state:
Recurrent and disabling back pain,
Knee osteoarthritis and
Patellar or Achilles tendon tendinopathy.
On the other hand, this type of training is useful in acute conditions such as:
Post hip arthroplasty,
Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament,
Muscle injuries and
Non-specific shoulder pain.
It is effective regardless of age and/or gender, and you should always be aware that the goals and treatment plan may differ from person to person.
To perform strength training, what precautions should be taken?
Perform a few repetitions without external load or with very light weights as a warm-up, particularly for the knee and shoulder joints;
Prioritize, initially, simpler exercises with greater range of motion rather than more complex exercises with greater external load
Gradually expose exercises with greater external load/greater complexity within limited ranges of movement
Use lighter loads in new exercises or after stopping exercising for two or more weeks, promoting technical gestures to the detriment of external weight in the initial phase
Do not completely ignore joint or muscle pain and should discuss this issue with your physiotherapist.
Do not attempt to lift maximum loads without adequate preparation, including technical instruction on the exercise movement and practice with lighter weights.
You should perform several variations of the same exercise as it induces more complete muscle development and greater joint stability.
Ideally, the intervention plan should include a multidisciplinary team that should contribute to helping and monitoring the user's entire evolution, being fundamental and essential for the success of the treatment.
What can we conclude?
As previously discussed, this type of training has been shown to be effective in improving muscle strength, functional capacity and reducing the user's symptoms. Thus, we can conclude that resistance training is a useful tool in the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions and that its practice can lead to positive results during treatment.
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