Injury. It’s one of the most frustrating things a workout warrior can encounter. If you haven’t yet experienced a setback like chronic injury, odds are at some point you will. The trick to getting back on track with your workouts is understanding the cycle that takes you from injury to full recovery.

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a common injury of the elbow that occurs from over use of the joint. One of the most common causes of Tennis Elbow is playing racquet spots, like tennis, squash but the condition is also common in gardeners, electricians, carpenters and baseball pitchers. The condition typically presents with pain in the elbow joint and radiates along the outside of the forearm and wrist (see Pictorial).

Rupture of the Achilles tendon is a common injury in healthy, young, active individuals. The rupture is usually spontaneous and most common in individuals in between the ages 25-50 years. Most individuals have had no prior history of pain or previous injury to the heel. The rupture of the tendon usually occurs just a few cms above the heel from where the tendon attaches to the heel bone (calcaneous). Some of the causes of Achilles tendon rupture include poor conditioning, advanced age, and overexertion during exercise.

- The majority of individuals will present with a sudden snap at the back of the heels which is associated with intense pain. The majority of individuals have no long history of prior heel pain or feeling that something is wrong. Immediately after the rupture the majority of individuals will have difficult walking. One is not able to completely raise the foot and dragging results.