How did I injure myself? (And how do I avoid doing it again?)

The definition of injury is quite simple:


When the applied load becomes greater than the tolerance a tissue can stand, you sustain injury.  















This may be easier to understand if we use a simple example.  Let us pretend that we had two different branches or sticks.  One of the sticks was from an older tree and one of the sticks were from a sapling (or a younger tree). 

If we take the older branch and bend it, there becomes a point in that branch that will "snap" if the applied load goes beyond the tolerance of the branch to bear that load.

Let's take a look at the younger branch.  You would likely find that it is more flexible and can tolerate more bend than the older branch.  Thus, you can apply more force (load) through the smaller branch before it "snaps" or breaks (and quite often a younger branch will not break right through, only partially through). 

This comparison is similar to how different tissues in the body withstand applied loads (forces) through the body.  If you have ever broken a bone, it is because the force through that bone had gone beyond the tissue tolerance.  The same could be said if you have ever sprained an ankle.  The stretch (applied load) on the ligaments of the ankle go beyond the tolerance for the ligament, it tears or breaks.
The definition of injury can be applied to any tissue in the body.  From cartilage (vertebral discs, meniscus in the knee, or articular cartilage), every ligament, bone, joint capsule, nerve, muscle, tendon etc.

The answer to how to avoid injury?  Don't overload the tissues in your body!  Make sure that any movement you do is within a safe capacity (this also includes sitting and stress on back!)