Pulled a hamstring or calf? That sharp pain, swelling, and stiffness are classic signs of a muscle tear. Your natural urge might be to stretch, but pulling on already disrupted muscle fibers can worsen it. Instead, focus on smart recovery! Immediately after injury, ice, compress, and elevate to reduce swelling. Once the initial sensitivity subsides, try gentle massage around the tear and a specific taping technique to support healing. Then, gradually introduce pain-free movem

If you've felt sharp outer knee pain while running or jumping, you might blame your IT band. While IT band syndrome (ITBS) is a common diagnosis, what if your mechanics are fine, your hip muscles are strong, and massaging doesn't help? The missing piece might be your proximal tibiofibular joint—specifically, how your fibular head moves. Trauma or repetitive rotational sports like pickleball can cause this. Learn a simple "reset" technique: stabilize the fibular head with your