3 minute read
lizzo says a cold plunge helps her with anxiety
while some studies have found that submerging yourself in icy water can help with inflammation and some mental health issues, there can also be risks to your heart.
toronto maple leafs captain john tavares strains oblique
tavares tweaked his abdomen during a game, but chronic coughing or even sneezing can also cause an oblique strain.
since leaving the new york islanders as a free agent in 2018, john tavares has scored 119 goals and 274 points for the toronto maple leafs in 280 games. (photo by mike ehrmann/getty images)
toronto maple leafs captain john tavares will miss at least three weeks after straining his oblique, head coach sheldon keefe told media on tuesday. tavares tweaked his abdomen in a pre-season game on sunday against the ottawa senators.
“obviously, he’s a huge part of our team, and it alters the plan for sure,” keefe said during a press conference. “it’s additional opportunities for guys to step up and fill in that space. obviously, you’re not going to replace john, but this does create an opportunity for us to look at others — and others to step up and take advantage of that opportunity.”
depending on the night, the mississauga native is a first or second line centre for the leafs — a role that is now up for grabs. superstar auston matthews will likely be the first line centre for the time being, while calle jarnkrok and alexander kerfoot were mentioned to be tavares’ replacement for the remainder of the pre-season.
the leafs’ captain played 79 games last season, scoring 27 goals and putting up 49 assists for a total of 76 points. that was only a few months removed from his head injury during the first game of the 2021 stanley cup playoffs.
with the leafs set to take on the montreal canadiens on oct. 12, it looks like tavares will miss the first few games, as a three week sit-out will see him return oct. 18, before a game two days later against the dallas stars.
related stories
advertisement
“we’ve got a number of different options,” keefe says. “in the time that we have remaining, we’ll look at those. we hope that this is the time where we need (our depth), and then we can be healthy the rest of the way.”
since leaving the new york islanders as a free agent in 2018, tavares has scored 119 goals and 274 points for the leafs in 280 games.
what is an oblique strain?
the obliques are a set of muscles around the waist, essentially surrounding the abs as they run from the top of the hips around to the lower back. the muscles themselves are used to help with bending over, twisting, moving side to side, and even breathing.
the obliques, just like most other muscles, can be strained from over using the muscle or blunt impacts. chronic coughing or sneezing can also cause an oblique strain.
people who have strained their oblique will likely be in a pretty significant amount of pain when the muscle is in use. any twisting or bending over can be painful, as can the motion of laying down, or standing up. because the obliques help stabilize the torso, even sitting can be painful.
there are also three degrees of muscle strain, which range from localized pain and mild swelling all the way to a ruptured muscle.
advertisement
how do you fix a strained oblique?
the only thing that can truly heal a muscle strain is time, though there are things that can be done to speed it up and reduce pain in the meantime.
are a few of the ways athletes can expedite the healing process. there are also braces that can help keep the core stable while dealing with an injury.
standard treatments such as compressing, icing, and resting will also help the muscle heal. for muscles that can be elevated, that method is also recommended and called the r.i.c.e (rest, ice, compression, elevation) approach.
doctors may recommend against over the counter pain medications, as they could increase the risk of bleeding and/or potentially lengthen healing time.
chris arnold is a toronto-based writer.
thank you for your support. if you liked this story, please send it to a friend. every share counts.
share story
