As your most personal trainer, I've written many columns over the years about how to prevent and treat overuse injuries. It's not sexy. It's not the latest research linking diet soda to early dementia. It's not even tied to the House version of our newest health care bill, which should be tied to a submarine headed to the bottom of the sea.

So, why do I keep coming back to overuse injuries? Because trying to do too much, too soon, with a body that isn't strong or flexible enough to take the stress is the most common sports injury there is.

In fact, as I stand here at my desk, I'm dealing with my own overuse injury, a twist too far in yoga class, a bend too deep. I don't blame it on the poses or the teacher. It was me! I did it, a combination of moves that felt really good in the moment, but in this moment, I'm standing at my desk, trying to wiggle away the discomfort.

What better time to review the basics of overuse injuries for you, dear readers — those sprains and strains, aches and pains that often follow our participation in sports, gardening, car washing and even closet cleaning.

WHY IT HAPPENS. One reason overuse injuries are common is that your body has so many fixed and moving parts: at least 640 muscles, 206 bones, and 360 joints — all intricately interconnected — and lots can go wrong. Nerves get pressed, muscle fibers shred, tendons tear, knees wear out, backs give out and body imbalances develop over time.

Anatomy is destiny, and so is muscular imbalance, another leading cause of overuse injuries. Perhaps the biggest reason people suffer from overuse injuries is impatience and a lack of understanding about how much stress their bodies can take.

We're working out, running, playing, all is well... but the next hour, or the next day — "Ouch! Wow! What's going on?"

Our shoulder screams, our side muscles seize, our low back is so locked up we can't even put on our shoes without kicking the cat. Now what?

HOW DO YOU TREAT AN OVERUSE INJURY? If nothing's broken or getting worse instead of better, you don't need to call in a doctor, but that's your decision. Most of us will choose to give it a few days at home and practice whatever we've learned about self-care.

Overuse injuries cause swelling and inflammation — inside your body, you can't see it — and the quickest way to bring down inflammation is ice. Ice, not heat. Heat might feel good after a day or two of icing, but to begin, get some ice on it, repeatedly but for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

Rest is important, but so is gentle activity that juices up the wounded area but doesn't aggravate the pain. Self-massage is good for this, too, especially if you combine it with a healing rub. Topricin is one homeopathic ointment I keep around, and there are many others (including cannabis-based products) that provide comforting relief.

WHAT ABOUT PAINKILLERS? Exercise caution. Take the least amount of your favorite brand if you can't find relief elsewhere, and resist heavy-duty opioids that offer a quick fix and long-term misery. Explore other ways, better ways, to handle your discomfort, including body work, soaking in a tub of therapeutic salts, somatic release and visualization.

TUNE IN TO YOUR BODY. Overuse injuries will get better over time, even if you do nothing. Don't return to full activity too soon, or you might reinjure yourself. Kindness to yourself and patience are called for, and so is a continuing conversation with your body. It's a two-way thing.

Sensation — a twinge here, a grip there — is the language of the body. Listen in and learn what you can.

STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN. And last but not least — in fact, the key to preventing overuse injuries — is to step up to a movement practice that improves your body awareness, that increases your strength and flexibility in a balanced and conscious way.

With 360 muscles, 206 bones, 640 joints and hundreds of great ways to play with them, it's really easy to overdo it.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! BRING YOUR MIND INTO PLAY

"It's always hard to deal with injuries mentally, but I like to think of it as a new beginning ... so the focus needs to go on healing and coming back stronger than before." — Carli Lloyd

Marilynn Preston is the author of Energy Express, America's longest-running healthy lifestyle column. Her new book, "All Is Well: The Art {and Science} of Personal Well-Being," is available now. To learn more, visit Creators Publishing at https://www.creators.com/books/all-is-well. For more on personal well-being, visit www.MarilynnPreston.com.