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Fitness Article
of the Month Coming back from injuries. Prepared by Robert Roos, this article deals with Physical and mental techniques in healing injuries. Best of Health. RM On the Mend
If you're one
of the many people who find that a good half-hour workout every
day or two clears the mind and relaxes the body, a minor injury
that derails your exercise program may come as a shock. The point
of exercise, after all, is to have fun, reduce stress, and stay
healthy. But if you do get hurt, the shock may be less severe if
you know something about injuries and how to deal with them. By
understanding how an injury affects both your BODY and your MIND,
you'll be better equipped to recover. Getting Your BODY Back on Track When you are injured, you'll be likely to get back to your workout sooner if you actively help your body recover than if you wait for the problem to go away on its own. Acute Injuries An acute injury is one that's caused by a single incident, such as an ankle sprain. Acute injuries usually trigger immediate pain and swelling. If you suffer an acute injury that causes severe pain, or if pain and swelling last more than 2 or 3 days, you should see your doctor. Otherwise, your best bet is to use the "RICE" approach: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. These steps prevent further injury and limit pain and swelling:
It may not be practical to do all of these things, but the more you can do, the better. You can also take a nonprescription pain-reliever such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen (if these are safe for you). After 2 or 3 days, as swelling subsides, you may find it helpful to use a heating pad or warm water instead of ice. Warmth reduces stiffness and promotes healing by increasing blood flow to the injured part. But don't use heat in the first couple of days, because at that stage it promotes swelling. Steps to relieve pain and swelling are only half of treatment. The other half is activity. With most minor injuries, "early mobilization"--getting the part moving again as soon as this is possible without increasing pain--will speed healing. The general
recipe for early mobilization is to start with gentle range-of-motion
exercises and then move on to stretching and strengthening exercises
as pain allows. For example, if you have a sprained ankle, you may
be able to work on range of motion in the first day or two by gently
tracing letters with your big toe. Once your range of motion is
fairly good, you can start doing Overuse Injuries Overuse injuries, also called "chronic" injuries, are caused by repeated motions over time rather than by a single incident. Two common examples are knee soreness in runners and elbow pain in tennis players. Many of these injuries are caused simply by doing too much or doing it too hard. Just stopping your activity or cutting back for a while may solve the problem. As in acute injuries, ice and nonprescription pain relievers often help as well. If rest, ice, and pain relievers seem to eliminate the soreness, you can try gradually resuming your normal exercise or sport. Be sure to warm up with light activity (such as walking or slow cycling) before your regular workout, and do gentle stretching exercises both before and after. But if pain and soreness don't go away, or your activity brings them back, it's time to see your doctor. Sometimes, an underlying problem must be corrected before an overuse injury will heal. The problem could be a lack of strength or flexibility in a certain muscle group, a slight anatomical defect, the wrong shoes, incorrect technique, or a playing surface that's too hard or uneven. Depending on
the injury, your doctor may have you do special exercises, wear
orthotics in your shoes, replace equipment, or suggest changes in
your technique. In most cases these kinds of steps will solve the
problem. Make Up Your MIND to Get Well An athletic injury can be an emotional as well as a physical setback. The pain and swelling may be in your ankle, knee, or shoulder, but healing depends partly on what goes on in your head. That's because an injury that limits your activity can feel devastating. It may hurt your social life, interfere with your work and home responsibilities, and, if you're a confirmed exerciser, take away your best stress-relief tool. You may feel overwhelmed as you face the challenge of keeping your life more or less normal while you recover. The good news is that recognizing the psychological and emotional dimensions of injury can help you get on the road to recovery. Positive thinking and an intelligent approach to healing will help you return to action sooner. Below are some ways you can meet the challenge. Knowledge and Planning Successful recovery begins with understanding your injury. It helps to know as much as possible about the nature and extent of the injury, how long recovery is expected to take, and what you need to do to recover. The best way to learn these things is to work with your doctor and other healthcare professionals to develop a plan for your recovery. Consider yourself a vital participant in the planning. Although you may not be a medical expert, you know best how the injury and the recovery strategy will affect your daily life. Attitude Adjustment Certain attitudes and ways of relating to yourself and others will enhance your recovery:
Healing Techniques Three standard techniques for relaxation and meditation are useful in recovering from injuries:
Prepared by Robert Roos This fitness article is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health-care professionals. Consult your physician before beginning or making changes in your diet, supplements or exercise program, for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding medications. Thanks. RM |
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Copyright 2001, Ron McConnell. All rights reserved. |
