3 Reasons it “Won’t Just Get Better”
We have all been there right? You roll your ankle, tweak your back, wake up with a stiff neck, or strain something while running or working out. No one wants to go running to the doctor, so you do what you need to do until it feels a little better, maybe talk with your friends or throw an ice bag on it. Until a week or two later and its still nagging you or getting worse. Here are three ways you know this will not just get better
This is not the first time!
Repeated injury is not Normal, period! Pain and dysfunction is so common that it is almost accepted as normal. Does this sound familiar? If I do this activity/occupation, then I should be painful or everyone around you has an ache or pain somewhere, so it is to be expected.
Let me start with highlighting there are different types of pain. Muscle soreness and fatigue when working out or performing a high-level activity is an expected outcome which means you are building strength, however a pain that is limiting or preventing movement and every-day activities or even higher-level sporting activities is not normal. If you get through one injury and it happens more than once or even worse at an increasing rate, that is a big red flag something greater is going on.
What you think is the problem, is not always really what is going on
Everyone is guilty of going on “Doctor Google” and trying to find out what their problems are to avoid going to the actual doctor or talk to their friends/teammates to see if they have had a similar experience.
Too often there are common limitations in function, but very different pathologies associated with those limitations. Not all shoulder injuries are a rotator cuff problem just as not all back pain is due to stiffness or core weakness. It is important to truly know what the problem is before treating it. If you are not getting better with your current method of treatment, it’s not working, and something should be different.
The least painful way of moving is not always the best way
Whenever an injury occurs, it is normal to change the way we move, i.e.: stop going up the stairs with that leg, using the arm to reach overhead, looking to the right without turning the head. This might allow you to have pain relief or “calm the pain” but that does not mean the injury or dysfunction is going away.
By altering the way you are moving, it could allow for some pain relief, but it could be causing other dysfunctions in the meantime. Not using the limb or joint and feeling pain relief does not mean the injury is improving. Our bodies are master compensators and will adjust as we need it to or as we make it. Not using it does not mean it will get better over time.
It is important to understand your body and what each injury means as well as how to properly treat it. Luckily the physical therapist at PhysioStrength Physical Therapy are available to help you work through the uncertainty of injury and give you a guided path to recovery. Everyone is an individual and similar injury does not always mean a similar plan of care. Stop living in pain and get the help you deserve to live your best life.
Reserve an appointment with one of our Physical Therapists or if you have questions still, schedule a Free 15 min Consultation and we can talk through the injury/dysfunction and help determine what would be your best path. Hope to see you in the clinic soon!