- Be patient and control your urges to do too much at one time or too soon! Doing more isn't necessarily going to improve your rate of healing. Doing more or too much too soon can keep your injury unnecessarily and excessively inflamed and sore. The longer your injury stays inflamed, then the more stasis of unwanted chemicals remain in the involved tissue, joint, or injured area. This stasis of damaging chemicals called bradykinins, (chemicals that cause pain), mast cells, and histamines can cause unwanted scarring and malformed tissue remodeling.
- Be consistent with your assigned exercises. When your physical therapist says for you to perform your home exercises 3 times a day then perform them 3 times a day. Perform all of the exercises together instead of doing one or two now and then 20 minutes later you do the next 2 or 3 exercises. The spreading out of your workout doesn't allow for the proper muscle recruitment appropriate for healing and strengthening. Nor does this type of workout allow for the muscle core temperature to raise enough to be therapeutic and allow for the right type of tissue remodeling. When your therapist says to do the whole workout together, then do them together. There's a reason for it!
- Don't be afraid of pain. Pain can be your friend. If something hurts, this doesn't mean it's time to forego your exercises or prescribed therapy and lay down on the couch and tell yourself that you're recovering. Pain is simply a sensation that tells you what is happening inside your body, joints, or muscle tissue. There are certain types of pain that are not ok to work through though. A pain that is common is the lactic acid build up pain in the muscle belly that is being exercised. This pain is your friend. It's letting you know that your body is attenuating new forces and causing your muscle to build strength. Pains that should be of concern are pains that do not go away with rest or pains that come on during the night and do not respond to the usual remedies such as taking anti-inflammatories or prescribed pain medications. These type of pains should be discussed immediately with your doctor or physical therapist. Sometimes these pains can be normal especially if the occur close to a surgical procedure. So remember, pain is not always bad. Pain is a sensation that is telling you that you are attenuating new forces and these forces are making you stronger, in body and in mind.
Brad Senska, PT, DPT, BS, ASTYM.
bradsenska@yahoo.com