Do You have pain that you associate with an old injury? You might be right.
Injuries significantly affect how you move. When you are injured your body goes into protective mode to limit further damage. This protective response can result in altered compensatory movement. Your body’s protective mechanisms may also affect muscle recruitment and the way joints move, all this takes place to minimize stress on the injured area.
Let’s say you fell and hurt your shoulder. Your shoulder becomes stiff and when you try to lift your arm overhead, it locks up – this is muscle guarding. The surrounding muscles contract and tighten up to limit the movement. In order for you reach overhead, you have to recruit other muscles and use other parts of your body – this is the new compensatory movement you have adopted.
Your body adapts to protect you, this is great, but you need to be aware that once your body has healed, you don’t necessarily return to your original better healthier movements.
This is why people do rehabilitative exercises. They teach the body how to use the damaged areas again, so you can return to good, healthy movement.
What happens when you don’t rehabilitate an injury?
Would you drive around with a flat tyre?
Your body continuing to use its new movement patterns may not seem so bad, but it is! Imagine driving your car around with deflated tyres… it’s extremely inefficient and dangerous. You risk damaging your wheels and other car parts. You also increase your risk of skidding and losing control of the car.
Your body is not so dissimilar, you will overuse other areas of your body and potentially speed up the wear and tear of other joints. You may pull your body out of alignment and cause new aches and pains in your body.
If your car had a completely flat tyre, you wouldn’t even consider driving it, yet you continue to use your body despite it being less than fully functional….
But it was only a small ankle sprain
Even small injuries like a sprain can result in compensation. If you felt pain, your body will have adapted. Ankle sprains usually result in the glutes switching off in order to stop you using that side of your body.
So what?
When muscles such as the glutes switch off, you are potentially setting yourself up for issues such as hip and lower back pain. It’s bad enough that most people live sedentary lives which also results in the glutes being switched off, therefore, if you can get everything back up and working as soon as possible after an injury, all the better!
How do I help?
I can help you restore movement after an injury. I prefer to work with people who have chronic pain, where an injury maybe happened a long while ago but was never rehabilitated at the time.
Soft tissue therapy such as EMMETT Technique can be applied to tight muscles releasing them enabling joints to move more freely.
Want to find out how I can help you? Book your complimentary exploratory call now.
Alternatively join my Facebook group for more educational tips and learn to better understand your body and how it works.
I am Sabrina Qua - Soft Tissue Therapist, Movement Coach and Personal Trainer based in Worcester Park, Epsom, who helps people resolve or significantly reduce their muscular aches and pains through an integrative approach, so they can live active, enjoyable lives. More tips and information available in my Facebook group Reduce Pain and Move Better.
If you would like help reducing pain, getting stronger and moving better, book your complimentary exploratory call now.