Injuries come in many forms. They can be acute or chronic, and they can happen during a sports activity or simply when you bend down to put on a pair of shoes.
Why do we get injured?
Generally, an injury happens when a tissue or joint is put under a load it isn't prepared for. That can be a sudden force, such as lifting something too heavy, or a prolonged load, such as increasing your running distance too quickly without giving your muscles and joints enough time to adapt.
Either way, injuries are frustrating and painful, and they can stop you doing the things you enjoy. Here are a few tips to help you get back to the things you love sooner.
Get support and a rehabilitation plan
Understanding what the injury is and how it happened is the first step to getting back in action. If your injury came on gradually, the site of the pain may not be the source of the problem. An osteopath, sports therapist or physiotherapist can help you manage your pain and symptoms, and put together a plan to help you recover.
Focus on what you can do, not what you can't
It can be frustrating when an injury stops you doing the activities you enjoy, whether that's walking the dog or playing sport at a high level, but it's important to stay positive and keep active with the activities you can manage.
Rehabilitation exercises will be part of your recovery, and they should be done with consistency and commitment. The only way to recover from an injury is to make the tissues stronger, so they are better prepared to withstand the loads placed on them in future. There is no quick fix. It takes time, effort and a good progressive plan.
During this time, it's important to keep moving. If running or walking causes pain, try something different, such as cycling, swimming or Pilates. Increasing blood flow around your body helps you recover and maintains your cardiovascular fitness, so you won't tire as quickly when you return to your favourite activity, which reduces the risk of re-injury.
Think about the other areas of health that affect recovery
Sleep, rest, nutrition and hydration all play an important role when you are recovering from an injury.
Nutrition. Supporting your healing tissues with good nutrition and enough protein is a key part of your rehabilitation.
Sleep. Sleep is often neglected during recovery, yet your body does most of its repair work while you sleep, so getting enough good-quality sleep really matters.
Rest. Rest is easy to forget, but it can be important when you are injured. When you are stressed, your body produces cortisol as part of its "fight or flight" response. This slows down non-essential functions such as digestion and tissue repair, and raises blood glucose, which can contribute to inflammation and further slow the healing process.
Hydration. Hydration is a key part of both preventing and treating injuries. Dehydrated tissues are less pliable and at greater risk of strains and tears.
Set small goals and keep a note of your recovery
Improvements can be hard to see because they happen slowly and gradually. We'd all like to wake up one day with every symptom gone, but sadly that is very uncommon and not how tissue repair works.
To avoid losing motivation or feeling disheartened, set small goals along the way. That might be a distance you'd like to be running or walking again by the end of the week or month, or an increase in the weight or repetitions you can manage in your rehab exercises by a certain date. These goals help you notice the progress you're making.
Keeping a note of your symptoms every now and then can also show you whether your pain is becoming less severe or less frequent than it was at the start.
If you're struggling with an injury or would like help with your recovery, the team of osteopaths, sports and remedial massage therapists, and rehabilitative Pilates and exercise specialists at [Partner name] are here to help.
Find Tide End Health on RLS
Tide End Health is an RLS Partner, a Teddington clinic and reformer Pilates studio built around keeping you moving. Its osteopaths and physiotherapists, including sports injury specialists, treat the injuries that keep runners off the road, while its studio builds the strength and mobility to stop them coming back. Run Love Sprint members can find Tide End Health in RLS Rewards, along with an exclusive member offer.
