Ok today its all about rest and how it really doesn't help... especially for back pain and sports injuries!

I think of it as taking the steering wheel out of a car and trying to drive, you're only going in one direction and you are not in control.

So many people I see and particularly sports people, athletes and definitely the judo players can't sit still and are always looking for things to do.... a bit like the scorpion in the fable about crossing the pond with a frog, its in their nature.

(if you need a reminder about the fable its at the bottom)

Anyways...

So anyone who really loves being out and about asks "what can I do now that I'm injured while my back is giving me pain?" 

...Even when injured!

The thing with exercising, keeping fit, running and so on; we release endorphins and these make you feel good, and when you feel good life seems easier; for some it really is an addiction. 

So very rarely do I ever discuss rest with back pain.. 

Why? Because there is nearly always something to be done and should be done to speed up recovery..

Back pain, sciatica, neck pain even hamstring injuries.. taking out of the equation fresh injuries where inflammation is still a limiting function, thats its job so we don't work against the body in the first 2-3 days so minimal movement for this period, but after this we aim to start the recovery process.

This doesn't mean going for a 12 mile fell walk, throwing weights about or even back on the judo mat, it simply means a slow progressive return starting with gentle movements.

With any tissue damage you get scar tissue formation which we want to minimise, so the longer we live with any injuries the worse things get as we start to accommodate them in our everyday life with adaptive and compensation patterns..

Obviously we don't want this...

With the correct movements and exercise we can make an enormous difference to the recovery process..

So with any injury don't wait, keep delay's to a minimum because doing nothing is not an option particularly if you are experiencing back pain. As time goes by you'll feel stiffer and muscles become tighter and even more achey with a greater chance of further injury occuring, it may even put you off totally going back to your activities..

So what do we do?

Well initially you get a diagnosis and some treatment... that bit is obvious.

Next we look at mobilising the body to encourage movement and making sure we do the exercises given during treatment, depending on the injury we can then look at using a static bike, treadmill, swimming or pilates with a view to gently getting the body going to assist recovery..

This is particularly important with muscle pulls where you get scar tissue forming.. though scar tissue affects every part of your body including your organs, muscles and connective tissue.

Note...

Scar tissue is necessary to help the body heal but after healing it needs to be managed and eliminated as scar tissue links to form adhesions, which are bands of scar tissue. The adhesions connect, which may restrict movement or hinder things like organs from performing their intended functions and particularly musculature function. Internal adhesions may require invasive treatment such as surgery, with muscles you need hands on treatment with deep tissue work to break it down to assist further recovery, this is why massage can be quite sore...

After you're treatment as you probably know you need exercises to mobilise the area, rehabilitation to get you back training or prepared for a new activity to give your body what it needs.

What it needs is; mobility-strength-flexibility to make it fit for purpose and activities, it needs to be able to do what you demand from it otherwise I'll see you back again in the clinic...

So there you have it; keep active, keep moving and if you do have any issues give us a call.

Francis

Deansgate Osteopathic Clinic
01204 522155
Book Online 24/7

Fable about the scorpion and the frog;A scorpion asks a frog to carry it across a river. The frog hesitates, afraid of being stung, but the scorpion argues that if it did so, they would both drown. Considering this, the frog agrees, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When the frog asks the scorpion why, the scorpion replies that it was in its nature to do so.