How to Recover From Injury FAST--Part 2

In Part 1 of our series on How To Recover From Injury FAST, we discussed the mental challenges we face while we are sidelined due to injury. Your mental strength really can accelerate your recovery, so please read that post.

In this post we will move to the physical side. So, what can you do--physically--to accelerate your recovery from injury?

RICE IS RIGHT!

When dealing with the most common soft tissue injuries (e.g. muscle strains, ligament sprains, dislocations, tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis, fasciitis, muscle cramps and spasms), thew first thing to do is RICE it. What does that mean?

Rest. Injured tissues need time to heal. It's an obvious principle, but once you're hooked on exercise you may be tempted to ignore it. Don't! Get adequate (meaning quality and quantity) rest; then pursue alternative sports/exercise. Injuries can often be blessings in disguise, forcing you to diversify your workouts and acquire new skills.

Ice. It's the cheapest, simplest, and most effective way to manage many injuries. Ice is an excellent anti-inflammatory, reducing swelling and pain. For best results, apply an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes as soon as possible after an injury. Repeat the ice treatment each hour for the first four hours, then four times a day for the next two to three days. Protect your skin with a thin cloth.

Compression. Pressure will help reduce swelling and inflammation. In most cases, a simple elastic bandage will suffice; it should be snug but not too tight. Remember that swelling may develop slowly hours after your injury, so you may have to loosen your wrap.

Elevation. Enlists the force of gravity to drain fluid away from injured tissues, reducing swelling, inflammation, and pain. You can simply prop your injured limb up on a pillow above heart level.

SLEEP IS VITAL

Getting enough quality sleep is important for your well-being, and is vital for your recovery from injury. The Sleep Foundation lists tips enhance your sleep quality. Once you prioritize sleep, then you can enhance that quality with natural things like CBD oil, Cryotherapy and turning off your screens!

INJURY REHAB EXERCISES

Once you've reduced the initial swelling and inflammation, you want to begin movements of the joint to restore your full range of motion. Find a qualified recovery center staffed with trained therapists to help you determine the proper pace and appropriate rehab exercises for your specific injury. A premature return to sport while range of motion is limited can predispose you to aggravating that injury.

Rehab exercises should focus on range of motion, strength building, balance, endurance and flexibility.

INJURY REHAB THERAPIES

Numerous innovative therapies have come to market over the past 10 years that you may not have heard about, yet are highly effective to the point of being ubiquitous in the athletic recovery industry.

Diligently perform your assigned rehab exercise plan that your trained recovery specialist creates for you because there is direct correlation between recovery time and adherence to rehab exercises. You can realistically cut your recovery time by almost 50% with the use of therapies like Whole Body Cryotherapy, Cold Laser therapy, NormaTec compression therapy, and NeuFit neuromuscular therapy. These therapies increase your body's capacity to handle exercise stress, which increases strength, which accelerates recovery time.

NUTRITION FOR INJURY RECOVERY

The National Association of Athletic Trainers recommends specific nutritional guidelines to help accelerate your recovery, touting protein-rich foods to rebuild muscle, citrus fruits and dark leafy greens rich in vitamin C to stimulate collagen production that rebuilds tissues, and anti-inflammatory fats found in olive oil, avocado, fish, flax, nuts and seeds.

HYDRATION FOR INJURY RECOVERY

Hydration is an essential part of the healing process. When you get dehydrated, your body will pull water from our skin and muscles to protect our organs, leaving your skin and muscles without the proper oxygen and nutrients it needs in order to heal.

Therefore, you must keep your body hydrated state to recover. WebMD recommends a proper hydration calculation based upon body weight. The doctor quoted recommends between half an ounce and one ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day--not including the water loss due to sweat from exercise.

CONCLUSION

Accelerating your recovery from an injury requires managing the early stage of the injury with RICE, getting enough quality sleep, diligent adherence to a professionally designed rehab exercise program, leveraging innovative therapies, and proper nutrition and hydration.

Champion Performance & Recovery's mission is to is to help you get back the field, court or office faster than any other place, so you can do what you most love to do! If you have questions, please call 737-212-7104 or visit here. Or if you are ready to book your first consultation, click here.