Are You Injured?

I am dealing with an injury right now. The good news is that I went to my physiotherapist as soon as I felt that something was wrong and she has set me on the path to recovery. After one visit, I was able to sleep through the night.

I thought that the pain in my upper back was a result of too much training and that all I needed was rest. I altered my training regime but the pain kept waking me up at night. I have always told my students that though it is normal to have sore muscles from exercise, if the pain wakes you up or keeps you awake at night, that is a sign that you may be injured and need to seek professional care. If you go early enough, chances are your physiotherapist can remedy the situation in short delay.

Andrea discovered that the problem was minor and located in my neck. The pain always disappeared during the day but returned in the middle of the night and it was the sleeplessness that was having a devastating effect on my health. My neck did not hurt at all but overtime poor sleeping habits ( couch ); carrying a heavy bag on one side, day in and day out; not being mindful enough about my own posture while weight training and too much Smartphone usage resulted in a budding neck injury. In this case it was not one incident that brought on the pain but little things that added up over time.

So often I hear people avoiding the physiotherapist and I wonder why.

Yes, it can be costly but you are worth it are you not? Our ultimate goal should be to live our lives pain free.

Some individuals simply do not want to face the facts that may be presented to them. They know that the health care professional is going to tell them the obvious and they do not want to hear it.

"You need to lose weight if you want the pain to disappear in your knees and until then, let's do the following exercises to strengthen the muscles."

"You need to stop doing your favorite activity until you recover."

I am shocked when clients laugh off what is told to them and fight through the pain of the injury without addressing the underlying problem.

My physiotherapist has told me what movements to avoid doing until I have healed. This is valuable information to bring to your fitness trainer because then they can make adjustments to your program to keep you safe while you heal.

Sometimes healing may mean taking a break from exercise altogether. Remember that if this is the case for you, you can use this time to focus on resting, eating well and planning for your return to fitness. Read as much as you can on your particular issue. No doubt a weakness in some part of your body resulted in the said injury. If you need to lose weight, hire a dietitian to help you learn how to eat better. Start the process when you are recovering and now have the time because you are not living at the gym!

My message is simple. Your body is telling you something when it delivers a pain signal. Do not push through the pain. Seek out the right help, at the right time and you should be able to handle whatever comes your way with proper support. The best news of all is that if you are physically active, you will heal faster than if you are living a primarily sedentary life.

See you soon, and remember to let me know what your health care professional recommends! I am here to help.

Beth