Oftentimes, after a sports injury, especially if its minor, you might try for a couple days or weeks to see if it heals by itself. You may do some research online, try some exercises from a video, and take it easy for a while. Does this sound like you? Unfortunately, with this method, you may feel like you are not recovering, or your pain/injury is still stopping you from doing the activities you want. It’s frustrating, but in most of the cases, the issue is not what you’re doing but how you’re doing it. In physiotherapy, the ultimate goal is to give you the knowledge and skills to treat your own injury. After all, we can give you guidance, but you are the one who actually has to perform the exercises and make the changes in the end! With that being said, let’s break down some of the most common rehab mistakes that can stall your
recovery and how to fix them.
1. Rushing to advanced exercises or activities
It’s tempting to rush into complex or advanced exercises, maybe because we have heard that they are more productive or just that we feel our body is capable of more. However, if we ignore basic exercise work which focus on improving your basic strength, mobility, neuromuscular control, and simple range-of-motion, it means your body does not have a strong enough foundation. While these simple exercises might seem too easy, or too boring, remember that you have to take your rehab in steps. Jumping right to the end too quickly can delay your recovery or even make it worse! Get a physiotherapist to make you a personalized plan to ensure your exercises are matching your current capabilities.
2. Doing the correct exercise but with poor form
In physiotherapy exercises are not just about movement, they’re about the quality of movement as well. Doing exercises with incorrect or poor form (ex. moving too quickly, compensating with other body parts, not engaging the mind muscle connection) can slow down your recovery. As a tip, you can record yourself or ask your physiotherapist for form checks regularly. Remember, quality over quantity!
3. Not addressing the source of the issue
It is important to recognize that pain can manifest in one area, while the actual cause of the pain can be from completely different area of the body. For example, somebody could be experiencing elbow pain when throwing as a result of a lack of mobility or strength at the shoulder. This is what we would call a compensatory pain, and these are hard to identify on your own. A physiotherapist will perform a screen of the injured/painful area and the areas around to ensure that they find the root of the cause, and not just address the symptoms.
4. Not resting enough
Importantly, rest plays a vital role in your recovery. Doing exercises or training without a rest or too often can led to fatigue. This can increase the inflammation and pain in the injured area and can plateau your recovery. In some cases, it can decrease your functional ability as well. More is not always better, so follow advise from your healthcare professionals and listen to your body! It will let you know when it has reached it’s limit, we don’t have to push through the pain always.
5. Not pushing hard enough
On the other side, depending on the type of injury you’ve had and the stage of recovery, some discomfort with the rehab exercises may be present. This is especially true if you are doing post-surgical rehab or dealing with condition like adhesive capsulitis and some tendinitis. Your physiotherapist will help you determine what an appropriate amount of pain is to progress your recovery. Generally, as long as the pain doesn’t last after the exercise and doesn’t affect your function after, it is okay to have some discomfort. This is why education from a professional is so important to a full recovery.
6. Neglecting lifestyle factors
As much as physiotherapists love their exercises, it is by far not the only factor in rehabilitation. Other lifestyle factors like your sleep, stress levels, and nutrition play an important part in pain sensitivity, inflammation and tissue healing. In cases where your physiotherapist anticipate a challenge with one of these areas, they may help to refer you to an additional specialist to ensure a holistic recovery plan.
Have a tricky injury?
If you are experiencing a new or old injury that is particularly stubborn, we recommend coming in to PhysioNow! Our clinicians are all movement experts who can help with sports injuries and sports rehabilitation. With 10 clinics across the GTA from Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, to Etobicoke, we are ready to serve you. Book with PhysioNow today for your first assessment and treatment!
