Hey there,
I’d like to answer a very common question I get from people every single day when it comes to pain, or injury with movement and exercise.
It has to do with the very confusing, and tricky concept of pain, and how it can be so crippling on some days, and other days it seems fine…
Or maybe after you’ve hurt your back, “rested” and “took some meds” and when the pain went down, you thought you were out of the woods...
But then all of a sudden it comes roaring back almost out of nowhere…
The main reason why pain comes back is because the root cause of the problem is usually never solved…
Most people fall into the dangerous misconception that alleviating pain is all that is needed to heal from injury.
But rarely do people understand the structural, physiological, and mental impact an injury will have on your body...
To understand why pain comes back, you must understand that anytime you have been injured, or have been in pain, there are 3 (THREE) MAJOR CHANGES that happen to your body:
- Inflammation of your tissues that causes “scar tissue” to develop which can restrict and limit the ability for you to move properly
- A loss of strength in the muscles due to your body trying to “protect itself” from further harm
- A “fear avoidance behavior” that develops in your brain due to a subconscious "protective mechanism" that activates after an injury (for example, "limping" after you've sprained your ankle) This will cause your body to AVOID movements that caused injury in the first place
Of these 3 “changes in body” that occur with any injury, all of them MUST BE PROPERLY ADDRESSED…
Most doctors do not consider these very important structural and physiological changes that happen in your body with injury…
The unfortunate part is “medicine”, painkillers, or even surgery does NOTHING to fix these problems, if anything, it makes these problems worse…
And with chronic pain, and chronic injury, the cycles continues to repeat itself…
When these 3 very crucial changes are NOT addressed, you can expect over time…
- Increased stiffness in your joints muscles and tendons which make movement harder and “compensations” from other parts of your body likely
- Weakness and inability to withstand stressors from your work, your exercise or your daily activities
- A formation of poor “movement habits” and “guarded behavior” such as an inability to bend and pick up laundry, or avoiding your favorite activities such as gardening, picking up your kids/grandkids, or even sitting in a movie theatre
You may realize even though pain levels may vary, your ACTIVITY levels, and CONFIDENCE of movement goes way down due to these unresolved problem...
This is what makes you even MORE susceptible to pain and injury down the line, and why pain will eventually come back...
However..
THERE IS A NATURAL WAY TO FIX TO ALL OF THIS!!!
However, you cannot only try to fix ONE of these problems, they ALL must be addressed...
Most physical therapists, doctors, or even trainers may only consider ONE of these changes when designing a "rehabilitation program".
This can make the rehabilitation process very frustrating, because of lack of progress, ups and downs, or the sense that the pain "always seems to come back" even though you have "done your exercises"...
For example:
- Trying to "develop strength" without first loosening stiff joints or getting rid of scar tissue will make it impossible to develop strength the right way…
- Only doing “massage” or “stretching” or “foam rolling” might decrease stiffness and improve mobility, but will NOT improve your strength or ability to return safely to your active lifestyle…
- Or trying to simply “force the issue” and “push through the pain” because you are known to have a really “high pain tolerance”, WITHOUT properly addressing the mobility, or strength problems will just make the issue worse…
What is needed is a comprehensive rehabilitation program that will expertly tackle on all of these problems.
This program should be designed specifically catered to YOU, and YOUR body, and YOUR goal.
The good news is, if you live in the East Bay/Tri-Valley Region we, at Balance and Body Restoration specialize in this type of individualized, comprehensive care.
A comprehensive rehabilitation program SHOULD look like:
- Use of specialized “manual therapy” techniques that will eliminate scar tissue and release stiff muscles and joints which will instantaneously “free up” your mobility and freedom of movement once again…
- An individualized, personalized exercise program that is uniquely tailored and customized to YOUR personal needs, YOUR body type, and YOUR goals, needs and wants… you should NOT be "pigeon holed into in one-size fits all or “group exercises” since the entire focus and energy should be spent on helping you restore your strength and movement in the safest, and most effective ways possible
- A Full Body Restorative Approach that does NOT stop at simply “giving you some exercises to do at home”, or having you simply lie on a heating pad or ice pack... To heal an injury "correctly" the first time around, your program should consist of a blend of advanced neurophysiology, biomechanics, and a world-class approach to movement restoration, to put you in the BEST POSSIBLE POSITION to restore the way your body was “designed to move” before it became injured in the first place…
If you’ve been injured, or are worried that pain or injury is getting in the way and preventing you from living a happy, healthy lifestyle as you age into your 50’s and 60’s, then you would be a PERFECT candidate for a comprehensive, “Body Restoration” program, here at Balance and Body Restoration.
Combining our methods, techniques, and laser-focused, individualized treatment approach you can expect:
- A quicker than expected return to your “normal life” that includes participating in your favorite exercise class or being able to go on long walks
- A new-found sense of body awareness, strength, posture and mobility that will help you ENJOY moving and exercising instead of making it feel like a painful chore
- More energy that will give you the stamina to make it to the 19th hole on the golf course with your buddies or keep up with your kids and grandkids without having to rely on pills, medications or surgery.
- Restored confidence in doing simple tasks such as laundry, mopping the floor, or even doing some gardening (without fear of your back going out)
- A complete, full-body, turn-back-the-clock process so you can TAKE BACK CONTROL of your body and your life, EVEN IF you’ve been diagnosed with “disc herniations” or “degenerating discs”
If you want to find out more about this process, all you need to do is schedule a very simple FREE in-person consultation with a Doctor of Physical Therapy right here at Balance and Body Restoration
Sincerely,
Kevin Mao, DPT