Returning to “Regular Life” after injury or illness.
By Thomas C. Ball M.S., D.C.
We have all suffered from some sort of injury or illness at some point in our lives which may have disrupted our normal daily living. How quickly we are able to return to “normal” depends on several factors. How severe were your injuries? What type of activities or occupation do you need to get back to?
The first thing to do is to find the appropriate health care providers for your specific injuries. Personally I have to give thanks to Dr. Banco (neck surgeon); Dr. Rosenberg (orthopedic physician); and Rebound Physical Therapy; and the staff here at Performance Health Center for getting me back to work full time, and allowing me to even start training for triathlons again. Integrated health care can help you synergistically heal the quickest.
The biggest word of advice I can give is to be PATIENT. Start very slowly and only progress to the next level when your body can handle it. Some soft tissue injuries may take much longer to heal than fractured bones, and remember healing is not always linear. We tend to get better, than level off, or even go backwards if we try to do too much too soon, then we progress again. Serious injuries or illnesses can be hard psychologically and emotionally, so be sure to take care of these components as well.
For injured athletes, consider trying some different modes of exercise to help you “come back”, i.e. cycling or swimming for an injured runner or cross fit athlete. Swimming is good “cross” training for almost any sport. Need help with your technique? Join a master’s swim group where a coach is always on deck to provide advice and tips to help with your technique along with encouragement, and most people find a group workout is more fun than going solo.
Coming back from a major illness or injury can be difficult, frustrating, and just plain hard work. Try to stay positive and think how much better you are getting, rather than how far you still need to go to get back to “normal”. Use small improvements as motivation to keep working hard, and be thankful you are able to even have the opportunity to get better. “An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards. When life is pulling you back with difficulties it means it is going to launch you into something great, so just focus and keep aiming.”
I was very fortunate that I did not have any permanent brain or spinal cord damage from my cycling crash. I am also very lucky to work at PerformanceHealthCenter, where we offer excellent health care, including Chiropractic, Active Release Techniques, therapeutic electrical stimulation, massage therapy, and kinesiotaping.
We are here to help you recover from injury or illness, and to help you get back to your “old self”, or maybe even better!
If you have any questions, if you would like to have your injuries evaluated, or if you would like more information on how we may help you recover- please feel free to contact me at: [email protected]
Yours in Health,
Thomas C. Ball M.S., D.C.