When you sustain an injury, your main goal is to recover and get back to 100% as soon as you can. Rehabilitation is an important step of recovery and is key to restore strength, flexibility and endurance. Your recovery will vary depending on the injury sustained and how serious it is as to what steps will need to be taken. Often rehabilitation can be overlooked or not taken seriously, which may cause you to not recover fully.
Self Management
Learning how to self manage and look after your own body is an important step in your recovery process and it tends goes hand-in-hand with Osteopathic treatment.
Once the initial inflammation has subsided on your injury, and your practitioner has given you the all clear to proceed with some exercises at home, it is important to start these exercises as soon as you can.
Any exercises that your practitioner may recommend you do, will loosen you up and help your body to progress following on from your last treatment.
Most exercises will vary depending on your injury or the pain you have and may include using spikey balls, foam rollers, resistance bands, certain drills and stretching.
Why it’s important to continue exercises at home
Muscles become inhibited with pain to prevent you moving and further injuring yourself. Once you recover, it’s important to fire up these muscles to ensure normal movement patterns.
Strengthening, stabilising and mobilising your body will help to prevent re-injury or cause another injury.
When you should see your Osteopath
You should consult your practitioner if you find:
– Your body gets too tight to stretch/roll
– If stretching or loosening up hurts
– If the pain comes back
– If you have pain in other areas of your body
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This post was written by Dr Janine Symington.
Janine is currently on maternity leave.
If you would like to find out more about our Osteopaths click here or book an appointment online here.
Alternatively, you can call us at our Osteopathic Clinic on 03 9908 2844.