When you injure yourself, what is your first instinct? Do you go lay down on the couch or go walk a mile at your local park? Most people would probably choose the first option. However, activity is actually good for pain and injuries.
When you injure yourself, your body relies on blood flow to not only pump healing factors into your system, but also to pump waste material (including inflammatory fluid, damaged tissue, etc.) out of your system.
Additionally, nothing good comes from immobilization. Bed rest can lead to 10% loss of muscle strength per week. It increases the number of fibroblasts surrounding the injured area, leading to an increased risk of scar formation. It can decrease bone density, decrease the thickness of collagen fibers, lowers the failure or yield point of a muscle, and so much more.
Now this doesn’t mean that you should always push through your pain. My rule of thumb is anything less than a 4/10 pain. That means, if you have a 2-3/10 on the pain scale, then continue to do your favorite activities and maybe just add in some recovery time for ice or foam rolling afterward. If your pain level is above a 4/10, then your body could be programming some faulty behavioral patterns within your system due to the pain.
Pain is no excuse to be a couch potato! Even if you are experiencing pain, there is always some level of activity you can do. For example, if you sprain your ankle, you might not be able to run around the block, but perhaps you could draw the ABCs with your ankle every hour or practice some balancing exercises to build strength back into your ankle.
Next time you experience pain, do something about it. Keep moving. Stay active. And give us a call at (615)-900-5187 so we can help get out of pain and back to the things you love!
Are you experiencing pain in Murfreesboro, TN? Come see us! Tennessee Back Pain Center is a chiropractor office in North Murfreesboro. Learn more about our services by visiting: https://www.tennesseebackpaincenter.com/services-1
Comments