To understand this we need to have a look at and break down what we call the injury cycle. Very rarely do you just suddenly develop pain unless from an injury like dropping something on your foot or running into something. Normally when we develop pain it is the last part in the injury cycle and we need to take a really good look at what is going on below the surface like looking under the bonnet of a car.
Usually an injury will start with some form of restricted movement. This restricted movement can be a result of muscle tightness, previous injury, genetic predisposition, a part of how our body has grown and developed, a manifestation of a disease process such as arthritis or diabetes, poor movement patterns or from habit. This restricted movement over time will lead to physical deconditioning such as muscle tension in surrounding muscle groups, joint stress and possibly reduced circulation. When these factors are at play it is the most likely time that we then develop at risk movements. By this we mean we are not using movement patterns that are in line with how our body was designed to work. We change the way we use the muscles so that we can keep functioning. For instance, we may be using muscles that were designed to push to pull instead. This in turn leads to an overuse of this muscle as it was not designed to perform in this way, eventually resulting in pain. It is the pain that often prompts us to take action but as in the diagram below you can see it is the last thing to arrive in the injury cycle.
Likewise when we start to treat the injury, pain will be the first thing to resolve but as we have established unless addressed you will still have the overuse, at risk movement, physical deconditioning, and restricted movement. If we stop treatment once our pain is resolved we are highly likely to experience a reoccurrence of the injury or even the development of a new injury. Hopefully a few of you just had a light bulb moment where you realise why you have never fully recovered or why you have persistent injuries.
Essentially, we want to make sure that you to complete your treatment plans. It is very tempting when the pain has gone to think you are better but if you have not fully rehabilitated the injury it is more likely that it is just a ticking time bomb.
If you are one of those people who have not completely rehabilitated your injury or dropped out of treatment early because you felt fine, we would love to hear from you. Getting people back to being fully functional and beyond is something we are highly passionate about.
So, if you have injury you would like to get rid of forever then give us a call on 07 46462016 or click below to book an appointment online today.