If you’ve ever had the misfortune to experience an acute injury, whether it’s in the spine, shoulder, knee, foot…or anywhere in the body, you’ll know that it’s not just the body that needs treatment and rehabilitation, it’s the mind as well.
NOBODY wants an injury! Apart from the pain, which can be debilitating and not much fun at all, it stops you in your tracks and all of a sudden, your normal daily life is either put on hold or becomes a hundred times harder as you battle pain.
Your mental approach to the injury can be an indication of how long it will take you to recover and also the success of your recovery.
Here are five tips for creating a healthy mindset for overcoming an injury…
ACCEPTANCE
If you have an injury, you have an injury!!! Wishing you didn’t, does not change the fact that you have one. So, the sooner you accept that you’re injured, the sooner you can deal with it and start the road to recovery.
SEEK HELP
You are not an expert on injury management, and you cannot be the patient and the doctor at the same time. So, get expert, professional advice and treatment options. Then take the advice given or get a second opinion if you are not satisfied with the treatment options you get.
PAIN MANAGEMENT
Nobody likes taking anti-inflammatory medication!!! But they do serve a purpose and can minimise the acute pain phase of an injury and how quickly you can get going with your rehab. Pain management is the first phase of rehabilitation, so it pays to get this right.
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Understand the injury and do some research without being a “doctor google”. It will enable you to have productive conversations with health practitioners and deepen your knowledge on the requirements of rehabilitation.
PATIENCE
Just because your mind wants the injury to be healed and rehabilitated, doesn’t mean that it is. This is the one most people REALLY struggle with!!! Beware that the first stage of rehab is being pain free. Many people think that being pain free equals your injury rehab is complete. If you go back to normal activities at this stage, without completing the next 3 rehab phases, you are vulnerable to further injury which can put you back to square one!
Pilates is well known for its ability to help get you back on track after having an injury, and prevent it from happening again, which is probably one of the most important aspects of rehabilitation.
The bigger the injury, the longer it will take to get 100% full recovery, especially if surgery is involved.
Having the right mindset will definitely help with a speedy and successful recovery that will get you back living a pain free, healthy, happy life again!
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