How serious are you about recovering from injury? No seriously... How serious?
This is a question that every therapist should ask every patient they see with an injury, especially your longer term projects/injuries/patients. It is even a question every patient should ask themselves. You will meet many patients who paint a picture of serious pain, compromised movement, reduced quality of life and no sign of improvement. These are also more than likely be, the patients who neglect any rehabilitation exercises you prescribe and expect to lie on their back on your plinth and expect you to fix everything. And I mean, everything! From issues with their relationship, work and kids, you will hear it all as a therapist. These are the people who more than likely, have no intention to get better but want to see you week in, week out for that comfort.
On the other hand, the people who are more interested in recovery from injury are on the flip side. They adhere to your advice, they listen to you, they appreciate how difficult the rehab journey may be and they ask you questions. However you may have clients who want to go that extra mile in their rehab, this is perfect. They might have a 10km to train for, they might be an athlete training for a world championship, they may even be elderly wanting to be able to pick up their new born grandchild, whatever their challenge is, is now your challenge as a therapist.
So you have planned out their phases of rehab. Early stage, intermediate, late and return to life/play phases have been planned to every detail. Different rep ranges and exercises in different phases. Fantastic stuff, you know your client will adhere to this. But if you know a client is desperate for recovery, here is your chance to shine. To stand out from other osteos/physios/sports therapists/doctors that they have seen in the past. Give them these nuggets of advice to go the extra mile in their recovery!
Sleep:
What an underrated tool in recovery. The body recovers at its best when in a deep sleep, the breathing rate is consistent, the heart rate is low and mind is at rest. However is your client sleeping enough or is their cortisol (stress hormone) throwing them from one side of the bed to the other. Here are a couple of sleep tips to help recovery the body.
- Sleep 7-9 hours a night, this is an easily achievable target for your client. Unless they work some vicious shift work, this target should be attainable.
- Quality of sleep, go to the toilet before bed, turn the screens off at least an hour before bed, aim for a room temperature of 18 degrees, sleep with thin bed sheets and sleep with one medium sized pillow.
- Full darkness. Invest in black out curtains if you need to, get your bed room as dark as possible. Even the smallest amount of light can disrupt your sleep cycle, effect the depth and quality of your sleep.
Nutrition:
Honestly, nutrition can play a massive part in your recovery. Depending what exactly you have injured can dictate what you can add or remove from your diet. So here is a few examples of nutritional changes
Inflammation -
You may have had a recent surgery or you may have excess inflammation in your knee/ankle/elbow from your injury. So what can you eat to help? You can eat these commonly available foods which will provide an anti inflammatory process to the body!
- Berried Fruits: Cherries, Raspberries, Blueberries and Oranges
- Fatty Fish: Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel and Sardines
- Nuts: Almonds and Walnuts
- Greens: Spinach, Kale and Collard Greens
- Tomatoes and Bell Peppers
However there is also a foods to avoid list which will cause both gut inflammation and inflammation to your injury
- Refined Carbohydrate: French Fries, Crisps, Pastries, White Bread
- Margarine, Lard, Vegetable Oil
- Processed Meat: Cheap Hot Dogs, Burgers etc
Bone Breaks and Fractures
You of had a fall, and broke a bone in your foot. Maybe even broken your leg playing sport or an injury along those lines. Nutrition can help accelerate recovery of bone growth by increasing your calcium intake tenfold. Here of a list of consumable foods which can easily help:
- Milk: the more natural the better
- Green Leafy Veg: Spinach, Broccoli, Kale
- Uncultured Dairy: Yoghurt, Kefir and Amasi
- Oily Fish: Salmon and Sardines
- Bone Broth: (broth made from soaking the bones of cows, an amazing recovery tool, a simple way of thinking, Eat Bones to Fix Bones)
Muscle Tears, Stiffness and Soreness
You might have a strain of your hamstring, torn a calf or pulled your back. You need as much protein in your diet as possible. Preferably you want a high amino acid in take as well, and if you are being really specific - Leucine.
- Eggs and Milk: Perfect way to provide leucine to the diet
- Red meat: Lean beef especially to provide high doses of protein content
- Cinnamon: increases the body's ability to sysnthesise protein intake in the body
- Brazil Nuts: Full of testosterone and magnesium, perfect for accelerated muscle growth and repair
- Sweet Potatoes: Help encourage glycogen stores to replenish, perfect for post rehabilitation sessions
Mental Approach:
This may be the most important way of approaching your rehab, with a positive attitude. Except it, rehab won't be an easy journey. It is not going to be straight forward and it will be stressful. You will probably have bad days during rehab where you question if anything you do will ever work. But stick with it, be patient and except it isn't easy. A good mindset is essential, even if you are in pain and it effecting your everyday lifestyle.
So those are NRG's tips for going the extra mile in rehab. With a small tweak to nutrition, sleep and attitude, we believe that any injury recovery can be recovered!
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