Over
the years I have worked with many clients who have required injury
rehabilitation. I have always used the
functional rehab approach, which is to say, I encourage natural day to day
movements using little although ever increasing resistance. Getting rehabilitation
right is not an easy task nor is it an exact science. All our bodies differ and
there are various degrees ad severities of injuries depending on how they occurred
and your immediate treatment. Luckily with my knowledge and guidance, all my
clients have seen huge improvements in their condition through carefully monitored
supervised exercise rehabilitation.
Common
injuries I have rehabilitated that you may recognise from your own experience
are:
Shoulder
and rotator cuff tears
Football
(soccer) related knee injuries such as post cruciate ligament reconstruction
Lifestyle
and posture induced wear and tear on the upper and lower back and hips
Shattered
ankle and calcaneus (heel) bones.
General
to severe tightness in back and shoulders
If I do say myself, I have an exemplary record
when it comes to helping people get back to where they need to be. Here I am
going to provide a few simple (and quite obvious) guidelines to help you help
yourself or your client through the process of injury rehab. All these
guidelines are based on the assumption that previous medical surgery or
diagnosis and initial treatment have taken place and you have a doctor’s
recommendation that you / your client should begin physical rehabilitation.
Know what you’re dealing with: Understanding the injury and how the injured body part moves / works is vital. You do not want to be moving or manipulating the area in ways that it is not designed to move! If you haven’t seen a particular injury or established solid tried and tested methods to improve it then do your research. I often consult my books if I haven’t dealt with a certain injury in a while. Never guess how to rehabilitate an injury and always have a plan!
Every
case is different: Appreciating not only the injury but
also the individual (when helping a client) is so important. Your client must
be confident and comfortable with you. After all they are trusting you with
their body. What’s more, a body that is already in discomfort. So listen to
what they are telling you and communicate the rehab process to them.
Establish
what you / your client can already do: So often with less
severe injuries, physios give their patients exercises which place less stress
on the client than the stresses they automatically place on themselves during
everyday life. Don’t go mad but begin with controlled and stable movements or
exercises. Try and place a small demand on the body part. Initially, I usually
use two sets but that’s dependant on how the first set feels.
Don’t
be scared of the injury: As long as you listen to your
body / client’s feedback and you don’t force anything, you are half way there.
By simply encouraging natural movements you are increasing mobility and oxygenated
blood flow to the injured area. This helps to heal the injured area and builds
connective tissues, muscle fibre and nerve ending resulting in improved
strength. Don’t forget the human body is an ever evolving organism and is
pretty robust. By applying functional rehab exercises you are encouraging the
comprehensive growth and repair.
Slowly
but surely: Never rush rehab. Keep progressions
minor but constant allowing the muscles to acclimatise to the volume and intensity
of work
Always
listen to your body: If something hurts then stop. I
never use the “no pain no gain” philosophy. I use the “no pain no gain no
brain” approach. Pain is your body’s way of letting you know something is not
right so listen to it or risk making things worse. I always go by the
uncomfortable is fine, pain is not rule of thumb.
No
machines: I never use machines simply because they do not
stimulate comprehensive proprioception (the connection between brain and body
and resulting balance, coordination, sensitivity and reactivity). Utilising body
and free weight exercises, your brain must send millions of messages to all the
relevant muscle fibres and nerve endings to effectively control movement in a
smooth and supported fashion. The more off balance you are, the more nerve
endings and muscle fibres are created to support the demand resulting in
improved strength and coordination. This is vital when you consider that when
you injure yourself you damage these very muscle fibres and nerve endings! The
more you have the stronger, more balanced and coordinated you are! Balance and non-supported
exercise is harder than you would imagine. Try standing on a bosu with one leg lifted
in the air and just feel the twitches and involuntary stabilising movements
through your lower limb.
Balance
and core stability: I have just spoken about balance and
how it encourages the brain to recruit and establish a greater quantity of
nerve endings and muscle fibers for stability but the core has a very important
role to play too. Activating the core (squeezing the pelvic floor and pulling /
tightening up internally to the navel) will help you maintain a good posture
and control during all your clients’ rehabilitation exercises. Especially with
lower back issues, the core muscles work like a weight belt and if activated correctly
will protect you and help you heal without imposing further damage to the area.
I personally believe that your body heals from the inside out so having a
healthy core will enable a healthy body and quicker recovery. For further
information, I have written an article on this blog about core stability.
Progression: As with regular gym periodisation it is important that you continually increase the challenge and demand on the body. Once a good basis of strength and stability within the injured part is established, reduce stability and force the body to work hard. For example introduce exercises on the ball or bosu or lift a planted limb off the floor / away from the central line to challenge balance and core stability..
Nutrition: By eating a varied, natural wholefood diet you are fueling your cells with lovely nutrient rich goodness which will promote healthy cell growth.
Progression: As with regular gym periodisation it is important that you continually increase the challenge and demand on the body. Once a good basis of strength and stability within the injured part is established, reduce stability and force the body to work hard. For example introduce exercises on the ball or bosu or lift a planted limb off the floor / away from the central line to challenge balance and core stability..
Nutrition: By eating a varied, natural wholefood diet you are fueling your cells with lovely nutrient rich goodness which will promote healthy cell growth.
Ice
treatment: Quite simply, after a rehab workout
it is common to experience swelling (especially if it’s the knee) around the
injured sight. Applying ice to the area will cause vasoconstriction, the
process where your blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow and therefore
swelling and any residual pain.
I hope this article provides . Please feel free to
visit my other online work.
