How I recover from minor injuries
It sucks.
Being forced to slow down when you’re a natural mover and shaker.
(Shaker = dance cardio or just bopping around my office while I work.)
But when an injury happens, what’s the best thing to do?
CHILL OUT.
No need to stop entirely. But, for a moment, maybe pay attention to what’s calling out to you and assess the situation.
I LOVE to play – on the yoga mat, with weights, in my dancing sneakers, on snowy trails, on dirt singletrack or anywhere outside – so injuries are inevitable.
But extended suffering from a minor setback is not.
Here’s what’s helped me out with those annoying small sprains, strains, bruises and sore spots.
Note: These are options outside of the standard ice/heat therapies. Also – if it’s a serious or more-than-minor injury, to the doc I go! The below is for injuries that I’ve managed at home.
1. Take 3 days instead of 3 weeks
I’m terrible at this but I know it’s true – if I feel I’ve strained a muscle/ligament/tendon and try to push through the pain I’ll end up with an injury that lasts for weeks. (And then I find myself praying it’s not a “take 3 weeks instead of 3 months” situation – or worse.)
Better plan: Let the injured area rest for a few days and hope that’s all it needs. If it’s an injured knee, maybe do upper body or core work if you still want to move, or vice versa. But if anything you’re doing is causing pain or your brain to say “bad idea, bad idea, bad idea” then put down the dumbbell and pause while it heals.
2. Anti-inflammatory supplements
I’m not talking about Vitamin I (aka Ibuprofen). I used to rely heavily on it, but after learning about its negative effects on the gut, I try to stick to natural remedies, unless the pain is unbearable.
Better plan: Turmeric/curcumin, bromelain (extract from pineapple), fish oil, arnica (topical or in pill form) collagen, CBD oil, magnesium – are a few of my go to’s. Plus, if I can limit alcohol and eat a more anti-inflammatory diet (less sugar and processed foods) that certainly doesn’t hurt either. Chris Kresser has a few more tips here if you’re interested.
3. PT like a champ
If it's relatively minor and not worthy of a visit to the doc, I’ll try to get in to see an acupuncturist, physical therapist (PT) or chiropractor depending on the injury. Sometimes those services aren’t an option financially or otherwise, so here are some at-home suggestions.
Foam roller – Ah, it hurts so good! White rollers are typical more forgiving, whereas black rollers are much firmer. Also, there are lots of video tutorials on YouTube to help get in an idea of how to use it for your injury (try Googling whatever injury plus “foam roller” for ideas).
Voodoo Floss – A GAME CHANGER. I’ve had it for years and healed a massively swollen rolled ankle in days – just in time to hike Zion National Park on a road trip.
Lacrosse balls – Or this fancy one. Amazing the spots these little things can get into and help work out a kink. And great for plantar fasciitis!
Kelly Starrett – This is the guy behind The Ready State (in the two links above). If you have an injury, google his name with the injury and I can almost guarantee he has a video on how to do some home PT to help it heal.
Yoga/stretching – Like a trustworthy old friend, sometimes just some light stretching and gentle movement is what your injury really needs.
4. Listen to your body
Last point, but most important – if you feel your body resisting, or your brain pushing back telling you stop, or feel a pain that you’re trying to ignore and not getting it checked out – please LISTEN. Our bodies speak loudly with direct clues, yet we often ignore them and drown them out.
Better plan: Listen NOW so it doesn’t become a LATER problem.
What about you? Do you have other tools that you love to use to help get you back into fighting mode in no time? I’d love to hear what works for you!