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So it’s been awhile but I am injured again…Not bad, don’t worry and yes, I can still work!

It just lead me to think again about my clients and how they feel when they come in upset about their ailing or injured body. We’ve all been through it to some degree and we can all empathize with that negative cloud hanging over your head, when you can’t quite function or pain stops you from going about your day.

It’s never any fun, you hope it just goes away and sometimes it does, thankfully. Sometimes however, it sticks around though and you know you need to get help. Luckily most injuries can be minimized, but it is very important to get therapy and do your homecare . Either way, it’s not fun. Pain is draining, and if you have movement restrictions and your fun activities are taken away from you then it’s even worse. Those activities like running, playing tennis, bike riding, etc. all have proven in the past to make you feel good, alive and well.

So much of pain and injury prevention is psychological as well as physiological. Everyone perceives pain differently. This difference comes from various neuroreceptors, hereditary factors, stress levels, anxiety or comparisons regarding previous injuries, sleep habits, personalities, etc. Again very hard to measure with numbers. Typically the general Pain Scale is used by us therapists to gain some insight as to how you perceive the pain, which helps, but also I suggest to my clients to keep a journal. The journal doesn’t have to be long story but a quick point form note on how you feel, what felt good/bad that day, how was your sleep, stressors, basically anything you think might help your health team get a handle on your progress. Often we get good feedback by how daily activities feel – Is it easier to blow dry your hair? These things give us something to go by and we can use them to remind you that progress is occurring, even when you think it hasn’t.

Everyone’s road to healing is different and some will take a lot longer than others. Hopefully we all heal quickly and with as little pain as possible but remember we have to work at it. Try not to get discouraged (easier said than done, I know) but positive thinking will lead you to positive actions. Try little steps at a time, encourage your body to do what it has a hard time doing and don’t force it. Never hesitate to ask for help if pain persists.

But still….being injured sucks!

Caroline Iwasaki, RMT