15 Tips To Kickstart The Recovery Process After An Injury

1. Doctor’s ‘Okay’ Is A Must

Before starting your recovery processes, consult your doctor or therapist to know whether you are good to go for stretch and workouts or not. Starting too soon may worsen your pain or swelling and increase your recovery timing. Therefore, until you get a green light from your medical expert, hold on.

2. Prepare Yourself Mentally

If your doctor has given you the green light for recovery processes, prepare yourself mentally as you might not be able to carry out the same workouts or body movement which you used to do before the injury. Don't lose hope and think about the brighter side that no injuries last forever.

3. Start Slow

Staying positive about your recovery does not mean that you will rush back to your old ways of activities. Understand your problem and your pain area and workout accordingly. Experts suggest that at first, you start with your 50 per cent efficiency and then increase it every week to 5 or 10 per cent. This will prevent your symptoms from coming back and help you recover soon.

4. Stay Focussed

Once you start with your recovery, you may find that the road is too long to be covered. Motivate yourself at times like this and stay focussed on your goals. The easy way is to set smaller and achievable goals every day. This will keep you motivated every day and won't let you lose hope easily.

5. Eat Healthily

Diet is another important factor when it comes to your recovery. Exercises or therapies won't work a 100 per cent until they are followed by a good diet plan. Include more proteins in your diet as they help in muscle recovery. Consult a dietician to suggest you the best foods which will help with your body's recovery.

6. Try Different Activities

Trying out different activities for different body parts is the key. If your certain area is injured, focus on exercising the other body parts so that the injured part gets enough time to heal. For example, if your elbow is injured, try legs exercises by doing a regular walk or hiking until the elbow recovers.

7. Check For Signs Of Discomfort

When you are all back on the track and following your physical activity routine, don't forget to check on your discomfort signs. Slight pain is common but when you feel the pain is getting intense due to certain training, listen to your body and slow down. It is better to consult your doctor.

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8. Use Protective Gears

Using protective gears or sports braces is the best way to protect yourself from getting re-injured. For example, if your neck is injured, wear a neck brace while walking or moving. Do the same if the injury is in your legs or hands. Gears will minimise your chances of re-injury from the recovery workouts or exercises you are performing.

9. Sleep Well

Sleep is equally important for healing as diets and exercises. When you sleep well, your body restores the energy and help you perform better the next day. Deficiency of sleep may imbalance your hormones or oxygen level and cause you problems while healing.

10. Take Care Of The Wounds

If your injury involves cuts or wounds, it is better to take care of those skin parts as they may get open s with the physical activities you are performing. Use bandages or prescribed creams in the area. Also, if you feel the skin around the wound is cracking due to dry weather, hydrate yourself often or moisturise the injured area with a lotion.

11. Include Alternatives

Alternative therapies such as massage or hot/cold bath will help you in getting well soon. A relaxing massage will reduce your muscle tension, improve the blood circulation, increase mobility and speed up the recovery of soft tissues. Hot/cold bath will reduce your pain and give you a relaxing experience.

12. Psychological Recovery Is Also Important

Besides physical recovery, getting psychologically ready is also important, especially for athletes. The demand for sports and inability to catch up with the earlier performance, regaining status in the team and concern over reinjury may sometimes affect the person psychologically and cause a lack of confidence. Motivation by coaches and loved ones is needed the most during these times. [1]

13. Keep Yourself Occupied

When you feel that you are recovering well, keep yourself occupied by getting back to work through different means. If you are an employee, talk to the company and make adjustments for work from home. Students should talk to their educational institution for online classes. Also, try on some new hobby to stay active and positive during the period.

14. Consider Rehabilitation Supervision

Rehab centres are a better option when your injury is related to the brain. Sometimes your condition gets better and wounds get closed, but still certain therapies like cognitive exercises and speech therapy are mandatory which must be carried out under rehabilitation supervision.

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15. Positivity Is The Key

While you perform everything to get better soon, don't forget to stay positive and look for the brighter side. Staying positive means not giving up and keep trying and assuming that nothing is impossible.

To Conclude

Physical injury takes time to heal and it may get too long sometimes. Never give up and believe in yourself during times like this. Follow the above tips as they will surely help in your positive recovery.