Injuries are a part of life. Whether you sprained your ankle while running one morning, pulled your hamstring while playing soccer, or twisted your knee while stepping off the sidewalk, muscle and ligament injuries are among the most common setbacks that people face. While the pain is certainly a nuisance, the aftermath is perhaps even more important, and this is where rehabilitation plays a crucial role.
What Actually Happens Inside the Injured Tissue
When a muscle tears or a ligament is overstretched, the body begins a healing process, and inflammation and new tissue formation are a natural part of this. The problem is that the newly formed tissue is not as strong, flexible, or well-organized as the original tissue. Unless you rehab this tissue, the new tissue heals chaotically, leaving the area weakened, stiff, and prone to injury.
Why Resting It Off Is Not Enough
Many people assume that if the pain goes away, the injury is healed, and this is one of the biggest mistakes they make when dealing with an injury.
The problem is that the pain often goes away even though the injury is far from healed. You may be able to walk around just fine. However, the ligament may still not have regained its strength, the muscle may not have regained its endurance, and the joint may have lost proprioception, or its ability to sense its surroundings and react to changes in movement.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is the best way to ensure that the same injury is sustained.
The Three Phases of Rehabilitation
A well-structured rehabilitation program consists of three distinct phases.
Phase 1: Protect and Reduce Inflammation
During the first few days, the main goal is to calm the tissue, reduce swelling, and avoid further damage. Movement is incorporated early in the rehabilitation process to prevent stiffness.
Phase 2: Restore Strength and Mobility.
After inflammation has subsided, specific exercises are designed to restore mobility, strength, and coordination. This is where the actual rehabilitation takes place.
Phase 3: Return to Function
The last phase is designed to connect the rehabilitation clinic to the real world. Sport-specific movements are incorporated to ensure the body is ready to perform the desired functions without the risk of injury.
Ignoring or bypassing any of the above phases is the surefire way to re-injure the same part.
Proprioception: The Hidden Key to Full Recovery
One part of rehabilitation that is often forgotten is proprioception. Proprioception is your body’s ability to recognize its position in space and react to sudden changes in your balance or weight.
This proprioceptive system is greatly affected after a ligament injury. If you do not retrain this system, even after your ligament injury fully heals, you will be at high risk of reinjury because your body will not be able to react quickly enough to changes in your balance or weight.
It is not an option. It is a requirement.
When Rehabilitation Is Skipped
The consequences of skipping rehabilitation have been well-documented over the years. Instability, chronic pain, accelerated degeneration of joints, and overuse injuries in other areas of the body all plague individuals who have skipped rehabilitation.
A six-week rehabilitation process can save you a lifetime of problems.
Conclusion
Muscle and ligament injuries are setbacks, but they do not have to be permanent setbacks. With the right rehabilitation process, almost all people can return to normal and even stronger than before. The key is not to allow your impatience and lack of pain to lull you into thinking that you have done enough and can stop your rehabilitation process prematurely.