DISCLAIMER: *Obviously, if you are injured or in pain seek professional medical advice, this blog is about the benefits of doing so, not replacing medical advice. This article is not a paid article but both personal and professional experience inspired me to write this. It is my own personal experience and others can vary.
During a transitional period in my life, when I was not covered for health benefits, I injured my knee bouldering (rock climbing). I slipped and fell onto one leg awkwardly and torn my meniscus. I limped to grab a taxi over to the hospital the next day (which was a 10 minute walk from my apartment but couldn’t limp more than a few feet. I then waited in ER, got a brief examination from the nurse there, only to be sent home (without crutches) with a recommendation to see a physiotherapist to do rehab exercises, maybe an MRI but was given no referral.
I was pretty stressed out as my mobility was so limited and couldn’t get an appointment for weeks with the clinic down the street. After posting an instagram story, a friend had recommended his physiotherapist friend who was starting his own clinic and offered at home services at the time. He came by, evaluated my situation along with my injury and we started right away into a recovery program. What I did not expect is how much that introduction would change my life both mentally, physically but also how I approach all aspect of life and trauma recovery both minor and major.
Reason #1 ‘walking it off’ will come back to haunt you
In my twenties, I would hurt myself skateboarding or snowboarding and not think twice, I once fractured my ankle making some poor life decisions after having a few drinks, only to return to the party with a plaster cast on. I worked in commerical kitchens during the time when Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey had glorified abusive environments. Where being strong meant not complaining and ‘walking it off’. At that time, I had a poor mentality and was cheap even though in hindsight I am pretty sure I had benefits with my hotel job but nevertheless I went the DIY route. I also and (still sometimes) have some issues with being told what to do, along with some mistrust with medical professionals who had not always been helpful, mostly in the psychology field. (Hence the drinking and poor decision making). So when I randomly met a physiotherapist at a party while wearing my cast and she suggested a few exercises to do, I decided I would just rehab myself. Luckily, at the time I had access to the hotel gym and pool so I would go daily and do a few exercises and some water resistance and go home. And while I made a full recovery, I did the work, I had no professional supervisor and no real recovery plan per se, just moved how I felt like and went back to old habits. I even went back snowboarding only to then injury a knee ligament on a jump and ignored that injury too, walking it off. But that old fractured ankle injury did come back to haunt me recently while in California. I was running on the beach, and suddenly my ankle was in so much pain I was limping. When an orthopedic surgeon neighbour stopped by I asked him about it and he educated me about scar tissue and its effects years later. He was kind enough to offer the advice free of charge, said with some massage it would improve and that with some injuries surgery is necessary to remove old scar tissue to enable better movement. He welcomed me to his office if the pain got worse. But my walk it out mentality overcame and felt he shared the info I needed already. I now book a physio massage anytime an old injury is irritating me and the pain subsides quickly.
My point being that maybe if I had spent the time with a professional during the initial injury, I wouldn’t have that scar tissue to come back and haunt me, especially recalling one of the doctors advising me that the cast was left on too long and that more damage was probably done to the muscle than the actual bone fracture. This is where a physiotherapist would have come in handy, and how I really underestimated their expertise.
Reason #2 Active Healing
Most people’s reactions when they injure themselves (or even suffer emotional or mental injury) they retreat and rest, much like a wild animal protecting themselves from the elements and being vulnerable to predators. Majority of people are also aware of the importance of the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). That said people lean into the Rest period far longer than needed or return too quickly to their routine only to further damage the injury or re-injure. The idea of active recovery or healing seems to be one left to professionals or informed active people who train. We think rest is all the body needs to recovery when in reality, we need movement, blood flow and the will to take the necessary steps to recover stronger not only preventing further injury but building a stronger foundation altogether. More often, people use an injury to excuse themselves from doing any work and further delay healing and recovering previous strength. Both the physiotherapist Eugene from Flowsports Physio in Montreal and a as mentioned before the orthopedic surgeon explained to me how scar tissue is formed and its effects. Not only does a lack a movement increase the chances of scar tissue to form but also how the scar tissue will then cause pain and issues down the road. While the first two days of injury should be strictly RICE method, the following days, weeks and months are an active healing process that takes work and dedication. Not only will you recover faster but you will also recover stronger and battle future injury. THIS IS WHERE THE IMPORTANCE OF A PROFESSIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPIST IS NECESSARY. Rehab on your own could result in a much worse injury and delayed recovery. Investing in a physiotherapist almost immediately is always the best plan of action. Re-read Reason #1 if necessary.
Reason #3 Resolving Reoccurring Pain
So many of us constantly complain about the same pain in our body over and over. Our ‘bad back’, ‘old knee injury’ or ‘weak ankle’ become another excuse as to why we can’t perform, be active or participate in certain activities or sports. While for some, it is required after repetitive damage or a major injury to avoid permanent debilitating damage, but for most is an easy lazy way to get out of challenges or the work we actually need to do. And while those aches and pains are real, they are most often avoidable. They are results of poor posture, bad habits or chronic re-injury. A physiotherapist will not only give temporary relief to this pain and discomfort through massage, dry needling or stretches but they will also give you the tools and exercises to seek self relief and preventive action to ‘cure’ the problem. Whether it be myofascial release, corrective stretches and exercises or the education as to the source of these aches and pains, like an improper desk and chair positioning. Not only provide relief for the current pain but avoiding further reoccurring pain. Which along with offering pain relief but also avoids chronic pain and injury requiring surgery or otherwise.
Reason #4 Correct long term habits
Those reoccurring pains as mentioned tend to be a result of chronic habits or postures we take on. For graphic designers it may be shoulder pain or for skiers knee pain, basically anyone putting excessive stress one area of the body repetitively. Maintain long periods in the same position or not using proper form, lifting standing or even walking tend to wreak havoc on our bodies that become our ‘normal’. Chronic pain we unconsciously submit to and accept as a part of our life. This is where a physiotherapist and doing the work is the game changer. It forces us to face the self destructive habits we perform over and over whether willingly or subconsciously. It highlights our habits to see how damaging they really are, but the silver lining it gives us the tools and knowledge to change, and with change comes a new ‘normal’. This new normal feels awkward and foreign to us, even uncomfortable which our reflex to fall back into what seems comfortable. But in reality the discomfort is the pressure put on the necessary muscles that haven’t been working as they should. Once those unused muscles build strength, the new habit takes form and those reoccurring pains seem to fade away.
Reason #5 Posture Correction
Our bodies represent us not only physically but as a whole person. Body language is a universal language that come project unconsciously what we are perhaps internally telling the world. If you look an older individual who has began to shrink, loss muscle mass and hunch over, it signals frail, weak and elderly mannerisms. A young strong body represents youth, strength and vitality. Not only does it speak for you without words but it also provide insight into why you have chronic pain. Maybe it’s one leg shorter than another or anterior pelvic tilt or another improper posture which causes other issues in the muscles and joints. Anyone who has suffer from SI joint dysfunction knows how the debilitation of the pain, muscle spasms and pinched nerves can leave you helpless on the floor. What a physiotherapist can do is evaluate what’s going on and provide the necessary and every simple exercises that create such minimal changes but massive quality of life improvements. It resuctrucures your core foundation which not only release those chronic aches and pains but improves breathing, movement and overall energy levels along with mindset.
Reason #6 Discipline gets results
Working with a physiotherapist, requires discipline to do the work outside of your physio appointments. Without it you just continue to see the physiotherapist to treat symptoms and not correct the core problem, this is where people lack to see the value of physiotherapy and either run out of benefits or decide that would rather spend that money somewhere else to satisfy an instant gratification. But having someone who holds you accountable to do the work, some who is passionate about recovery and living in your body completey really makes a difference when you do those exercises. They will help you rebuild your foundation, correct long overdue problems with forming new better habits. Ones that bring your body back to life. With posture correction, you notice a difference in your walk, how people interact with you and how you genuinely feel about yourself both physically and mentally. With biomechanics, you can run faster and prevent injury. With training you can correct lopsided skeleton issues. You can finally ‘cure’ SI joint dysfunction or some many other chronic pain problems without ever needing to discuss surgery*
Applying physiotherapy beyond the physical body
Investing into physiotherapy changes how you move, it changes how you have moved and sat, stood or worked your entire life. It is like a reset to your body and your life. But anyone who has listened to a Tony Robbin podcast or event knows changing your physical state also changes your mental and emotional state. And vice versa. When we correct our posture, we correct our breathing, we open up our hearts, literally. We literally stand taller, walk with confidence and inhale to allow the oxygen to enter and help our bodies and brains function better. We build confidence in how we move, approach sports, work and activities. People notice, maybe not consciously but go walk weakly with sunken shoulder down the street and then turn around and walk with tall strong posture and just see how people interact with you. Changing your damaging habits not only prevent pain but they change the way you feel, it breeds positivity into your mind and approach to life.
Mixing psychotherapy with physiotherapy
Better than just the physical cures to pain, building confidence, and creating positivity, investing in physiotherapy is similar to investing into psychotherapy. To get out of your mind you need to get into your body. The same can be said about getting out of your body is getting into your mind. Meaning, when we are depressed we subconsciously slouch, we curl into fetal positions to feel safe and self soothe. These are temporary comforts but if they become regular habits they become your overall physical and mental state. So for example if you feel sad and depressed but better way to change that mental state by changing the physical state. Moving the body in ways to change that state naturally moving your mind along with it. Or in contrast, if your body is slouched and lazy, your mind will follow. When working with a physiotherapist they will ask you to focus into your body and specific muscles, some you may not even realize you have. They asked to feel those and activate them, sometimes feeling foreign or numb. They make you self aware of what you are feeling, the same way a psychotherapist would ask you to focus on what emotional feeling you are having. What I started to notice over the years between mental challenges and physical injuries was almost how the parallel each other. how there was a build up into a break. While I spent years working with therapists on my mind, I found the real noticeable change come when I started working with a physiotherapist. Once combining the two, had me approaching life with pushing through the discomfort but resting in the pain.
Summary
While many people think its not worth it or do a few exercises then feel back to ‘normal’ and go back to old habits, the real reward and life changing experience comes when we put in the work and create new habits that really change the way we function, they way we become self aware, and the way we present ourselves to the world. And just like in physiotherapy, applying the same to emotional and mental healing can change our lives. Resting the first few days after a trauma (minor or major) then jumping into an active healing with professionals to help you recover stronger with the tools and exercises to rebuild a broken system and break habits that no longer serve us but rather slowly destroy us. Physically, emotionally and mentally.
Flowsports Physio – Recover Stronger
If you are located in the Montreal area and in need of a physiotherapist, I highly recommend Eugene at Flowsports Physio, he is passionate about helping you build yourself into the new version, that your body is begging you to do so. He also specializes in surfing, martial arts and running mechanics but also actively researches functional patterns and how to create change in our everyday movements that prevent injury but build stronger fluid movement.
