CARPAL TUNNEL VISION.
Sunday, December 26, 2010 at 10:26PM Time after time after time, those who are wandering aimless in the pain management wasteland find that when they exercise the area that is deficient or otherwise is their “weak link,” things begin to improve.
I’ve had those come to see me that have shoulder pain.
I’ve had those come to see me that have carpal tunnel issues.
I’m currently working with someone with rheumatoid arthritis as well as someone who played tennis for 7 hours in 107 degree heat, had a minor heat stroke and compartment syndrome in his lower leg and had part of his calf removed.
Even if the affected area never again reaches 100%, the body has an amazing way of compensating and accommodating for those areas that need help.
If you work around and strengthen the surrounding area, it can take some load off of the troubled area thus allowing it to heal, allowing scar tissue to break up, etc.
I’ve given encouragement and advice to those with knee pain / problems, some of which actually shouldn’t be as bad as it is, but they opted for surgery that might not have been necessary and now their pain is worse than previous.
Remember this, pain can be different than discomfort. Specifically, pain from something that is clearly very wrong and needs prompt professional medical attention (x-rays, MRIs, etc.) or something you should just lay off of until it has healed versus the discomfort we feel when tissues are being exercised again, muscles are re-knitting and re-strengthening, scar tissue is being broken down, and so on.
I certainly experienced plenty of discomfort after hurting my back by doing squats with a Smith machine. And, though I have rehabilitated myself with plenty of core and total-body functional-fitness exercises, I can tell when my exercise has dropped off too much because my back will begin to tighten and pain will begin to return.
Pain and discomfort both bring an emotional response – one in which we want to avoid pain and discomfort, so our first reaction, our knee-jerk reaction is to avoid doing what hurts. Of course, if you’ve consulted with a physical therapist, doctor, orthopedist, etc. then follow their advice first. The bottom line still is, you need to keep moving.
Take the blinders off. Expand your vision. And work through it.
It’s better to move than to be still.
Or you just might find yourself more stiff, more frozen up than even the Tin Man, and we don’t want to challenge him for his title now do we?
Wear out, don’t rust out.
And Have A Strong Day doing it.
Bravo out.