By Dr. Josh Kiely

Most injuries get better. Certain injuries take a very long time to get better due to a multitude of different factors, not all of which are in our control. My goal as a chiropractor in Kanata is to help my patients get better as quickly as possible by optimizing the recovery process and making positive changes to the things we can control.

Here are three tips to help with a speedy and sustained recovery.

Tip #1 - Ask questions.

When we understand our pain we are more likely to understand how to fix it. Ask your practitioner questions if you’re having trouble understanding what they are trying to communicate. Ultimately, you will benefit from learning more about what makes you hurt and how you can change it.

Some important things to ask about: 

• What is there that can be done at home to help with symptoms?

• How are we going to measure progress?

• What is a reasonable timeline to expect improvement?

Tip #2 - Rehab should be customized to you.

The goal of the rehab is to “bridge the gap” between your injury and the activities you actually want to do. A rehab plan for an Olympic shot putter will look different than a plan for a grandma who wants to play on the floor with her grandkids. Each patient’s unique set of capabilities and goals should determine how their rehab progresses.

If an exercise is too challenging and results in you not doing it, tell your practitioner. They should have options that will allow you to make your exercise easier to meet you where you’re at.

If you’ve been doing an exercise for a little while and it is no longer challenging, it is important to progress this exercise and make it more difficult. This will increase the stress on your system and cause your body to adapt. Longterm, this progression is what will improve your injury and reduce your risk of re-injury.

Tip #3 - Address the non-physical components.

Pain is more than just physical. There are nerves and receptors throughout our bodies that will transmit pain signals to the spinal cord and the brain, but those pain signals can be altered and amplified depending on many different factors. 

For example, when someone falls and breaks their arm, their pain is immense. Within a couple of days of attending the ER and getting a cast, their pain is likely much better. The arm is still completely broken, but because the person has been treated, reassured they are okay, and has a cast to protect the healing bone, the pain signalling has been diminished.

Our beliefs and attitudes about our injury can make an enormous difference in how we feel and recover. When we have a community of support and begin taking steps toward improving our physical and mental health, musculoskeletal injuries and pain also often improve.

If pain or injury is stopping you from doing the activities that you love, reach out a health professional who can get you moving. If you’re in Ottawa or Kanata I’m happy to provide my services in person. Also check out our online offerings for residents of Ontario (covered by most insurance plans).