You good ol' self healer
When pain persists we can be tricked into thinking that the body is unhealed or that something is still wrong in the injured tissues, but mostly this is not the case. The body is actually amazing at healing after an injury and this is quite separate to the experience of ongoing pain
When pain persists we can be tricked into thinking that the body is unhealed or that something is still wrong in the injured tissues, but mostly this is not the case. The body is actually amazing at healing after an injury and this is quite separate to the experience of ongoing pain. In yoga we talk about 'healing' in a broader sense and it is true that persisting emotional wounds that cause nervous system strain, enhance the experience of body pain when we have an injury. In these cases moving the body rather than protecting it can be part of the emotional healing.
With respect to tissue healing there are a few 'checks' that help to reassure me that nothing major is wrong. This assumes the body is reasonably healthy and not abnormally vulnerable due to pathology or illness.
With respect to tissue healing there are a few 'checks' that help to reassure me that nothing major is wrong. This assumes the body is reasonably healthy and not abnormally vulnerable due to pathology or illness.
- Was the onset of pain due to a significant trauma? If not then you probably haven't done any major damage.
- Muscle heals quickly as it has a really good blood supply, within about 2 weeks you are good to go generally
- Ligaments, cartilage and joint strains can take a little longer, due to poorer blood supply .. around about 6 weeks, depending on how much damage
- Bones heal well, but can take between 6 weeks to 3 months.
- When there is a major injury - a ligament completely torn or a bone broken than obviously the area needs to be immobilized for a period while the tissues re- knit back together. And how amazing is that! The body is incredibly skillful at healing.
At the end of any healing, there will be scar tissue and because of the immobility the area may be weaker and tighter than is optimal for your daily activities and sports/ recreation. This is why we get people moving as quickly as possible, we use cross training (get in the pool, when you can't walk/run) and do lots of physio and exercise for months after injuries.
The tissues can be healed but the scar tissue and weakened tissues can still contribute to nocicpetion (look back to last blog). With or without ongoing pain, it is important that you are guided to get back to your normal activities.
Pain that persists beyond injury healing time is complex, and many different treatments can be effective to provide relief. Movement is always important though and physio (yogaphysio particularly :)) is the best guide to the right approach in this regard.