Rehabbing an overuse injury like tendonitis can be a real pain! If you overwork your injury the pain flares up to unbearable levels. The old recommendation of resting the injury until the symptoms fade doesn’t quite hold up either, as the pain often returns once you go back to your normal activities. So how do these injuries heal?
Overuse injuries tennis elbow or achilles tendonitis require a careful approach to rebuild the muscles and tendons to be able to stress we place on them everyday. The key to successful rehab strategy is working the injured tissues just enough to stimulate the healing process without overstressing the tissues and causing further injury.
A few key points we like to remind our patients of during their rehab programs:
- Mild pain during your therapy exercises can be normal and OK, but never sharp or severe (no more than 4 or 5 on a pain scale from 0-10)
- If the pain after exercising lasts for several hours or into the next day – you’ve done too much!
- Complete rest can help reduce pain and inflammation, but neglecting to strengthen the injury almost ensures it will return in the future
Health professionals like chiropractors and physical therapists are experts in helping to guide patients through the healing process. By carefully strengthening the muscles and tendons with targeted exercises, these injuries can be resolved and prevented from returning in the future. If you’ve been struggling with one of these nagging injuries, contact us today at (248) 620-8910 to see how we can help!
