When you’ve experienced an injury, your body heals it in a predictable pattern that advances through 3 different stages of tissue healing.  (For more info on these healing stages, read ‘Let the Body Construction Begin’.)  Pain, however, does not always follow in the same suit.  Although pain is an unpleasant experience, it is a protective mechanism designed to keep us safe.  And if we pay close attention – if we start listening to pain – we can learn exactly what pain is trying to tell us.

When it comes to injury, your brain (your Master Survival Organ) uses pain to alert you to potential or actual harm as well as to communicate the status of said harm.  Without pain, you wouldn’t know if your body is about to be harmed or is actively being harmed.  Without pain, you wouldn’t survive.  It is SUPPOSED to hurt when a compound miter saw cuts into your finger.  Otherwise, you’d cut right through without any concern!  (I may or may not have personal experience with this.  That story is for another time…!)

For most minor recreational injuries, you will experience a specific pattern of pain.  By recognizing this pattern, you can make an accurate assessment of the seriousness of the injury & then take the most appropriate action steps for recovery.

The Pain Pattern – 3 Parts

There are 3 time points to take note of…

1. Days 0-2:  Initially, the pain will be notable enough to get your attention & create concern.  This helps you make adjustments so that you begin protecting the injured area.  This pain will last for about 2 days & then begin to subside.  During this phase, it is important to rest the injured area, protect it & ice it (10 min at a time).  After 24 hrs, I usually recommend that you gently begin to move the injured body part as movement is key to tissue recovery.
2. Days 2-7:  By the end of the week the pain will noticeably improve, but still be present.  You will be able to move & use that body part more easily.  It is important to remain relatively active, either by modifying the type or intensity of your activity.
3. Days 7-14:  By the end of the 2nd week, the pain and dysfunction should be resolved or very nearly resolved.  This is when you are able to return to your prior level of function.

If your pain follows this pattern, you can rest assured that your injury is relatively minor & your body will heal up quite well.

When Pain Doesn’t Follow This Pattern

However, if you notice that your pain & dysfunction are not following this pattern, it may be an indicator that the injury is more serious.  If this is the case, it is important to seek help from your injury expert – your Physical Therapist!  Your PT will be able to closely examine the injury, determine the extent of the injury & identify the best course of rehabilitative action to get you back out on the road, track, trail, lane, court, course or back to work and/or other important activities & duties.

The body does have an incredible ability to heal itself, but sometimes it needs a bit of guidance.  With the use of hands-on techniques & appropriately dosed exercises & activities, your PT can help ensure that your recovery is smooth & shortened.  My experience suggests that (if your pain doesn’t follow the standard pattern) the longer you wait to get help, the longer the pain & dysfunction will linger & therefore the more visits it’ll take to recover.  Those who take early action recover quicker & with fewer visits…every time!

For more info about Corey and/or his mobile physical therapy options, please email or call him at 208.570.3004.