You have had an injury, you have respected the rest period and you have finished with the recovery sessions. But still, it is time to return to training with motivation after an injury, but you feel that insecurity in the muscle or the joint that does not let you be completely calm. “Have I fully recovered from the injury?” You ask. Being totally sure that you can train 100% again is not easy, and it is necessary to follow some basic guidelines when returning to the load.
Here are the most basic guidelines to know if you have finally recovered from your discomfort. Although each injury is different and must be recovered at the rate of each one, there are universal guidelines that apply to almost all cases.
1. Start off soft
This may seem very obvious and common sense, but it is not always practiced. Those of us who do sports for leisure or fun come back from sports injuries with an adrenaline rush, and it is very common to want to start giving 110%.
Even if you have fully recovered, if you have been standing for a while and without exercising, your muscles will be out of shape, so it is necessary to do a few weeks at a calm pace, without forcing things, and very attentive to the signals that your body sends you. If it has been a sprained ankle, an open wrist, or a knee, pay attention to the sensations you receive in the joint, and immediately slow down at any hint of pain.
2. Use ice
Especially in the first days, it is highly recommended that you apply ice to the injured area after your exercise sessions. This should not be done just for a recent injury: applying ice is always beneficial, even when there are no problems.
In the same way, you can also help yourself with anti-inflammatory gel and some massages that help the muscle relax and recover. It is only necessary to do this during the first days, but in any case, if you notice an improvement, there is no problem with you continuing to do it. Of course, if the pain does not subside, it is always best to go to a sports physiotherapist to continue with the appropriate treatment.
3. Compressive bandage
Although compression bandages should not be abused, after an injury it is highly recommended to use one. A good bandage keeps the joint in place and helps to support it and avoid undue strain. This reinforcement is especially useful after having come out of a long injury, to be able to prevent relapses. However, don’t keep it longer than a week or two.
If your body gets used to always have the support of the compression bandage, the ligaments and tendons can relax and start to depend on it, which instead of strengthening you, it can end up harming you. Bandages should be used when there is or has been an injury, not always.
4. Pay attention to your body
This is the most important of all the guidelines to follow. If you are not used to working on your proprioception, it may be difficult at first to distinguish between stiffness or injury, as well as different types of weakness, discomfort,or pain, but it is very necessary for anyone who plays sports regularly. The pain of an open wrist without recovering is very different from the insecurity of one that is simply weak from inactivity.
It is your responsibility as an athlete to learn to know yourself and your limits, or you will always be moving through unfamiliar terrain. In addition, there are some areas, such as the lower back, where muscle weakness is particularly easy to confuse with injury pain. Sometimes it seems that you are exercising badly, and in reality, the only thing that happens is that your muscles need to work.
5. Go to a professional
Finally, and if you are not sure, turn to a professional. We all like to save ourselves unnecessary expenses, but if you think about it, there are few things more important than your own body.
See a physical therapist if you’re not sure if you can train again. He himself will tell you what you can or cannot do, and will give you various guides to get you in tune as quickly and safely as possible.
