No matter the injury, certain principles always apply to successful recovery. If you've recently hurt yourself, keep these five tips in mind to speed the healing process and make recovery as beneficial as possible:
Let your body heal
Too many people try to power through an injury, getting back to their daily routine as quickly as possible. This is a recipe for disaster. Instead, what you need is rest, and plenty of it. Take as much time as possible off work if performing your job is in any way painful. Listen to your body: if something hurts, don't do it.
Use a rehabilitation program
Rehab is a vital part of recovering from any injury. Seek advice from a professional healthcare provider who has completed a high quality occupational therapy program and follow it! Going through rehab can be uncomfortable and expensive, but it's the best way to speed healing and get back to life as you knew it before your injury.
Keep fit by changing your focus
Just because you're injured doesn't mean you should completely abandon your exercise regimen. Instead, consider this an opportunity to try different workouts and focus on different muscle groups. Consult your doctor or rehab facilitator to determine what sort of exercise is safe to do while recovering from your injury.
Maintain a positive outlook
As Yogi Berra once said, "90% of the game is half mental," and that's a principle that extends beyond baseball. You're playing the game of life, and staying positive is vital to a full recovery. Avoid negative thoughts and focus on the opportunities your injury has created to spend time with your family or pursue hobbies you didn't previously have time for. Keep track of your healing progress—nothing helps you stay positive like being able to see the end goal.
Avoid future injury
Assess what led to your injury and avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Some injuries are purely random, but others are the direct result of our own actions. And especially when you're almost, but not quite, healed, it's easy to think you can do things your body isn't quite ready for. Play it safe and let your body completely heal.
A serious injury can be a major setback in anyone's life, but by heeding these tips you can eliminate a lot of the headaches involved in the recovery process. Remember these five tips and have a happy recovery!