Rehabbing an Injury – Keeping the Road to Recovery a Simple One

There’s no doubt that suffering an injury – whether it’s at your place of work, while playing sports or doing something adventurous in your spare time – can be a painful ordeal. Not only this, but it can be a source of frustration too. Having to sit at home, staying away from work and other activities we might enjoy, it can be easy to get down-spirited.

So, when recovering from an injury, many of us will want to make the road as short and simple as possible. The last thing we want is for complications to arise and make the rehabilitation process more difficult. With this in mind, here are some basic rules you should follow when recovering from an injury:

Rest

You’ve been sent home from work for a reason – rest! You might feel like you’re not being productive by sitting around and waiting for your injury to get better, but when injured, resting and following your treatment plan is just about the most productive thing you can do. The more you rest, the sooner you’ll get better and be back on your feet.

Stay Away from Household Chores

When at home, it’s easy for our attention to wander towards those tasks we’ve been meaning to do for a while. You know, painting the shed, clearing out the loft. And you might think that now, even though you’re not 100 per cent, might be a good opportunity to get it all done – you know, while you’ve got the time off work. Don’t do it! By lifting heavy objects and performing household tasks, you’ll only risk aggravating your injury and slowing down your recovery process.

Follow Doctor’s Orders

If your doctor has laid out a movement and exercise plan for the injured area, make sure you follow it. Not doing so might lead to more restricted movement once you’ve recovered. Keep your doctor informed about how it’s going – follow their instructions regarding any pain relief treatments they may have prescribed or suggested, and contact them if you have any concerns.

Don’t Go Back to Work Too Early

Being overly keen and re-injuring yourself will only land you back on your sofa at home (or worse, the hospital). So always make sure you’re fully healed before you get back to the grind.