mollyfamwatIt’s always a little nerve wracking when you are doing something new for the first time. More common than not, people like to be prepared especially when it comes to anything health-related. Rigby neck pain specialists at Pick PT are available to help reduce your neck pain.
Use ice and heat to help with injury
It is most common to hear that you should use ice when taking care of an injury. Ice baths, ice packs or any other methods needed to numb and reduce swelling of the injury. Use ice within the first day or two of an injury. It is also helpful to use heat to reduce the pain of an injury. Heat is helpful with improving circulation to a joint or muscle. Use heat before an exercise or stretch to have increased success.
Movement is important
As much as you want to rest and not move at all, movement is essential to recovery. The human body is incredible with being able to heal itself but you need to do your part to aid in healing. Your physical therapist will instruct you on how often you need to move and what type of movements you should be doing. You don’t want to do too much too fast. It is recommended to move 1-3 times every hour to help avoid stiffness or pain.
Flexibility–stretching after exercise
Flexibility is typically an underrated part of movement. People often focus on strength and endurance but don’t take time to focus on flexibility. It actually aids in tissue mobility and balance to your different muscle tissues. It is important to stretch for 15-20 minutes after your workout. It’s refreshing to give your muscles the stretching they need to reduce the chance of cramping or aches.
When to get help
Remember that your body will talk to you about your health and you need to listen. The first week or two after your injury is key to identifying potential problematic issues. You’ll want to pay attention or make note if you’re making improvements or not. If you have very minimal to no improvements within that time frame then it would be wise to go to a physical therapist.
Write down questions in advance
This is one of the most important things you can do! Even if you have a good memory, it never hurts to write down your questions before you get to your appointment. You’ll be meeting your physical therapist for the first time, in a new location that you haven’t been in before so it might be more challenging to remember the questions you’d like to ask. Don’t be afraid to take notes during your appointment so that you can remember the answers that you’re given or things that you’ll need to do after your appointment. If you’re taking notes on a device, make a comment saying that you’re taking notes so it doesn’t seem like you are not paying attention or distracted doing something else.
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