Injury Recovery

Let’s face it no one has time or the patience to be injured or recover properly from an injury. The most recent Journal of Dance Medicine & Science had an interesting article about the return to full dance activity following therapy for the most common dance injuries. The top 2 limiting factors in returning to activity were: age of the injury and completion of treatment protocol. In short, what kept dancers from getting back to dance were putting off going to the doctor and then not doing what the doctor told them.

This is not just true for dancers. The few dozen snow shoveling injuries I have treated over the years were usually in summer, 10+ years after the storm. Most of my 30 somethings who seek treatment are from high school sports.  Many headaches are from old car accidents.  It’s actually true of every disease and disorder. Just ignoring it isn’t the most effective treatment option. Time may heal all wounds, unless MRSA sets in, but it does nothing for herniated discs.

Anyone who listens to me (guess that leaves wife and kids out) has heard me say it’s NOT just about the pain, it’s about recovery. Coming back too early from an injury and/or not finishing the prescribed treatment plan can be dangerous. It usually ends with even more pain than before, even further prolonged recovery time and permanent damage.