When someone comes to us in pain, they want a solution. And there’s one thing we almost always tell them they need to do… And usually they look at us as if we have 3 heads!
Like a lot of what we say, it goes against conventional thought…
But our goal is to get you the best results in the shortest amount of time, and this step is essential.
If you’re in pain, you’ve got to move.
YOU WANT ME TO MOVE??
Up until about a decade ago, if you hurt your back, sprained an ankle or strained a muscle, the advice invariably was to rest. In fact, if you’ve ever done a basic first aid course, you have probably learned the acronym RICE: Rest + Ice + Compress + Elevate.
These have largely been called into question by good science (with the possible exception of elevation which may have some benefits for tissue healing).
That’s right, even icing is not recommended as often anymore, but I’ll save that for another post…
If your goal is to heal as fast as possible, movement is one of the most important steps.
In one of our previous posts we discussed 5 mobility exercises guaranteed to improve your flexibility, function, and performance: https://beverlychiropractic.com/blog/mobility-exercises/
There are 3 main reasons why moving more helps you feel better faster:
1. BLOOD FLOW
Quick fact: Regardless of the type of tissue damage you have, it’s your immune system that fixes it. And since immune cells largely travel in your blood, increasing blood flow to the damaged area will bring more healing cells. This is what’s called acute inflammation and it’s essential for proper healing to happen.
When you move your body, you increase blood flow to the involved tissues, thereby bringing more immune cells to that area. Yes, you can overdo it and cause more damage – that’s why we recommend doing something like our joint-to-joint mobility program which is safe and effective.
2. GARBAGE REMOVAL
Have you ever done some demolition work in your house?
There’s always way more rubbish to get rid of than you thought, right?
Once the immune cells get to work, they produce a lot of waste in a similar way. Although, this waste doesn’t actually go back into the bloodstream. It gets transported through an entirely different set of tubes called your lymphatic system.
The thing about the lymphatic system is that, unlike the vascular (blood) system, it doesn’t have a pump (like the heart)… The only way for junk to get pumped away from the damaged area is by way of muscle contraction/relaxation. Which means movement is necessary to get optimum junk removal!
3. THE SQUEAKY WHEEL
Have you ever heard the saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”? It has different meanings depending on the context. But I think most people use it to mean – the louder voice is the one that gets heard.
Well, it turns out there’s something similar that happens in the brain when there are pain signals and signals from your body’s movement sensors. They compete against each other for our brain’s attention! And because movement sensation is so much more important to our brain, it almost always wins out.
Think about it this way: when you move your body, your brain pays more attention to that information (movement) vs. the pain signals. The result is you will feel less pain.
What should you do?
START A MOBILITY PROGRAM
If you’re dealing with pain – whether it’s from a recent injury, or something you’ve been dealing with for years – moving your body is going to help.
Keep it gentle to start and add a little bit more each day. The easiest place to start is with a simple mobility program.
You can get access to our extremely popular soft tissue mobility program by clicking HERE.
This is the first video of a comprehensive mobility program that we share with all of our clients, but it’s yours for free right now!
Give it try and let me know how it helps!
Dr. Derek Gallant
Dr. Derek Gallant has committed himself to helping others live the best life possible. After graduating from Wesleyan University, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Life Chiropractic College West where he finished 2nd in his class. He is the owner of Beverly Family Chiropractic and co-founder of The Well Family Foundation. Dr. Gallant is certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) in the Webster technique, an analysis focused on assisting pregnant women in a healthy pregnancy and natural birth. He has inspired thousands of people to take control of their own health using the Life By Design method. Apart from full time practice you can find Derek at the parks and coffee shops around Beverly with his family, training hard at the gym, or at the beach surfing.
