We have an acronymn for the physical side of injury - RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) that works well and is easy to remember.
But the mental side of how you deal with an injury is arguably more important.
Our beliefs, attitudes and emotions about the situation can set the stage for effective healing to begin.
That is why we have come up with another version of RICE, a simple mantra you can go through in your head in less than a minute, and hopefully set the stage for a positive healing experience after an injury.
Resilient - the human body is an incredibly resilient self-healing machine
Intuitive - allow space and openness to listen to the wisdom of the body
Capable - what’s your current capacity relative to the demands of your sport and life?
Equanimous - calmness and composure in a difficult situation
Please see below for a more detailed breakdown of each word.
I hope this information empowers you to lead a healthy and enjoyable life, with confidence in your body.
Dan
Warning: if you are unsure why you are getting pain, please ensure you consult with an appropriate health care provider.
Resilient
Our bodies our are incredibly resilient and robust.
Think of when you have accidentally cut yourself - and how quickly it heals within a few days, without you even thinking about it.
Our bodies are essentially powerful super healing machines - our job is to provide the best environment to support the process.
Find an exercise or movement that doesn’t aggravate your pain or injury and focus on that until you feel better, keeping your blood pumping and endorphins flowing.
Vulnerability and Fragility
One thing injuries can do is make us feel vulnerable and fragile.
Fearing further injury can lead us to over-protect (see below).
This can lead to less movement, in an attempt to protect the area from further damage.
It can also lead to increased muscle tightness by bracing to protect, which can lead to some compensations and stress in other parts of the body.
Of course some rest and recovery is needed in the short-term.
At the other end of the spectrum, some people are really good at ignoring and pushing through their pain.
So where should we draw the line between too much and too little activity?
Monitoring your symptoms during exercise and for the 24 hours following can be very useful guide (see below).
Pain up to 5/10 is considered acceptable and to be expected.
After an injury, it is natural to feel a little vulnerable.
But always remember you’re not fragile, weak or damaged.
If you’ve ever worried about degeneration or wear and tear, I would highly encourage you to read this book by Dr John Sarno. In particular the first chapter, titled ‘Structural Abnormalities Rarely Cause Pain’.
And if you need any more proof of the resilience of the human body, consider these stories:
Intuitive
Your Body Always Knows What To Do And It’s Always Trying to Communicate With You - Are You Listening?
It can be confusing when you have an injury… but if you allow some space and openness to listen to the wisdom of the body, you may have a better chance of hearing it’s message.
As for most things - a balance of logic and intuition goes a long way to getting you on the right track.
In this day and age with technology and devices so pervasive, it is becoming much more challenging to maintain strong lines of communication with the body.
We are living in our heads so much, the body has almost become an abstract concept!
Interoception is the ability to sense internal messages coming from the body, such as heart rate, hunger, nausea and emotions.
Interoception also refers to being able to feel sensation coming from muscles such as tightness and tension.
What is very interesting is that the researchers have shown that people who have had chronic pain, stress or trauma in their lives have a decreased interoceptive ability.
This means, they have a limited to ability to hear what they body is telling them and change their behaviour appropriately, setting the stage for injury to occur.
We all have the ability to increase the capacity of our internal awareness.
It takes an investment in time, practice and curiosity.
Tips to improve interoception:
develop a mindfulness based practice such as yoga, pilates, gym or running
spend time in nature walking barefoot
get regular massage / dry needling
use a foam roller / spikey ball
learn about heart rate variability training
Just a warning, as you increase your interoception, you may become more acutely aware of things going on in your body. This is a normal process, but can be a little overwhelming at times.
Working with a health care professional or teacher who is sensitive to your needs can help accelerate your powers of intuition and interoception in a safe way.
Never forget you know your body best and what works and what doesn’t.
Have trust and faith - there is a deep wisdom encoded into every cell in your body, based on millions of years of evolution.
For a really great read on interoception, click here.
Capable
Capability = CAPACITY minus DEMANDS
Always keep this picture in mind!
What’s Your Current Physical Capacity Relative to the Demands?
Some research would suggest around 80% of injuries are due to ‘too much too soon’ where the demand is far greater than your current capacity.
You may need to more gradually stress your tissues and allow time for adaptation to occur.
“Long term consistency trumps short term intensity” - Bruce Lee
For more detailed info on load management please see here.
“Always be building your capacity”
In life we know there will always be times when you will be getting sick, under extreme stress (or fighting the threat of a global pandemic).
So when things are relatively calm and stable, it is worth investing time and energy into building your physical and mental capacity so you are able to effectively deal with the challenges that will come your way.
Equanimous
Equanimity = calmness and composure especially in a difficult situation
This is probably the hardest one to master.
Could you re-conceptualize an injury from a problem to be avoided to an opportunity to learn more about your body and become more robust and resilient?
Equanimity is a revered emotion and an attitude that is cultivated by a number of major religions and ancient philosophies.
Treat success and injuries the same.
Develop a growth mindset.
Injury isn’t always a bad thing - story of the horse who ran away - bad luck vs good luck - it doesn’t actually exist.
Everything happens for a reason.
Ultimately injuries provide us an opportunity to learn more about our bodies and grow stronger and more resilient in the process.
Worrying about an injury is a low-vibrational state.
Figuring out what you can put your energy into will bring about a faster resolution of symptoms as well as taking your focus off any negative emotional states.
So next time you have an injury, please think RICE:
Resilient - the human body is an incredibly resilient self-healing machine
Intuitive - allow space and openness to listen to the wisdom of the body
Capable - what’s your current capacity relative to the demands of your sport and life?
Equanimous - calmness and composure in a difficult situation
If you have found this useful, I’d love you to let me know by leaving a comment below.