Injuries and Major Traumas

Both minor physical injuries or serious physical traumas will not only affect the way the body responds to certain conditions or events in the future, but will also change the way we use our musculoskeletal structures as the body heals. 

We limp when our foot hurts. We may choose to elevate the foot off of the ground by raising our hip instead of bending our knee if that helps us walk with less pain. We tend to use our shoulder to move our hand when there is a problem in the elbow joint. People might have to turn their whole bodies to look back when they experience stiff necks. These types of adaptations are usually temporary. We go back to moving normally (or at least as close as possible) as the pain or inflammation goes away. 

Leaving the issue unattended and aggravated for a longer period of time, however, can cause these movement patterns to become permanent.

In addition, build-ups of scar tissue or collagen can accumulate in the affected area, greatly influencing flexibility and elasticity, while limiting the range of motion in nearby movable structures. Moreover, bone or joint damage can exacerbate the problems and introduce a sequence of long-term issues in the post-recovery stage.

As you understand, we often end up with quite a different body after an injury – especially after a significant one. We must re-explore the body through movement, rebuilding our neurological maps and learning how to effectively, efficiently, and safely use it. The fresh memory of the accident, bundled together with the new sensations and subconscious psychological alarms may, however, hold us back. And, if we are not athletes, whose livelihoods depend on regaining 100% of their pre-injury movement, we may not be motivated enough to deal with all the mental resistance and the laborious efforts needed to completely restore mobility.

This will limit our available range of safe options for unrestricted movement, which may further affect our ability to move and, of course, enjoy the process of movement itself.