Roads to Recovery – Eight Tips to Expedite the Process of Healing
In 2021, there were over 5 million injuries sustained by Americans due to car accidents, while the sports injury toll across the country crossed 400,000, according to Injury Facts. For some people, such as athletes benched due to an injury, it is harder for others to trek down the roads to recovery. Often, such people skip past important steps of the healing process and push themselves to return to their normal activities.
Often, such injuries can be quite serious and leave a person with limited mobility and excruciating pain. What’s worse is the mental distress that comes with the healing process as you struggle to get your body to do basic acts and exercises.
However, that usually causes more harm than good by undoing weeks or months of healing. So what can you do to help yourself return to normal faster?
Well, if you are someone who has suffered an injury and is struggling with recovery, there are safe ways to speed up the healing process.
Let us guide you through the below tips.
1. Physical Therapy
There is no alternative to medical treatment and following your doctor’s advice. However, by being diligent with your therapy, you can help your body recover faster. Muscle and tendon injuries, being the most commonly sustained injuries in accidents and sports, require extensive physical therapy.
As part of your therapy, you may already see a physiotherapist or an osteopathic physician. We recommend adding an accident and injury chiropractor to the mix. A chiropractor is an expert who directly targets the source of physical pain in your body by aligning your spine. Adding a chiropractor to your healing plan will help you recover from your injury faster.
2. Rest
In any healing journey, there is nothing more important than rest. Rest allows your mind and body time to relax and repair themselves. We all know that the first 2 to 3 days after an injury are critical for healing. Hence, getting as much rest as possible during this period would be best.
However, it would help if you didn’t overwork yourself even when you’re past that mark. The more time your body has to rest, the faster it can heal itself. Therefore, make sure you don’t skip this step.
3. Follow Medical Advice
Regardless of your annoyance with your doctor, remember they are on your side. While some of their suggestions may seem a little over the top, following them can help speed up your recovery.
Therefore, pay attention to their instructions and try to do what you’re told. Adhering to proper medical advice and refraining from doing anything prohibited will help expedite your healing process.
4. Eat Well
Your body requires proper resources and fuel to heal and recover. Therefore, you must eat well by consuming a nourishing diet. Add lots of protein to your diet and reduce unnecessary carbohydrates and fats.
With limited mobility due to your injury, an unhealthy diet will have you packing on pounds without even realizing it. Therefore, stick to other nourishing food items, i.e., those rich in nutrients, such as zinc, calcium, iron, and vitamins.
Nutritional deficiencies can hamper your healing process, so ensure you get all the nutrients you need through food or supplements.
Try considering supplements such as probiotics for women. IT helps in keeping a healthy gut that can give a boost for your immune system. It also aids in a better bowel movement.
5. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Hydration is another key part of the healing process. Drinking water can help reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process. During the first few days of your injury, drink electrolytes to replenish your energy levels.
After that, focus on maintaining hydration by drinking plenty of water and other healthy fluids. You should be fine as long as you stick to the standard eight glasses a day. At the same time, try to avoid unhealthy drinks such as sodas or alcoholic beverages, as they can slow down your recovery or be a potential cause of addiction in the long run.
6. Stretch
The recovery process of an injury involves slowly and gradually allowing your body to adjust to the injury and return to its previous physical abilities. An important part of this process is to allow your body to loosen up by stretching regularly.
While you may be excited about returning directly to your regular physical activities, it is first important to accustom your body to its new state. Start with simple stretching exercises that you can do lying down and slowly work your way up to more strenuous ones.
At the same time, you can also try light exercises such as walking to help quicken your healing.
7. Use the Right Accessories
Another important part of healing from an injury is using the right accessories. For instance, if you have a foot injury, it is important to wear comfortable shoes and use a walking stick if necessary.
Similarly, if you have suffered from an injury to the neck, you must wear a neck brace around your neck. Using the right accessories will ensure that your injury does not worsen and remains as needed for healing.
8. Focus on Mental Health
Recovery is a two-tiered process. The physical recovery process pertains to returning your body to its original state, and then there is the mental aspect. Injuries can be very emotionally and mentally distressing, so when you are down due to an injury, insecurity, and fear can resurface and make you feel inadequate.
Therefore, it is important to tackle these feelings and focus on your mental health just as much as your physical health. Most people tend to do all right if they have their support system of loved ones helping them through the recovery, but if you need more help, do not be afraid of seeking professional help.
Therapy can be extremely beneficial for speeding up roads to recovery, so step up and ask for help.
Read More: Illinois Car Accident Laws: Your Rights and Responsibilities
Conclusion
The roads to recovery is long and hard, but with the right mindset, you can make it to the finish line. With the above tips, you can expedite the healing process.
Just remember to take care of yourself and your well-being in every way to ensure that you recover quickly and effectively.
