Rehabbing injuries frequently reminds me of onions…or a layer cake…whichever you prefer. Meaning there are frequently layers to pain and/or injuries.
Yes, traumatic injuries do happen, but the majority of what we see in a clinical setting are not due to a traumatic injury. Most of what we see is pain that has developed over time. Many times, this pain is ignored for a long time before someone decides to do something about it. Because of this, the issue becomes complex:
Initial pain -> pain is ignored -> the body compensates -> other problems develop away from the area -> new pain develops -> and the cycle continues
Or to make it even more confusing for the patient and the fun puzzle for the clinician:
Tightness/stiffness in one area (ie: upper back) -> muscles and joints to compensate elsewhere (shoulder) -> pain or numbness/tingling develops “down the chain” (shoulder and elbow in front rack position)
These things can take a while to treat. Once one things gets cleared up and you start returning to your sport/activity, you find that you can do some movements without pain, but then other movements still cause pain. Basically, as we start to “peel away the layers” you slowly find other issues and/or the “root cause” of the whole problem.
Have nagging pain that you have been ignoring? Email me at brianne@getyourfixpt.com so we can discuss your issues.
