If It Hurts, Make It Stronger: The Power of Gentle Loading in Recovery
As a chiropractor, I often hear people talk about pain and the immediate urge to rest and avoid movement. While initial rest is absolutely necessary, I'm here to share a concept that might change the way you think about recovery:
most things that hurt are weak.
This isn't meant to sound harsh; it's a fundamental principle of how our bodies heal and adapt. When a joint or muscle is injured, it often loses some of its strength and capacity. To truly heal and prevent the issue from coming back, we can’t just rest until the pain goes away—we need to rebuild that capacity.
The 24-Hour Rule: Moving Past Rest
Rest is great, but it can only do so much. A good rule of thumb is this:
After about 24 hours of initial rest for a painful area, it’s time to start working in.
The goal isn’t to push through sharp pain, but to introduce a gentle, controlled load. Adding a gentle load to the area and getting it to activate can do wonders for the healing process. It sends a signal to your body that this area is safe to use and encourages the rebuilding of strong, resilient tissue.
Your Simple Road Map to Strength
Building back to full strength must be done slowly, but you should not shy away from using the spot that hurts. Here is a simple progression we can use as we work together:
Start with Isometrics: This is one of the best places to begin. Isometric contractions are where you load the muscle without moving the joint. Think of gently pushing against a wall or holding a light weight in a static position. This activates the muscle and starts the healing process safely.
Add Slow Movement Under Load: Once isometrics feel manageable, we can introduce slow, controlled movement under a light load. This helps restore your range of motion and functional strength without overloading the recovering tissue.
Build to Heavier Loads and Plyometrics: As your strength returns, we’ll progressively increase the load. The final stage of rehab involves returning to activities that require fast, explosive power, like jumping or sprinting (plyometrics), to complete the full return to your pre-injury status.
If you want to return to your life at the level you were before the injury, you must get stronger.
Remember my motto: "If it hurts, make it stronger."
If you need more information or want to chat about your specific recovery plan, please reach out to me.
Dr. Joe.