Trusting your body after injury

EmilyEmpowered · April 2015

SO about a year ago I injured my knee while working out. I was doing barbell lunges on a morning when I was way too tired, skipped stretching and just went full force into my workout... And majorly dislocated my knee.

I had never really injured myself before, and let me just tell you the experience was really very traumatizing to me. I was at the YMCA, I had to be taken by ambulance to the ER, my knee was dislocated for over an hour total and I was just staring at it the whole time, holding it because they wouldnt let me straighten it (And I was really too scared anyway) The DR told me it was the worst possible knee dislocation. I hope to never, ever go through that again. WHich is unlikely, because the damage I did to it gives me a very good chance of having this happen again at some point in my life.

I was very into heavy lifting, running, HIIT, etc but since the injury a lot has happened health wise, and I havent worked out much at all. I am constantly terrified that my body is going to give out on my in some way. I feel like I dont trust any of my joints to really go full force. I really want to get back into running... I am just so scared!

I do go back to the dr this week to find out if my knee will need surgery in the future, so I am still taking it kind of easy. But I am hoping the dr will tell me that I can start going full force again.
Can anyone help me overcome this mental block?

LKArgh · April 2015

My advice is to start with "safer" forms of exercise. As part of recovery from an injury, I had to completely change my workout the last months, so I understand how you feel, but in the end, there always are alternatives.
I would suggest some type of water-based exercise, swimming or aqua aerobics for example, plus looking into pilates or other body weight training routines for strength training.

AllanMisner · April 2015

Get off the full force mindset. From now on, thing progression. If all you can do is walk, walk, then maybe walk faster and/or further. Never add more than 10% to what you were doing last week. This applies to running mileage, weight in strength training, or time/effort doing intensive cardio programs.

Have you gone through a proper physical therapy program?

EmilyEmpowered · April 2015

I did not go through a physical therapy program. I am going to speak to the dr about doing so now, if its still worth it and not too late. At the time, I was planning on it and then I got pregnant and everything was about the baby and my pregnancy, which was high risk itself. SO now I am ready to focus on my own health again, and wishing I had at least taken the time to rehab my knee properly!

AllanMisner · April 2015

EmilyEmpowered wrote: »

I did not go through a physical therapy program. I am going to speak to the dr about doing so now, if its still worth it and not too late. At the time, I was planning on it and then I got pregnant and everything was about the baby and my pregnancy, which was high risk itself. SO now I am ready to focus on my own health again, and wishing I had at least taken the time to rehab my knee properly!

It will be well worth it. For one, the PT can assess your movement patterns and help you work through any weaknesses that could cause a repeat injury. Get fully rehabbed, then get into a progressive program.

lishie_rebooted · April 2015

EmilyEmpowered wrote: »

I did not go through a physical therapy program. I am going to speak to the dr about doing so now, if its still worth it and not too late. At the time, I was planning on it and then I got pregnant and everything was about the baby and my pregnancy, which was high risk itself. SO now I am ready to focus on my own health again, and wishing I had at least taken the time to rehab my knee properly!

Definitely worth it and probably not too late.

I totally understand your feelings.
I've got a whole host of issues in my right leg stemming from my ankle.
I don't trust my ankle so I don't play tennis anymore, I avoid a lot things as to not anger my ankle so I can still run, ski, lift, and hike.

Welp, now I've gone and broken the other ankle (fell on a run).
So now I've got two ankles I can't trust.

But I've been going through physical therapy for all these issues off and on since August 2013, largely on.
Honestly, it was hard at first because I was comparing myself to pre-injury Lishie. And I still do a bit, it's hard not to.
You can't go back at it full force. You need to take it one step at time and celebrate what you can do while working on everything.

"Do not let what you can not do interfere with what you can do" - John Wooden (though I got it in a fortune cookie lol)

SonyaCele · April 2015

i had a bad knee injury, and i have completely slowed down everything i do. this is two years later and i still dont have the same confidence in my bad knee, or in my body like i used to. I just changed what i to and how i do it. its a long slow process. Injuries are life changing.

GiddyupTim · April 2015

Injuries are very hard on the psyche. I tore my ACL. My experience is that you will not have confidence, at first. But it will build with time. I have come to trust mine again and I can do the activities I did before.
Good luck

Pinkranger626 · April 2015

I've had two pretty bad injuries within a year of each other. One was a bad lower back strain. I actually passed out from the pain twice and hobbled around like an old lady for about two weeks. Then I ended up with gluteal tendinopathy in my left hip which sidelined me for about 8 weeks. My hip is what's really been messing with my head because it came on so suddenly and didn't even have a real reason that I can pinpoint (ended up feeling the symptoms from sitting down on concrete for a long time, with no previous warning signs).

Before I injured my back I was lifting really heavy, running, and doing a lot of obstacle course races. After my back injury I started a PT program and had slowly worked my way back up to where I had been pre-injury. Then my hip injury happened. I was devastated. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to run again without pain, didn't know if my job would be something that I could still do (health fitness specialist, massage therapist, and group exercise instructor). I went through a very real depression and identity crisis while I was recovering.

My hip injury was in July last year. I've since completed a half marathon with very meticulous training and care. And I'm now working my squat weight back to where I had been. When I started back I LITERALLY ran 1 mile 3 times a week for three weeks, then bumped it up to 1.5 miles etc. I've done a lot of research in strengthening and preventative care, and I've gotten much more adamant about rest days, yoga/stretching, and regular massage.

My suggestion: talk to your doctor, and if he's not an orthopedic doctor get a referral to one. Go to the PT if you are able to and do your homework (exercises they will give you to do at home). PT will be able to direct you back to recovery. If you're still feeling this way by the time you finish PT then you may want to look into possibly hiring a trainer that specializes in injury recovery. If that's not an option, then do lots of research. Actually, do lots of research anyway. Slow and steady, small increments, and you'll be able to get back to what's considered normal to you.

EmilyEmpowered · April 2015

Thanks everyone! Glad to know I am not the only one who is struggling after an injury. Since I had never hurt myself like this, I didnt realize how common it was to be nervous about activity afterwards.

I am feeling better about my appointment, too. Have some ideas on what I want to ask and hopefully can get pointed in the right direction for PT. I do have an Ortho DR, I am sure he will know where to go from here I just have been trying to get more activity in in the meantime.

Trusting your body after injury

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