A couple of weeks after spraining or straining an ankle or knee, it’s likely you’ll begin to feel a little better. At this point, you might be tempted to resume your regular activities. But here’s some advice to consider when moving forward.
1. Give your body time to heal.
Take a rest from any activities where you notice even the slightest pain. In this case, pain is not good — not even a little bit. You may need a few more days or even a couple of weeks to allow your tissue to heal. Your body knows how to heal and it’s in your best interest to provide a healing environment.
2. Listen to your body.
Your body communicates to you through pain. Pain is your body’s way of telling you to STOP what you’re doing. Ignoring pain or pushing through pain will only delay your healing. So take a rest!
3. Trust your body.
Your body has the innate wisdom to always move towards healing. It can be depressing when we think we’re missing out of activities or we feel afraid that this injury will never heal. But your brain is always working on your behalf and knows what to do. Take a break from exercise and other activities, get plenty of rest, eat healthy food, hydrate, and watch some funny videos.
Really take this time to heal and you’ll find yourself back on your feet
4. Re-enter gradually.
When your injured body part is feeling better, re-enter into your normal activities gradually. Don’t expect to jump back in at the same level you were before the injury. Go slowly, observe whether you feel pain, and if so, back off a bit. Plan to ice your recovering body part after using it for several weeks to help reduce any inflammation.
5. Supportive footwear.
If you’re recovering from an injured knee or ankle, wear supportive shoes. This will help distribute your weight and take additional stress off your knee or ankle.
Once you’re back on your feet, you may want to consider working 1:1 with a Feldenkrais practitioner to make sure you eliminate any muscular compensation patterns that happen when we’ve had to immobilize parts of our body for a period of time. Read more about compensation patterns and what to watch out for here.