During the rehabilitation of an injury, pain is often used to judge how the injury is progressing.
Unfortunately for most, complete pain resolution is hard to achieve in a short period. Due to the complexity and up and down nature of pain, focusing solely on the presence of pain as a marker for progress can often make the process of rehabilitation seem never-ending. It can even make it seem like the rehabilitation plan isn't working.
As podiatrists, we consider pain to be one of several progress markers for the rehabilitation plan. Rather than focusing on whether the pain is present or not, a great way to measure progress is to look at how the painful region responds to activities of daily living or exercise.
While pain may not resolve immediately, there are often signs that indicate you're on your way to recovery.
Small improvements in how long the pain takes to develop during activity (onset), how severe or intense the pain gets and how long it hangs around after activity (duration) are all factors we should consider.
Examples:
Tom had been experiencing pain that was 6/10 when getting up the day after running 5 km. After implementing some strengthening exercises and a change in running shoes, Tom could get up in the morning with 3/10 pain after running the same distance.
Claire is training for a half marathon. When she first came to the clinic, her shins would get sore after running for 10 minutes, and they would remain sore for the rest of the day. After implementing some rehabilitation exercises and a change in shoes, Claire was able to run for 20 minutes before her shins became sore. After running, Claire's shins remained sore for only an hour.
By not focusing merely on the presence of pain but rather the onset time, intensity and duration, it's clear that Tom and Claire are heading in the right direction.
To judge your progress, keep an eye on how long the symptoms take to develop, how the symptoms respond to activity or exercise and how you feel when you get up in the morning.
In summary, you may be making progress with your rehabilitation plan long before the pain resolves. If you change your focus to how well you're tolerating exercise and how quickly you're recovering, you should see some positive signs that you're on your way to recovery.
Unsure where you're at in your rehabilitation journey? Get in touch or book an appointment online today.
Author: Andrew Apolloni