::Progress In Motion::

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5. “I used heat, why is it worse?”	Ice is proven to decrease inflammation and thus pain. Heat actually increases blood flow to the injured area, making inflammation enhanced, so application of heat makes a sprain worse.
4. “When I was 21, I had an injury like this. I pushed through it, and it went away.”	This “treatment” technique is unique to males, and to anyone under 25 years of age. Ever notice how the second injury, of the same body part a “few” years later hurts worse? Ignoring a sprain allows abnormal scarring, and produces abnormal joint functioning. That abnormal functioning produces higher risk of future joint injury. And, yes, the second injury is worse than the first. Bottom line? Get proper treatment early, and avoid a worse second injury.
3. “When I take my ibuprofen that my physician gave me, I have no pain.”	Ibuprofen, or any similar anti-inflammatory medication, shuts down the body’s natural healing process. The shutting down of this process decreases pain, and most of the time no pain is a good thing-right? Wrong!! The decreased pain makes any of us feel that we are “healed”, when actually the medications are shutting down the healing process. Your body has to be allowed time to heal, naturally!
2. “My doctor has given me a sheet of exercises….”	I hear this all the time-mostly when I am conducting an evaluation of the same sprain that has not healed. The patient report has hardly ever been “Yes, I performed the exercises.”, or “Yes, the exercises helped.” Reason? The exercise sheets given in physician offices are “canned” programs, not specific to your injury needs-in essence a one size fits all program. Every sprain is different, and every patient is different. Targeted, specific, exercise and treatment designed for your sprain leads to healing. Canned approaches simply are a waste of time and money!!
1. “I rested for 3 weeks, as instructed by my physician, and then tried to return to my…… It did not work. I am still painful.”	While rest from the aggravating activity is necessary for healing, returning to daily activities-running, sport participation, exercise routines- without rehabilitation increases your risk for re-injury. Rest and a sprain produce muscle weakness, and loss of movement sense in ALL AGE GROUPS! Returning a sprain to regular activities, without appropriate strength and movement sense is asking for re-injury. Ask for physical therapy, reduce the risk of re-injury, and perform better!!