Here’s an email from a consult client that echos a sentiment I get with clients in the clinic all the time.
With rehab you will often have ups and downs, but over time, the overall trend we hope is positive.
This was how he felt after the first week:
He had just started our mobility program.
I’m biased but its the best one out there.
I intentionally made it to counter the common pitfalls people face when starting any program
time
equipment
variety
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Why do we see these ups and downs?
Human nature. We can’t help it. You feel good, so you try to push it.
You feel like the old you. Pain gives you an inch, so you take a mile.
I actually like the way Eddie Murphy says it
Not safe for work so don’t click if you or people around you are easily offended
With these ups and downs, it’s easy to forget the good weeks and be overly focused on the bad weeks.
This is not bad. This just means you are normal. But this is why we take those good days for granted.
Here’s 3 ways to change your perspective so you realize you actually are progressing.
You still have pain BUT
#1 - it is less intense with the SAME amount of activity
if you do 1 hour of yard work and your pain is a 4/10 instead of an 8/10, that is BETTER
If I charged you 50% less money for something, would you take it? It still stings since pain is can be “expensive,” but you get the idea.
#2 - you can do MORE activity with the SAME pain
If your pain was an 8/10 after 1 hour of yard work but now it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, that’s a 25% improvement
If I handed you 25% more money, would you take it?
#3 - it goes away quicker
After 1 hour of yard work you had to lay in bed the next day, but now you only have to lay in bed half a day, that’s 50% faster
If I handed you 50% more money, would you take it?
It’s cliche but perspective matters.
It would be nice if it was faster, and so would me actually giving you money… but that would not be reality
Everyone is different, and there’s no cut and dry guidelines about how much activity you should be doing.
It’s trial and error
And you may not even like yard work, so it may NEVER be pain free.