Frustrated that you have done your rehab but you’re still training in pain? Here’s why!

This morning I was having a conversation with Sam, one of my clients.

Sam was hit from behind by a car on his motorbike while stopped at a stop sign about a year ago. It messed him up. He had a snapped femur, multiple broken bones and bruising.

The recovery was long and frustrating for Sam as he had very limited movement for some time.

When Sam initially came to me I knew his case was out of my scope so I referred him to Balance Health and Performance. Balance are rehabilitation specialists based in Sydney who I know to be industry leaders through my own personal experience and from sending multiple clients to them in the past.

The team at Balance worked with Sam on treating the pain and restriction he was experiencing from his injuries.  They gave him specific rehab exercises to address any dysfunction he had developed. Which allowed Sam to regain movement of his leg and begin to walk and live pain free again.

About 2 months ago Sam came to me. Although he had improved and wasn’t in ‘pain’ anymore.. He would tell me that he felt ‘weak’ and ‘tight’ and felt frustrated because he couldn’t train the way he wanted to.

He would train, but he was scared and if he pushed it, it would hurt.. All he wanted to do was to feel stronger again and get rid of the constant tightness and stiffness he was feeling all the time.

So, what’s the issue?

While Sam’s story is extreme, it is not an uncommon scenario. Whether it’s a back injury you sustained while squatting in the gym, or a shoulder niggle that just won’t go away, we have all gone through an injury and the necessary rehabilitation. We complete the rehab, but then don’t take the time to seek help to refine our technique or understand why we move poorly in the first place. You go back to training.. You get injured again.. Get treated again.. And the cycle continues!

So, what did we do?

1. Sam came to me for help. He took the time to seek the help of a professional coach to assess his movement and technique – if you are in this situation you should think about picking a coach who you know can help you UNDERSTAND why you move the way you do and will help you fix it.
2. I helped Sam understand that rehab is only one piece of the puzzle – It is important that people understand that rehab helps you recover from injury. But it doesn’t always help you return to strength training. Movement correction and strength loading is often forgotten and an important step in the recovery process.
3. We put a plan in place to help fix his movement and his technique – this will involve specific strength exercises with appropriate loading to help you understand how to change the way you move or improve your technique. Not rolling on a ball or stretching the sore spot!
4. Sam CONSISTENTLY performed the exercises that we had identified to help him improve his strength and movement – it takes time to teach your body new techniques or movement patterns. As with any skill, it has to be practiced and re-trained appropriately.

Where is Sam now?

I have been working with Sam now for 2 months.

We did his initial assessment where we assessed all of his strength and mobility deficiencies and had a look at the technique he was using for his main movements in the gym. Together, we put a plan in place with a focus on exercises that would provide him the greatest benefit and agreed that we needed a strong focus on technique. So we slowed everything down, and made every rep as effective as possible.

Armed with the correct knowledge, technique, and understanding of how to ‘feel’ and how to connect his brain to his muscles, Sam continued on his journey of recovery through consistently completing the program we had designed together.

What is the result?

We did Sam’s first check-up 4 weeks into his program. He was blown away by how much better he was able to move. His hips, legs and core were starting to feel stronger! His hip tightness was starting to disappear. His back pain was almost gone! No rolling. No stretching. Just consistency with the mobility and strength exercises he was given.

We are 8 weeks in after his check-up this morning. Hip tightness is almost non existent. And he is no longer suffering from any back pain. He can move better and more importantly he feels better!

He’s now at a point where I feel comfortable progressing his programming to include increased loading and volume, and also include more advanced exercises without the risk of injury.

I hope Sam’s story helps you through your recovery process. Don’t give up! Seek the help of an experienced coach! Be consistent, fix your movement, and get a program specifically catered to YOUR needs. The results will take care of themselves!

Cheers Sam for sharing your thoughts and motivating me to write this blog!

Visit instagram @h_woolford to see some of the work we have been doing to regain strength and movement back in Sam’s hips!