Most people are surprised to find out how their injury and the ensuing recovery period can lead to muscle weakness and loss of stamina. Objective measures of muscle weakness and wasting are commonly observed after injury and surgery within 4 to 6 weeks. Minimizing muscle loss and strength deficits are important rehabilitation goals set out in your physical therapy program. The first stage of recovery is to prevent further damage and allow the body to begin the healing process.
Phase I controls pain and swelling (ice, eliminating aggravating movement patterns when possible, NSAIDs, ultrasound, e-stim). After the healing process has begun, the next step is to start regaining movement and mobility. The main goal of the repair stage is to gently facilitate the body's return to pre-injury range-of-motion (ROM) levels, or as close as possible to pre-injury levels. Gentle range-of-motion and soft tissue exercises are important to start this stage, so that it does not extend too much or aggravate the injury.
Flexibility exercises can also help prevent the long-term effects of decreased range of motion or function. Small weights can be used during exercises if it is safe to do so, but more intensive strength training is not recommended at this time. Once your range of motion has been restored as best as possible, the next stage of physical rehabilitation is to start regaining strength. Resting during the recovery stage can cause muscle atrophy or wasting leading to weakness and loss of stamina. In the strength stage, the goal is to minimize these losses and return to pre-injury muscle strength and endurance levels, along with cardiovascular endurance.
With the use of weight machines, strength training can be performed safely and accurately, while reducing the risk of aggravating injury or risking new injuries. Inflammation and pain are the body's first response to injury. We have started the healing process, the better you can control inflammation, control pain and protect the damaged body part to prevent further damage. System 4 allows six phases of rehabilitation following the model of demonstrating necessity, progress and outcome. The correct order of rehabilitation phases is: Rest and Protect Injury · Regain your Function · Flexibility Exercises · Strength Training · Short-Term Stabilization · Intensive Care. Each phase has its own purpose in helping a person recover from an injury or illness.
Rest and protect injury helps reduce inflammation and pain while regaining function helps restore range of motion. Flexibility exercises help prevent long-term effects while strength training helps regain muscle strength and endurance. Short-term stabilization focuses on stabilizing a person until they can receive definitive treatment while intensive care provides specialized care for life-threatening conditions. When referring to evidence in academic writing, you should always try to refer to the main (original) source. Usually, that is the journal article in which the information was presented.
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