When it comes to injuries, I consider myself a pro. And by that, I mean a pro at getting injured. I mean, how many people can say that they have dealt with at least one major injury every year for the last 5+ years? We're talking two metatarsal (foot) stress fractures, multiple stress fractures in the sacrum (below the spine), ligament tears, stress fractures in the ankle, IT band syndrome, Achilles' tendonitis, plantar's fasciitis, runner's knee, shin splints...oh, and some mysterious ones that have been plaguing me for over a year now with no diagnosis. See?! I've got skills.
Joking aside, injuries can take quite a toll on one's well-being - not just the physical side of things, but also the mental. For someone who is used to being active on a regular basis, being sidelined out of the blue and forced to abandon their routine training can be difficult to cope with. Since I consider quite "experienced" in the area of injuries, I've come to develop a few strategies for coping with the mental turmoil that often accompanies a physical setback .
1) Find an outlet.
For many athletes, or even general gym-goers, a workout serves a two-fold purpose: not only to benefit one's physical health, but also as a way to release stress. In addition, when working out is a standard part of your routing, removing this [ ] can throw you out of sync and leave you focusing even more on what is 'missing' (i.e. your workout). As soon as you know you are likely going to have to cut back on your usual training, if not cut it out completely, start thinking about other activities you can turn to to fill that void. If you're able, it could be another physical activity that doesn't stress your injury (such as swimming or strength training), or something that is not physically active that can still serve as an outlet for stress and emotions. Is there something you always enjoyed, but never had enough time to do? Now's the time! For me, my injuries found me purchasing a piano keyboard and returning to some of my old passions, like playing piano, reading, and art.
2) Research!
If you're like me, and an injury catches you completely off-guard as you think "I was doing everything right!", maybe it's time to bring out those problem-solving skills. I know I always feel a little bit better when I can learn something from an injury or have some sort of takeaway from something otherwise very upsetting. Over the course of my injuries, I've researched everything I possibly can, hoping that if I can't find an answer to why this happened or how to fix this injury, I can learn something useful for my future training. When you apply this approach - and you are constantly injured, like I am - you learn so much! Some things I've learned over the years:
Nutrition plays a bigger, more complex role than people realize. For example - certain foods and spices have anti-inflammatory benefits (berries, turmeric, fish oil, tart cherry) - and utilizing those rather than NSAIDs (ibuprofen) can actually be much more effective.
The injured area/area of pain is not always the cause of the problem. For example, many knee injuries can actually come from the IT band "pulling" the knee and creating the pain, which can be due to tightness in the IT band or weak glutes/hips.
Everything and anything related to kinesiology tape ("KT Tape"). I am a huge fan of KT tape and these days usually have at least one body part taped. When I first tried using this tape, I was shocked at how much a little piece of tape could work - it was more effective for my given injury than any other brace or wrap - but I had no idea why. So I dug into the research and read quite a bit about the actual science behind why it worked so well.
Alternative approaches are worth looking into - especially for long-lasting injuries. I've incorporated massage (not the comfortable massage, either!) and Graston technique into my attempts at injury recovery, and they are sometimes quite effective. [Graston is a technique of essentially 'scraping' away at built-up fascia, using this curved metal object...hurts quite a bit but can be worth it!]
And many more....
I may not have been an anatomy or biology major, but over the course my injuries, sometimes I feel like I've learned a decent chunk of knowledge!
3) Find your "support people".
One thing that I've learned throughout injury and my various struggles in general is who my biggest 'support people' are. I am not just talking about those who wish you well and want the best for you - there are likely many of those; here, I'm referring to the people you can and should turn to when the struggles of your life are really taking a toll on you. Many people have the best intentions but offer their support in different ways. As you struggle with setbacks, you start to figure out 1) what kind of support you need, and 2) who gives that kind of support. There can be multiple answers to this question.
"Problem-solving" feedback: When I'm in a 'problem-solving' mood, and want to approach my injuries scientifically, I know I can call my dad, since his instincts as a doctor are to give medical advice and try to "solve the case".
Reassurance to rest: I have another good friend I know I can go to when maybe I know I need to be resting but am tempted to "just try a workout, maybe it's not that bad" - one text and she'll quickly assure me that rest is best (and that a few days off does not make me lazy or will not make me out of shape, as she knows the negative thoughts I am battling).
Runner friends (or those who can best relate): Not everyone can understand what you're going through. For someone who hates running and the gym and has to force themselves to do even the smallest of workout, hearing a friend complain about how 'hard' it is to rest can seem foreign. I often will go to my twin sister, who also runs and has dealt with injury, or some running-centered Facebook groups I'm a part of, to ask more running-specific questions regarding my injury and recovery as well as to talk about my frustrations with people who can really relate.
"THIS SUCKS" - someone to assure you that your feelings are valid: I have another friend I go to when all I really need is to vent and have someone just agree that this situation sucks. While positivity and advice are great, sometimes a) people don't know how to help you, and b) all you really need is someone to say "That sucks!" and make your feelings feel validated.
These are just a few examples of what works for me. Figuring out which various responses help you the most and identifying the people in your life that best offer that form of support can be extremely helpful to get you through a tough time.
4) Advocate for yourself.
Sometimes you have to trust your gut. A doctor can have the best intentions, but remember that he/she only sees you for maybe fifteen minutes, and only has limited insight to what is really going on in your body (e.g. he/she can only base their initially judgment off of what he/she can see externally (unless they opt to order more intensive imaging)). You are your body's best advocate. If something is off, and a doctor doesn't seem to take you seriously - maybe consider seeking a second opinion (especially if it's something you've been dealing with for a while and is something affecting your day-to-day life). It can be a nuisance to have to find another doctor, but in the end may be worth it if you can find answers.
5) Keep track of bills and appointments.
While these may sound like very basic, logistical tasks, the appointment schedules and bills can quickly become overwhelming and create even more stress in an already difficult situation. If you're dealing with a very large injury that involves different doctors and possibly various treatments, you could easily end up with multiple bills flowing in randomly from various facilities for various amounts, sometimes duplicated. In the last year alone, I have been to
three different orthopedic doctors (three different hospitals)
two separate physical therapy facilities
two separate MRI centers
four different radiology departments
two different Emergency Rooms; one hospital overnight
and one ambulance ride.
When you add those all up - and then multiply some of them by two (hospitals charge separately for the clinic vs the physician) - that's a LOT of separate bills to be paid to different people! Not to mention, say, physical therapy has ongoing appointments that are continuously accumulated on updated bills. It's very easy to get confused and either overpay or miss a bill.
My best recommendation (and one I wish I had followed from the start) is to make an Excel spreadsheet of your appointment schedule as you go along. This can then serve as both a calendar as well as a way to track your payments. It may sound over-the-top, but trust me: I've received duplicate bills before and accidentally overpaid, and have also had creditors send me a notice saying I owed hundreds of dollars that I knew I had paid off. (Lucky for me, I caught both cases and was able to correct the discrepancies.) Having a spreadsheet like this not only will make it easier to catch these sort of mistakes, but also gives you the comfort of knowing you are on top of things as well as a heads' up about how many bills may still be coming.
6) Give yourself time to wallow.
(Any Gilmore Girls fans in the house?!)
Society makes us think we always need to be "tough". "Stay positive!" "Think on the bright side!" "Well, it could be much worse - you should be grateful!". This advice is all valid, but sometimes you just need to let it out. "Wallowing", as described in Gilmore Girls, is letting yourself fully engage in feelings of sadness - get yourself all that junk food, climb into bed, put on those sappy TV shows, and get in a good cry. Now, I'm not saying you need to do all of this - or that you need to camp out in your apartment in sadness and despair for months because of an injury - but you do need to allow yourself to feel the emotions.
The exact way you do this will vary from person to person. I will confess, I cry. I cry a lot more than people probably think (usually behind closed doors). Sometimes, I have an unexpected breakdown at the gym! But you know what? I cry, I let it out, and then I am able to turn my focus to pushing through the difficult times. If you bottle up your emotions for too long, you will only become more and more stressed from trying to hold it in, and eventually you'll likely explode. Give yourself permission to feel crappy. (Just not for too long).
6) ...then muster up all your strength, change your viewpoint, and KEEP. GOING.
This item may be last, but it's probably one of the most important ones - specifically because this all comes from within you and is completely under your control, regardless of what your injury is or the extent of your situation. Changing your perspective and finding internal strength is what will get you out of this difficult time successful.
Take it beyond the generic 'be grateful it's not worse' and really focus on how you can alter your perspective. One way I do this is to view my history of injuries like an 'experiment': I've been trying to run a marathon for about 5 years now, and have found about every way that doesn't work (i.e. gets me injured) - so eventually I'm bound to find the solution! Another tip here is to change your initial "goal timeline". If you had your sights set on running a marathon this year and qualifying for Boston, you may need to tweak that idea. I'm not saying completely throw the thought of running a marathon out the window (I'm still here trying for that, after all!) - but maybe don't put a deadline on it. It's probably not helpful to just 'push' your race date say, 6 months, thinking "Ok, the doc told me it typically takes 6-8 weeks to heal, so I'll just do a slightly later race!". I've done this countless time, and all it does is put a ton of pressure on yourself and tempt you to try and 'comeback' sooner or faster than you should - resulting in an extension of your injury. Don't give up your goal, but focus on the short-term steps to get there instead - such as "I want to fix my hip strength and master my single leg squat"; "I want to run a mile and feel good again"; or my personal favorite "I just want to be able to dance around my apartment as much as I'd like with no pain or fear of pain"!
One of my favorite songs, 'Take What You've Got' from Kinky Boots the musical, says "You've gotta take what you've got; sometimes you've got to rewrite the plot". You'll get through this - and just think - when you do finally come back and accomplish your goal, how proud will you be to cross that finish line and think "I've not only run a marathon, but I did this after having to battle 5 years of injuries!". Use this setback to come back stronger than ever.
[And please know: if you're dealing with this and need someone to reach out to who understands, my door/inbox is always open.]
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