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As an athlete, you won’t be able to do much without a functioning body. However, sometimes accidents happen, and they can affect your ability to perform. Health maintenance is critical for players in professional leagues and it influences everything from their own careers down to the office fantasy league. A loss of health can mean a loss of career
Aside from a career loss, another consequence of accidents can be chronic pain. This isn’t easy to deal with as the pain can make training and working out a strenuous task. In addition to this, it can be mentally frustrating as you may not be able to use your body as freely as you once did.
During this time, you may want to work on getting back into optimum shape gradually. You can do this by practicing in the safest way possible while minimizing pain. It doesn’t always require resorting to opioids as there are other natural alternatives. Here are a few suggestions that should help you manage chronic pain and prevent injury.
Get Regular Checkups
As an athlete, you should be getting checkups regularly. This is an effective preventative measure for injury and is also useful when living with chronic pain. When you go for regular physical examinations, health professionals may be able to identify problems and risk areas in your health. This can, in turn, reduce your risk of injury and make you more aware of risk factors.
Consider getting an annual medical examination if you want to check all aspects of your health thoroughly. It typically includes cardiovascular screening, blood tests, neurological screening, cognitive and motor skills exams, as well as pulmonary functioning tests. By getting yourself checked regularly, you can maintain your health and prevent injury.
Explore Natural Pain Relief
For those living with chronic pain, a way to minimize it could be through the use of natural remedies. People sometimes jump right to the use of opioids when they’re experiencing pain, but there are other alternatives. You should especially consider possible alternatives as opioids can be addictive. Natural remedies can also be a cheaper way to manage chronic conditions if you’re struggling to pay off debt.
The first natural pain relief option to try is exercise, as it’s proven as one of many natural solutions to chronic pain. When you work out, your body produces endorphins, which are hormones that increase your pain threshold. You can always start slowly and gradually build yourself up. If you have undergone more traumatic injuries like a mountain biking accident, exercise can help, too. If you’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which causes widespread musculoskeletal pain, tailored exercise can be beneficial.
Another form of natural pain relief is heat therapy. A hot Epsom salt bath could help if you’re having back spasms. On the other hand, injuries like a sprained ankle would do better with cold therapy solutions such as ice.
Adopt Safe Health Practices
Safe health practices can help prevent injury and manage an existing one. It is especially important to adopt such practices when working out. For instance, if you’re experiencing chronic lower back pain, a safe health practice would be doing low-impact exercises for abdominal and back muscles.
However, be aware that some injuries require that you follow specific protocols before working out. If, for instance, you were in a cycling accident, they may recommend you undergo physical therapy before starting any exercise. Safe health practices in this instance would be to speak with your doctor first.
Another safe health practice to adopt is stretching before exercising. It’s an excellent way to increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury. This can be done by doing simple stretches or a pre-workout to strengthen your muscles. Using proper techniques when exercising or playing sports is also essential to reduce the risk of you hurting yourself. For instance, if you’re lifting weights, you should be using the full range of motion in your joints.
A final safe health practice to thoroughly vet all healthcare providers in order to assure that they practice ethical prescribing. There are many providers who continue to skirt regulations regarding prescriptions for opioids, advice on diets, and even exercise regimens.
Be Mindful of Your Injury
Injury awareness is another ideal way of minimizing chronic pain or injury. Being mindful could mean adopting some of the safe practices mentioned above when exercising. Also, acknowledging your limits can help you reduce the chances of it getting worse.
Another way of being mindful is to think about how your mental and emotional health could affect your chronic pain or injury. Do this by taking a holistic approach to your health and recovery. This means focusing on your mental health as well as your physical wellbeing. For example, you could commit to meditating every day as a way of managing your mental health. The benefits of this could be a more positive attitude, which is necessary when overcoming an injury or living life with chronic pain.
Chronic pain and injury can be two difficult challenges for any athlete to face. When you understand your condition and follow best practices, it can make managing your condition and the recovery process more manageable. By being more cautious and self-aware, it’s also possible to prevent the risk of injury altogether.
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