Whether you tore a muscle in the heat of the game, or you sustained an injury unrelated to your athletic endeavours, recovery can be a real pain. Fortunately, with some CBD edibles, time-off, and a few strategic practices, you can recover with ease.
I am an avid rock climber and alpinist. It’s been one of my main passions for about ten years and I’ve been fortunate enough to climb in exotic locations around the world. I love nothing more than to scale the smooth, wet rock faces of Glen Coe, or to bask in the sun and storms 2,500ft above the unforgiving brush of the Bavella.
All of that came to a screeching halt when someone pulled into my lane and I was in a pretty terrible head-on collision. I’m lucky to be alive, but unfortunately I missed the air-bag.
I was in a small car and the impact launched my upper body over the steering wheel and my head broke the windshield. For better or worse, my skull is thick. The impact left my head unscaved, but compressed my spine to such an extent that a handful of discs were instantly herniated or ruptured.
Glass was embedded so deeply into my hands that the doctor had to insert tweezers over an inch into my wounds to remove it.
My neck and back were in really bad shape and my hands were so swollen I couldn’t lift a cup of coffee. I knew it would be a long time before I could lift my body weight with my fingertips again.
I couldn’t imagine the road of recovery that was ahead of me. It was a painful experience both physically and emotionally. Everything I am passionate about involves the use of my spine and hands. I am a mountain climber, a classical musician, and a writer. None of which I’d be able to do without pain.
I made it through my recovery and I’m proud to say that I am playing music, writing, and easing back into climbing. All things the doctor said I might have to forget about.
This was a difficult situation to navigate, but I’m on the other side now and I’ve got some tips on how you can beat the odds and get back to the life you love!
#1. Be Patient
This is number one on the list because it is incredibly important for both your mental and physical well-being. It’s really easy to want to jump back into things, but the reality is that you’re injured. Getting back to sports too quickly could not only make your recovery time longer, it could worsen the injury to the point where it’s permanent. If you don’t accept the reality that recovery is going to take some time, everyday is going to feel terrible.
#2. Stay Consistent with Physical Therapy
If your injury is serious enough to warrant more than a couple weeks of time away from sport, you’re probably in physical therapy. I know first-hand how inconvenient and painful physical therapy can be. It’s incredibly easy to blow it off, but doing so only disservices you. It takes time and effort to recover from an injury. The passing of time is inevitable, but without making an effort to recover properly, time won’t be able to help you.
#3. Spend Time Studying Your Passion
One of the things I found beneficial during recovery was to spend some time analyzing my sport. What parts of the body are engaged when engaged in your preferred sport? How does this relate to your injury, and what can you do to make it better?
Studying techniques and revisiting fundamentals were also a great way to benefit from time off. Being stuck in bed also allowed me time to really appreciate the sport I love so dearly. You never know how much you love something until it’s gone, so take some time to revel in how much you love and miss your sport!
#4. Easing Back Into Sports
It can take quite a while to ease back into physical activity after sustaining an injury. Some people are out of commission for a few weeks and others are out for years. It’s now been over a year since my accident and I’ve only been climbing a couple times. I started with grades I would have climbed when I was just starting out 10 years ago, but even that was painful.
#5. Taking it Easy for a While
A crucial part of recovery is making sure to take it easy for a while when you’re getting back into sports. Of course it’s tempting to jump right back to where you were when you left off, but that harsh reality is that you’re going to need to start a few steps back. Take it easy for a while, follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy recovery!