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Local Voices

Get Moving and Prevent Injury This Spring

As we thaw from this winter’s deep freeze, it is important to remember that our bodies also need to adjust to the warm-up. The warmer months bring the opportunity to exchange the slow winter routines and creaking muscles for a more active lifestyle. For you this may mean outdoor activities like gardening, painting your house or mowing your lawn, and for others it may translate to ramping up your running route, casual biking or more intense cycling. Even if you managed to remain active last winter, the prospect of getting outside offers a range of new activities that require greater preparation.

While integrating these new activities your body is most prone to injury. The physical and sports medicine specialists at Rehabilitation Physicians recommend that you consider the following steps to prevent injury this spring, no matter what outdoor activity you enjoy.

1) Set a goal. Setting a goal helps propel yourself towards a specific aim, a simple enough idea which cannot be understated in its power to focus yourself on a reasonable achievement.

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2) Renew your New Year’s resolutions or challenge yourself to meet or beat a pace that you haven’t quite achieved.

3) Start an exercise log to keep track of your times and achievements. Having a physical record of where you started with a means to your ends is paramount to meeting your goal.

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4) Take pain seriously. If you begin experiencing persistent or significant discomfort accompanied by some swelling or inflammation, it could be your body signaling overuse or injury. Acute pain could indicate tear or more serious injury.

Gradually add new activity into your regimen to allow your body to become accustomed to the increased movement and strain. If pain or injury occurs, consult with a physiatrist who will employ a combination of non-surgical treatments including acupuncture, physical therapy, manipulation, medication management and injections.

M. David Jackson, MD is a physiatrist at Rehabilitation Physicians in Novi. For more information or to schedule an appointment contact Dr. M. David Jackson, MD at 248-893-3200.


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