If you’re experiencing pain after an injury, illness, or surgery, you may be wondering if you should rest or start moving, despite the pain. The truth is, both are important for helping your body heal.
With acute pain, “Rest reduces inflammation and prevents further injury,” says Nicole Matar, MD, an interventional pain and spine specialist at Hospital for Special Surgery in Stamford, Connecticut. “In the first 24 to 72 hours, relative rest allows the inflammatory phase of healing to occur appropriately.”
Taking it easy is probably a welcome prescription if you’re in discomfort. But it’s also important not to fall into the trap of kicking your feet up for too long. “You want to give your body a small grace period to get that initial healing going, but you do want to start moving sooner, rather than later,” says Conor O’Donovan, DPT, who treats people in the pain management center at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. “While you might avoid moving entirely most of the first day, after that brief time, getting in some gentle movement is also crucial.”
How you balance the two will determine how quickly and comfortably you nix the pain and bounce back.
Read the full article here
