Ask any doctor how to manage acute muscle injuries and the answer will always come back the same. When you have a sprain or strain, the first stage is always rest. There must be a chance for swelling to reduce and for drugs to eliminate any inflammation. Add in the use of ice packs (with care not to cause frostbite) and the careful placement of damaged arms or legs to keep them above the level of the heart and you have everything under control. During this time, muscle relaxants will be used to ensure there’s no real risk of spasms and to give the muscles the best chance of starting to heal. The second phase sees the gradual introduction of exercise. In a perfect world, this will be guided by physical therapists with experience of rehabilitation. There are two primary objectives. First, you have to aim for restoring mobility sooner rather than later. This means tackling the pain. Secondly, you have to rebuild the strength in damaged muscles, tendons and ligaments.

The body’s usual response to a muscle injury is to persuade you not to move with the threat of pain. You know how this works. Even the slightest movement seems to trigger waves of pain that leave you convinced staying frozen in that one safe position is best. Except the body has not read the latest medical books, all of which say that restoring movement is best. Indeed, the longer you stay curled up in a ball, the worst it will be when you do finally make a real effort to move. Muscles lose their tone and joints can slowly seize up. For some, this produces an alarming reality. You can be lying all innocently in a hospital bed one or two days after an accident and suddenly physical therapists are getting you out of that bed. This comes as a shock. Even with painkillers, this is not a “walk in the park”. But you grit your teeth and, slowly, you move with more confidence.

That’s when the exercises begin. They are the most boring thing you have ever been asked to do. Just gentle, repetitive movements. Even when small weights are added in, there’s no real challenge and motivation is a problem. That’s where the games come in. Physical therapists have recognized the power of the Wii system to capture interest and start a little competition in a ward or rehab gym in a clinic. Put up a big screen and pick the games to strengthen the muscle groups being treated in each patient. Play improves coordination and balance. It encourages flexibility in the shoulders, elbows wrists, spine, hips, knees, and ankles. A little competition is a reward for all the hard work of routine exercise. To help guard against muscle spasms as play begins, Carisoprodol can be used. This relaxes the main muscles groups and reduces the risk of cramp during and after play. This is not to say Carisoprodol should be used in every case. In some, it produces too high a level of drowsiness and makes play impossible. Nevertheless, once you have built up a little tolerance to Carisoprodol, it can be the difference between flinching every time you try a larger movement, and achieving strength and grace in your movements. Many buy a Wii system to keep on playing at home. Wherever you are, it’s better than the boredom of routine exercise.

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website