Scared of injury, Out of touch with body

[Gladiola]

I had a coach & teammate telling me, “So you hurt. So you’re injured. Lift anyway.” Then Orthopedist says take more time off & let the muscle strain recover, Mom (who’s a nurse), friends & other family also say take more time off to recover. OK, so I am.

But WHEN to start back??? I’m so lost. I feel so out of touch with my body. How do I know when the time is that I’m 100% again – will I ever be?!

Is there hope of eternally lifting heavy and staying un-injured? I think of Spatts with the lower back problem deadlifting last winter, the rotator cuff issues – I think of me ending up with an injury even being coached by this high-level NSCA dude. If I’m on my own, is there HOPE of not getting hurt?

I have this fear, that the stronger you get, the more there’s risk of injury . Example –if I don’t bother to train my rotator cuff & there’s weakness, & my bench form isn’t so great, if I’m benching 90#, I can probably do that & be fine, but as my shoulders, tris & lats get stronger, & I bench 160# - could I then end up with problems appearing? Know what I mean?!

I can’t put any effort & intensity into my workouts again until I’ve lost this fear & regained the feeling like I'm IN CONTROL of my own body & know what the heck I'm doing with it. I haven't felt that intensity that I so loved in MONTHS.

 

[VooDoo Lady]

I mean this in a non-judgmental way from the bottom of my heart....

You need to come to terms with this and move on, stop letting this one experience paralyze you. Start back - SOON. You know what to you...you've done a tremendous amount of research on weight training, you don't NEED a coach! Take your knowledge and turn it into action, M.

I know you were hurt by this whole experience, but you need to learn from it and let it go......(Believe me I KNOW that's easier said than done).....but being bitter and upset and allowing it to shake your confidence is NOT YOUR STYLE!!!!!!!

Get out there and do it...get the endorphins pumping again, I'm confident it will change your entire outlook...


Love,

me

 

[wilson6]

I've had several serious muscle tears over the years that reduced lifts like squats and benches to the bar only. There isn't a day I'm not in pain. It is part of the lifting. You have to know your limitations. Even a coach can't tell you that. Many times there's a sense of when injury is going to occur, stop the set at that point. Usually it is the next rep that does it. Sometimes, there is no warning. Shit happens. The point is, do the best you can and quit worrying about it. You have to decide if the risk of injury outweights the rewards you get out of doing what you do.

I don't perform max lifts anymore for that reason. I'd rather bench decent weight for 8 reps and continue to do it for years, then try for a 1RM, blow out my shoulder and never be able to bench again and it's not fear that stops me from doing a 1RM, it is common sense and reason. I don't compete, thus why do I need to perform a 1RM? If I competed, then I'd have to make a decision whether the 1RM was worth it, then live with the decision.

Get connected with your body and move on. Accept the fact the injury can occur, know your limitations and if injury occurs, deal with it. The fact is that at some point you may have to cut back on what you do. The key is to be able to continue lifting long-term, vs trying to set a record, cripple yourself and never be able to lift recreationally again.

If you can't get that touchy-feely fear of injury crap out of your head, get with a good sports psychologist and get your shit straight. The longer you play head games with yourself, the harder it is going to be to get back into the game.

The first step here is to get connected. Then you'll be able to figure out how to proceed.

Fear is for the weak minded, there's no room for fear in sport because it will only limit your success. But, know your limitations and where to draw the line, and never throw caution to the wind. Only you (not the coaches, docs, moms, etc.) know where that line is.

W6

 

[Gladiola]

I knew even before I read it that your post was going to tell me to move on in a caring way - I didn't doubt that you meant in kindly.

But, seriously, I don't know JACK about rehabbing an injury. Not a freakin' clue!!!! I AM hurt (physically, I mean here) & I don't know how to handle that - i.e. how much to push myself again with squats & leg presses & even cardio & WHEN to start pushing myself again.

I don't think ignoring the injury & trying to train as if I were fine is the right thing to do. Nor do I think not working out is the right thing either, of course, but I don't know what TO do.

 

[wilson6]

GLAD,

1) Are you in physical therapy for the injury?

If not, ask your doc to write you up for a course of PT and rehab.

Then.....

2) Figure out what you can and cannot do by experimentation with various exercises and very light weights, talk to the PT for post-therapy advice. Use NSAIDs (Advil, etc.) and ice following any work of that bodypart. If it causes excessive pain, back off. See a message therapist weekly for a while for deep tissue massage and stretching.

3) Slowly increase the weight and intensity. Use controlled movements, nothing explosive. Warm-up and stretch lightly prior to working that bodypart and stretch following working that bodypart. Keep working up to your pre-injury intensity. Be aware of what caused the injury and make sure to avoid repeating that if possible. But, it could just be a "shit happens" situation and you may have to face it again.

4) Use common sense.

Beyond that, quit worrying, this is a sports injury not advanced ovarian cancer. There are powerlifters out there that suffer catastrophic injuries and manage to get back to competition again. Perhaps ask some of the PLs how they deal with this.

5) See a sports psychologist and get your head straight if you can't do this on your own.

W6

 

[VooDoo Lady]

Spatts, Since you are now going to play football you had better get ready to be hurt, every day of every week of every season. The pain that accompanies a sport like football will really shock you if you are not ready for it.

"are you injured or are you hurt"
"what’s that mean"
"well if you are hurt you can still play"
"if you are injured you can't"

Every person needs to know their bodies, listen to their bodies and do for themselves what needs to be done. No one can tell you when you are ready, that a decision that must be made in your heart and in your mind. Where the heart and mind go so follows the body.

dex

 

[spiderwoman]

Hiya! currently I am dealing w/ serious knee pains from squats [Ithinksoanyways] and I KNOW the knee issue's been dealt with elsewhere here...
anyways, I understand the issue of the psychological aspect of an injury IS SO significant... and regaining the trust you have in yourself... so, one must face their fears


keep going, gladiola, take SMALL steps EVERYDAY and you will get there... I heard someone say 'slow and steady, get me ready'

you will come back stronger or else you won't come back at all

are you teaching classes still?

 

[Gladiola]

Thanks so much all!

W6, I really appreciate your posts.

Today I made an apt with a physical therapist at a sports med place - requested someone particularly experienced with lifters. The orthopedist had said he would write the script for me to go, but made it sound like it was barely worth it. Said I should just back off cuz I was doing too much anyway. Seriously, he was a real downer & he even KNEW it.

I also got a list of psychologists that take my insurance & plan to make an apt after the holiday - had been planning that anyway. Yeah, I'm having trouble getting my head straight - I keep trying different things but keep feeling kicked down.

Yes, I'm still teaching classes & I'm usually not in pain so long as my range of motion isn't very large, & I don't jump as much. Ortho said that's OK so long as I'm not hurting.

ICE--- ortho said the hip flexors are deep into the body so ice won't really hit them so it's not worth it. W6, Spatts, others, do you agree???

 

[SteelWeaver]

Glads - I can't offer much more advice than the excellent advice that's already been offered here, but would like to offer my support and encouragement. I don't know you, but my impression of you from your posts and some of the interaction we've had is as a strong, able, and determined woman with a lust for life and a love of lifting. This injury thing has really let your fears get ahead of you - I remember you saying in the past, maybe even before this, that injury was your greatest fear in the iron game. Fine, fear is there, but in my experience, coping with fear or anxiety is a source of enormous strength and endurance - but needs to be channelled, otherwise it paralyses you - like what you're saying.

I'm glad you're taking some steps - doing SOMETHING is better than doing nothing at all. You need to educate yourself as much as possible on the causes etc of your injury - nothing is more scary than having something going wrong with you body and you don't know what it is or why it's happening - you totally lose confidence in your abilities, how far you can push yourself - lose sight of your limits, because what used to be your limit now suddenly seems unreachable.

I'm thinking of you and hoping for a clear direction and full recovery for you. Now get out there and GRASP your fears hard and use them to gather strength to push away from the edge.



W6 - the karma machine's full - just wanna say nice posts, very nice posts.

 

[wilson6]

Sounds like you're on the right course GLAD. A 2 - 3 week course of NSAIDs (motrin, daypro, etc.) will help during rehab and PT, keeps inflammation down. Ice may help with surrounding tissue, but not hip flexors, too deep. May want to have some ultra sound done in PT to increase blood flow. Discuss this with the PT.

You'll be fine in no time.

W6