A question came recently on a coaching call with my Structurally Sound students: When is it time to head to a specialist and stop trying to muscle through injury or pain on your own?
If you’re dealing with regularly recurring aches and pains, you too may have wondered when it’s time to stop trying to roll it out and get your butt to a doctor.
The truth? It depends.
First of all, YAY for being aware enough that something is going on and that you’ve exhausted what you can do for yourself.
I just experienced this first hand with a recent neck/shoulder injury. I let it linger for a few months mostly because I was convinced A) that I didn’t have the resources (time, money, etc) to get it taken care of and B) that somehow it would just automagically resolve on its own. (Yes, even I tell myself these stories!)
Because everybody is different and each injury is unique, you may not get results right away. That doesn’t mean that you are destined to be injured and in pain for the rest of your life. It just means that you need to try something else.
When acupuncture only took me so far, I went to my massage therapist who informed me that I had some neck vertebrae out of alignment, which was most likely the source of the recurring discomfort.
So I found a chiropractor who came highly recommended and got an adjustment that provided sweet relief. (and even this took two adjustments to “stick”)
When you’re in pain and what you are doing for yourself is no longer working, it’s time to uplevel your care. But you also need to consider what TYPE of practitioner to go to.
Because no matter how fancy and educated an orthopedic surgeon is – they are skilled at one thing: SURGERY. And surgery is hardly ever the only course of therapy and is never a 100% guarantee that you will be pain-free afterward.
Ask around – ask friends who they go to for relief. Physical therapy is a great place to start, as PTs are well skilled in issues involving the nervous system and muscular system. But, as with any field, there are PTs who aren’t bright shining stars, so again, ask for referrals.
Never forget that YOU are the customer. If you are unhappy for any reason with the level of care you are receiving, let your practitioner know and/or go find someone else.
Don’t forget that you don’t have to accept, not even for a minute, that this is just the way things have to be. We simply need to be smarter with our next steps and not fearful of the outcome. As long as we continue to put one foot in front of the other on the path to healing, you’re in the right place ❤️
Are you avoiding an injury or pain because your not sure where to start? If you’re interested in jumpstarting your self-care and moving with more ease and strength every day, let’s chat. Click here and let me know what’s going on so we can hop on the phone and come up with a personalized plan of action!
PS Ready to move with ease? Here are 3 ways I can help you move better and feel better right now.
- Join the AE Wellness Body Nerds and connect with other busy women on a quest to make self-care easy and to move more every day.
- Join me for my free online class, Movement Managed: How to Move Better and Feel Better, Every Day and learn how to stop feeling exhausted, stressed out and completely disconnected from your body.
- Tired of waking up in a body that is racked with aches and pains and feels 50 years older than you really are? If you’re feeling exhausted, stressed out and completely disconnected from your body – let’s chat. Click here to tell me a little bit about what’s going on and I’ll get you the details!
