With the right attitude, you can speed your injury recovery. Our simple, eight-step program shows you how
Most runners know what they’re supposed to do when their knees moan or their hamstrings groan: Apply ice. Gulp a couple of ibuprofens. Get a massage. Maybe start some cross-training.
So…why don’t we just do that? Why is it that some running injuries drag on longer than a presidential election? Why do so many of us ignore the signs, disregard our better judgment, and try to run through the problem?
The reason is simple. We usually overlook the most important part of our injury recovery.
The mental part.
To help you with the mental side of healing, we sought out some of the country’s top sports psychologists and, with their help, developed an eight-step injury-recovery program.
“Having this kind of mental road map can be extremely helpful for injured runners,” says psychologist James Prochaska, Ph.D., of the University of Rhode Island, an expert on behavioral models used to help people quit smoking and lose weight. “It really helps people identify where they are on the map, where they are heading, and how to get there.”
Having a series of steps to follow, Prochaska says, serves another purpose as well: “It helps reign in your worst fears, and provides reinforcement that you’re on the right path.”
So if you’re sitting there right now thinking you’re never going to heal, remember that a big key to recovery is your attitude. Make the following attitude adjustments, and get better faster.
- ACCEPTANCE
Psychologists often say acceptance is the most difficult step, especially if you’re talking about such things as serious illness, death, or extremely large tax bills. But hey, this is running, and your running injury is not the end of the world. That said, you still have to acknowledge the problem before you can solve it. If your pain is sharp, persistent, lasts more than a couple of days, and is compromising your running, don’t ignore it, and don’t try to wish it away or run through it. Accept the fact that you are injured, and move on to step
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RESEARCH
You shouldn’t run at this point, but you should take action. Check out some running-injury books, look at back issues of RW, or, better yet, go to www.runnersworld.com, and click on “Injuries.” You might also check the injuries forum on our site.
Also, dial up your coach, a veteran runner you know, or a sports-medicine professional. There’s plenty of information out there about running injuries, and plenty of experts who can offer informed opinions. These people and resources will help you plot your course back to healthy, pain-free running.
- ADHERENCE
During your rehab, you need to show the same discipline you’ve demonstrated as a runner. If that means no running at all, so be it. If the prescription calls for physical therapy three times a week, make the appointments, and do the exercises. If it’s a certain series of stretches your doctor wants you to do twice a day…well, then, down on the floor with you. Whatever the prescription, stick with it, even if it’s not as much fun as a leisurely 5-miler. The longer you delay, the longer you mess around, the longer before you’re back running.
- ENCOURAGEMENT
Yes, it’s nice if your friends and family offer their support, but we’re talking about self-encouragement here. “Injured runners often think and talk to themselves in ways that limit them,” says psychotherapist Deborah Lee Greenslit, Ph.D., a marathoner from Paxton, Mass. "If you’re constantly feeding yourself discouraging messages, it’s going to be difficult to stay with the recovery plan.’
So give yourself a pep talk now and then. “Look for concrete evidence to substantiate your comeback capabilities,” says Greenslit. “This might be that you overcame an injury in the past, or that you were able to solve other vexing problems in your life.”
Or it could simply be that you, unlike a lot of people, were able to start and stick with running in the first place. "That is a very big accomplishment, and now is a good time to acknowledge it, she says.
Another important message you can send yourself is that you can control your situation. “Rather than say, ‘Geez, how long is this going to take?’ think about what you can do today to further your recovery,” says Greenslit. On this day, at this moment, you can make a difference. Maybe it’s a session in the gym, or simply making an appointment with your doctor to get a better handle on your injury. Whatever it is, get to it. Which brings us to…
- REDIRECTION
What to do with all that pent-up energy now that you’re not running? Channel it elsewhere. Take that aggressiveness you had on the track, and take it out on the elliptical trainer in the gym. Instead of pushing the pace on a tempo run, push those weights in the gym for a while. All of these activities will burn calories, make you stronger, and help maintain your fitness until you’re back on the roads. Perhaps most important, they’ll keep you from going crazy.
Another option: Redirect your energy back into the sport. Maybe this is the time to heed the perennial call from your local race director Sign up to volunteer at a water stop, registration table, or the finish line. (Just resist the temptation to stick out your tongue at the runners because they can run and you can’t.)
- SEPARATION-ENGAGEMENT
These may sound contradictory, but they’re not. First, separation: It’s Sunday morning, and you know your regular training partners are out on a long run…while you’re at home. You may be tempted to join them. Bad move. Peer pressure–real or imagined–is a force to be reckoned with. Chances are, you’ll be sucked into trying to keep up with them, which could aggravate your injury. Instead, separate yourself from your normal training environment. You’ll be back soon enough. Now is not the time.
But while you’re keeping your training partners at arm’s length during your injury recovery, you also need the support of others in your life to help you through.
“Be aware of the helpfulness and contributions of others in your social sphere as you move through these recovery steps,” says David Pargman, Ph.D., professor of education psychology and sports psychology at Florida State University in Tallahassee. “Stay engaged with your friends and loved ones, and ask for their support.” Just don’t dip into this well of support too often. Even your mom will get tired of hearing about your plantar fasciitis after a while. “There is a fine line between sharing with others and whining,” says Pargman.
- PATIENCE
This is the common thread that underlies every step thus far. “The importance of patience can’t be overemphasized,” says sports psychologist Michael Sachs, Ph.D., of Temple University in Philadelphia. “Injury recovery takes time.” Yes, it does. The diagnosis takes time. The healing effects of the icing, anti-inflammatories, and stretching take time. Getting fitted for orthotics takes time. The swelling, the microtrauma, the strains, the sprains…they all take time to heal. Yes, patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to injury recovery.
- REAFFIRMATION
Once you’re back to running–and you will be back–embrace it for all it’s worth. Savor the simple, wonderful act of being able to put one foot in front of the other Revel in the ability to run 2 miles, or 4 miles, or 6 miles pain-free. You did the hard work of recovery. Now it’s time to celebrate with a run. But one last thing before you go: Promise yourself you won’t repeat the behaviors that got you injured in the first place.
By John Hanc