4 recovery methods after an injury

Getting injured is frustrating, especially when you’re training for an athletic event or are someone who works out frequently.

You’re not alone, either, with more than 8 million sports and recreation injuries reported every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, more men than women report getting these injuries.

Even if you don’t exercise every day, an injury throws a wrench into your routine. That’s why it’s essential to recover quickly and safely after an injury. If you’ve been injured, here are four methods to help you recover.

Icing

Icing is probably the most well-known method for helping to reduce pain and swelling, as “it is commonly performed and helps people find relief after acute injuries,” according to Verywell Health.

If you don’t have an ice pack or bag of frozen veggies, use a small towel to protect your skin from sustained contact with ice. The cold will feel uncomfortable at first, but eventually some of the pain will subside.

“This cold sensation will last approximately three to five minutes until a burning sensation appears,” according to Active. “The burning sensation will fade into an ache, followed by numbness. Beware that once numbing occurs, remove and discontinue the ice.”

Resting

Giving yourself a break after an injury may seem like a no-brainer, but many people skip this step because they’re worried about getting out of shape. However, without rest, you run the risk of never healing properly, which will affect you longer than skipping workouts.

“Peak conditioning is vulnerable, but the bulk of your fitness is actually quite stable and hard to lose,” science writer Paul Ingraham writes for Pain Science. “No one goes completely to pot in three months. Or even six. And even if you do get out of shape, it’s really not that big a deal to get back into shape.”

You can also find other ways to exercise that don’t involve using the injured part of your body, such as walking, yoga, lifting weights, swimming, biking, or using resistance bands.

Gentle stretching

While you should avoid stretching immediately after an injury, once a few days have passed, it can be helpful to incorporate stretching into your recovery.

“The important point to remember during this phase of the rehabilitation process is light, gentle stretching,” according to StretchCoach. “Never, never, never do any activity that hurts the injured area. Of course you may feel some discomfort, but never push yourself to the point where you’re feeling pain.”

You can do static stretching on your own or passive stretching that involves another person or piece of equipment helping to push your stretches further.

Medicating naturally

While pain medication provides temporary relief, you may wish for a more natural option.

That’s where sermorelin comes in. This growth hormone helps with cell regeneration and reproduction. Unlike other growth hormones, sermorelin helps your body to create its own growth hormone.

Not only will using sermorelin help as you recover, it can give you an energy boost and fight against muscle loss and body fat. It’s one of the hormone replacement therapy options that many men turn to as they age.

“Beginning in our 30’s, our bodies start to become fatigued more easily,” viTal4men clinic says. “You lose muscle mass, mental sharpness, and libido (sex drive) begins to decline.”

For more information about recovering from an injury or sermorelin treatment, or to book an appointment, visit vital4men.com.