Fear of Movement: Why Returning to Work is Key to Recovery
At MoveMed, we often encounter patients grappling with kinesiophobia - the fear of movement following pain or injury. It’s a natural response: after experiencing pain, your body tells you to avoid the movement that caused it. But the paradox here is that avoiding movement can actually prolong the recovery process and keep you trapped in a cycle of pain and inactivity.
Understanding Fear of Movement
Fear of movement is not just psychological; it has physical consequences. When you stop moving out of fear, your muscles become weaker, your joints stiffer, and your overall mobility declines. This, in turn, can exacerbate your condition. Studies show that kinesiophobia can lead to delayed recovery and even contribute to chronic pain syndromes because the body starts to 'protect' areas unnecessarily. By understanding this, we can begin to break the cycle and encourage healthy movement again.
The Importance of Movement Post-Injury
After injury or pain, the body needs to move in order to heal. Movement stimulates blood flow, oxygenates tissues, and helps reduce inflammation. It also retrains the brain to understand that it’s safe to move again - this is at the core of what we do at MoveMed through our Neural Re-Education (NRE) approach.
According to research, graded movement and exercise are fundamental to recovering from musculoskeletal injuries. By slowly reintroducing movement, you not only help the tissues recover but also help your nervous system relearn that it’s safe to move without pain.
Returning to Work: More Than Just a Job
When we talk about returning to work, we don’t just mean your workplace or job. Work is anything that adds meaning and purpose to your life. It’s the daily tasks that make up your normal routine, whether that’s taking care of your family, walking your dog, or even spending time with friends. The psychological benefits of returning to this “work” cannot be overstated.
Returning to everyday activities plays a critical role in psychological well-being and recovery. When patients return to their routine, it promotes confidence, reduces stress, and fosters a sense of normality, which accelerates recovery.
“Working” on More Than Just Your Job: Relationships & Personal Improvement
At MoveMed, we don’t just focus on the physical side of recovery; we look at your life holistically. Returning to “work” isn’t just about a paycheck; it’s about returning to the life you want to lead. That might mean working on relationships, personal development, or simply reclaiming your sense of self-worth after injury.
Our NRE concept is built on this holistic view: we remove the causes of pain, we re-move the body to ensure optimal movement, and then we help you move forward - back to work, back to life.
The MoveMed Approach: Moving You Forward
At MoveMed, we guide you through every step of the journey. Whether you’re recovering from chronic back pain or regaining strength after surgery, our approach is designed to rebuild your confidence in movement. We understand that fear of movement is real, but we also know that movement is medicine. By focusing on both physical and psychological rehabilitation, we help you move forward - not just back to work, but back to living.
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References:
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