6 Tips To Accelerate The Healing Process

A sore lower back.  Neck pain.  Headaches.  Sciatica.  Carpal tunnel syndrome.  Rotator cuff tendonitis.

They all sound appealing don’t they?

Well not really and when someone is suffering with any of those pains or any others for that matter, all they want is the pain gone yesterday and the healing to happen ASAP.

Your body has an AMAZING ability to heal itself and will do so over time.  The question is how quickly will your body heal and how well will it heal.

If you step in a hole and break your ankle and then do nothing, your body will eventually heal itself.  Now, it may take longer and may not be the most ideal healing (your foot/ankle may not be in proper alignment which will lead to other problems) compared to you actually seeking the care of a profession.  But it will heal on its own eventually.

Although healing is a natural process there are ways in which you can accelerate the healing process and help ensure as close to a 100% return to pre-injury status.

If you’re interested in expediting your recovery process after an injury then read on because I have 6 Tips To Accelerate The Healing Process that I would like to share with you.

1.  Sleep:  Strive to get at least a solid 8 hours of sleep.  Sleep is a powerful time during which your body releases healing hormones like growth hormone to assist with tissue repair and the healing process.  If you are depriving yourself of adequate amounts of sleep then you are missing out on a key factor to help speed up your recovery.
2. Consume the RIGHT raw materials:  You are what you eat and this is even more important during healing.  If you are consuming junk then your body will not have the raw materials necessary to rebuild the injured tissue.  Your body will do the best it can with what you provide it and the outcome may resemble “healthy” healing but it will not be as good as consuming the best building blocks.  Think about the raw materials needed to build a house.  I could provide you with popsicle sticks, glue and tape and ask you to build a house.  I’m sure you could build something that resembles a home but it wouldn’t be as strong or resilient as a house made out of wood, nails and concrete.  I think you get my point.  To accelerate the healing process and to ensure the best healing possible be sure to consume a diverse, nutrient dense, diet consisting of whole foods like protein (and plenty of it), veggies, fruits, nuts/seeds and plenty of healthy fats.  Steer clear of sugar, grains and processed foods which will promote inflammation and slow down the healing process.
3. Nutritional Supplementation:  Supplements are designed to supplement a healthy diet.  With that being said, there is no better time for the proper use of supplementation than during the healing process.  Even the best of us fall short on making sure we are getting all the necessary ingredients for proper healing from our diets.  Taking the right supplements, at the correct time and in the proper dosing can greatly accelerate your healing.  Some supplements that can help you accelerate the healing process are:  vitamin C, zinc, glucosamine and chondroitin, proteolytic enzymes (bromelain, papain, trypsin, and chymotrypsin), omega 3 fatty acids, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), boswelia, curcumin and ginger to name a few.  Knowing which of those supplements or combination of those supplements to take and how much you should take will vary from person to person and from injury to injury so be sure to consult with someone knowledgeable on the subject (yes I can help you with choosing the proper supplements and dosing them appropriately).
4. Meditation:  Very powerful and often underutilized.  Meditation has been used for hundreds of years to help with calming the mind and with providing mental clarity.  Both of which are necessary to create an ideal healing environment.  It has also been used to help accelerate the healing process.  Meditation helps you create a connection with your injury and can help you positively influence the healing process by releasing an abundance of hormones that will accelerate the recovery process.  Watch a short YouTube video on meditation and then take 5 minutes and give it a try.  It can be challenging in the beginning but after you learn how to gain control and not allow your mind to wander off meditation can be an extraordinary tool to help you with healing faster.
5. Movement:  Many moons ago after an injury bed rest was the prescription of choice.  Don’t get me wrong, a little bit of rest will do you good but today we find that we want to get you up and moving as soon as possible.  Engaging is some gentle pain free movement, as tolerated and without overdoing it, will actually help to expedite the healing process and assist with a more complete recovery.  Movement will help your tissues heal so that they are more flexible and with less scar tissue.  Movement will help improve circulation which will help you get rid of the debris that forms during healing and will help bring in the nutrient building blocks necessary for tissue repair.  Movement will also help to lower stress which is also a key ingredient to fast healing.  It’s a fine line between moving too much and too little after an injury but if you can strike a good healthy balance between the two then you are setting yourself up for success.
6. Chiropractic care with soft tissue therapy:  Proper joint alignment and healthy nervous system functioning have been shown to also expedite the healing process.  They are part of the raw ingredients necessary for proper tissue repair. Combine that with soft tissue therapy which will help maintain the integrity of the soft tissue and reduce the formation of scar and adhesive tissue and you will heal as close to pre-injury status as you can in a shorter period of time and with less risk of reinjuring yourself in the future.

Chiropractic Adjustment To Accelerate Healing

So there they are,   6 Tips To Accelerate The Healing Process.  Include any or all of them and you will set yourself up for a shorter and more complete recovery after an injury.

Most people don’t like pain so do yourself a favor and accelerate the healing process with the tips I shared above.  Imagine what life will be like without pain.

As always, I hope this information has served you and will take you one step closer to your desired health goals.

Did you like this information?

If so, please be sure to let me know what you liked by sending me an email at DrKirk@PerformanceHealthandChiro.com or leave me a comment on Facebook.  I would love to keep the conversation going.

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Until we chat again remember:  Eat Well, Move Often and Stay Healthy!