INJURIES: HOW TO RECOVER WHEN YOUR BODY BETRAYS YOU

October 2020, two weeks before completing an overseas deployment, I partially tore my medial cruciate ligament and meniscus. The timing could not have been worse, in just two months, I was due to start a physically arduous course. My knees would be needed to get me, and a 25 – 40 kg rucksack, at pace, over mountains for three solid weeks – and then some.

Arriving back in Covid-stricken UK, I had no physio, no gym access and no cardio suite. So, I improvised. I bought a barbell, some weights, a squat rack and proceeded to take over the family living room in the run up to Christmas. I also had access to an unheated (6˚C) swimming pool, where I swam 30-60 minutes daily. Each time I came back inside, I was verging on hypothermic, had lockjaw and got told I was mad (which, judging by my orc-like appearance / responses was probably pretty accurate). But it kept my engine running and I learned to love the cold.

The set-up wasn’t exactly Third Space, but I had a goal, a recovery plan and absolute focus to get myself back in. It worked – the physical side at least.

Week 3 - still going but held together with tape.

When your body betrays you…

Knee injuries have plagued me for nearly a decade. Unfortunately, I work in part of the military where my legs (as well as bang-average Excel skills) appear to be requisites for my career. Over the years, I’ve often had to rehab without access to a good physio or gym, relying instead on experience and research.

So, after tweaking my meniscus last weekend, five weeks before a planned 500km cycle across Bhutan, I had a moment of reflection (and a few select words). Since I now rate myself about as good at fixing, as breaking myself, what follows is not a philosophical post, but an outline of the process that works for me. This is not medical advice; I am not a physio. Take it or leave it.

Knee injuries have, unfortunately, become something of an expertise...

The Phases of Rehabilitation…

1. PREVENTION. Because injuries are annoying.

The old adage still holds true; prevention is better than cure. Yet almost all of us pay lip service to mobilising and stretching. It’s boring and you probably won’t start doing it until you sustain a preventable injury.

‘Prehab’ is also apparently key, but what is it? I'm still not 100% sure, but I usually go in for a simple weekend yoga class (global location dependent). It improves balance, flexibility, core strength and stability (it is also pretty humbling).

Ignore this step and you are into the next ones.

2. INJURY. It’s s**t, but here we are.

3. CONTROLLING EMOTION. Frustration, anxiety and despair come first.

Being aware of these emotions, and controlling them early allows you to move forward.

4. UNDERSTANDING. Triage yourself.

It is key to understand the severity of the injury. Often, we can triage ourselves:

·       Do I need a specialist (physio/doc) or can I manage this myself?

·       What does the recovery path look like?

·       What do others with the same injury say/do?

Learn. The more you understand the injury, the better your recovery plan will be.

5. ACCEPTANCE & REST. Swallow your ego.

Linked to Step 3.  The faster you can accept where you are, the quicker you can move to recovery. If you’re someone who normally bounces off walls like me, stopping is usually the hardest step.

However, the sooner you enforce rest, the faster the pain and swelling reduce. Accept where you are, and what has happened in order to look forward. Rehabilitation is a long road.

Accept your situation and look ahead...

6. MAKE A PLAN. Structure your comeback.

Create a plan for your recovery. This might involve a physio, but even if it doesn’t, you need a phased recovery plan to avoid reinjury and accelerate recovery.

Set realistic physical goals – small ones that build towards bigger ones. Progress needs to be measurable and rewarding.

7. IMPLEMENT PLAN. Trust the process.

Stick to it. Do not skip steps, return to training too soon or set unrealistic goals (like cycling 500km 6 weeks after an injury).

Injuries are tedious, they demand money, time, consistency and repetition (i.e. discipline). You will miss your choice activity and often find the process boring, but it is essential to shift your mindset. Top tip: see slow rehab sessions as mindfulness with a touch of exercise. Two birds,  one stone.

8. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Not just your tracker.

The body dictates the timeline to recovery, not the tracker. If recovering is not proceeding as planned, adjust rather than push through. Not everything is going to go your way, resilience comes from being intelligent and adaptable in your approach.

9. GO ALL IN. Recovery takes commitment.

Recovery is the priority – go all in. If you don’t then be prepared for it to take longer and give more anxiety. Below are some additional recovery multipliers:

• MINDSET. The body believes what the mind perceives. Trust that you are healing, and your body will follow. It always amazes me how much quicker the body heals when you visualise and tell yourself that it is. An injury will be as bad as you believe it to be, so cultivate the right thoughts to support your recovery. Go forward.

• SUPPORT. If you have access to physio, use them properly. Before the session, set an intention, approach it with focus and commitment. Question, learn from them and reduce your dependency. Take responsibility for your recovery, no one is going to fix you. Even after surgery, the hard work is yours to do.

• LIFESTYLE. I don’t think you need me to tell you to eat your veggies etc. You know what a healthy lifestyle looks like, so optimise it for recovery.

• SUPPLEMENTS. I am a big believer in simple, healthy, targeted  supplements. Find out what is best suited to your injury and buy the best you can.

Final Thoughts: Keep Moving Forward

If you made it this far, you either completed Netflix already, have an injury, or fear your body will one day betray you as well. Remember, recovery takes time, patience and knowledge. Seek support when you need it but take ownership of your body and don’t expect someone else to fix you. The right mindset and approach make all the difference to get you performing as you were before the injury.

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Keep moving forward.

Toby