Protective mechanisms in your body

Protective mechanisms in your body

Once injured, your body will try to protect the injury from further damage by giving you warning signals. You must listen to the warning signals from your body.

Pain

You may have a constant level of pain, or it may increase when you perform certain movements. If your pain increases and does not return to pre-activity levels, it means that the activity was too much for your injury. Do not perform movements that increase your pain levels on a regular basis as this may slow or stop your recovery.

Stretch

Stretch is a pulling/tightness sensation when you move your body. It helps to protect your injury from damage by overstretching. If you repeatedly stretch too far and too often, you may be doing more damage to your injury than is repairable. Limit your range of motion based on your stretch response.

Fatigue

Fatigue is a slight burning sensation that occurs when your injury has been working for a period of time. It may also feel like a weakness or heavyness of the injured area. It means that you need to rest the injured area.

Stiffness

Stiffness is normally a sign of inflammation, and increases with inactivity. It may become worse with long periods of inactivity, such as when sleeping, and you may wake up in pain. The best course of action is to mobilise the area until the stiffness improves.