Infrastructure

Healing from an injury takes time, energy, and patience. Many of us are anxious to get back to normal life, one that does not include pain nor an inability to exercise. The difficult question to answer is, how long will this take?

Many people have heard of the term “muscle memory”, the idea that once you have built a muscle to a desired level, it is easier to maintain it or return to it after a period of de-training. The term itself is a bit misleading, in that muscles themselves do not possess a conventional definition of memory. That being said, there is some merit to the thought process.

Under training loads, tissues adapt to the stresses you apply, becoming more resilient. The physical structures put in place to ensure the adaptations are always present to some degree thereafter. In the face of an injury, tissues have been pushed beyond their capacity and are unable to withstand continued loading for a period of time. Depending on the injury, this may require a stent of rehabilitation. For those that have been active in the past, they are in a better position to get back to normal life because they have the infrastructure in place to do so. The body has stored the information needed to get back to the previous activity level.

You are constantly adapting to your surroundings. Your genetic make up and your environment interact in all circumstances, leading to small changes over time. Healthy, active tissues regain their capabilities more readily post-injury. Take the time it takes now to promote your ability to recover, so that it takes less time in the future.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist