How a simple and effective strategy moves clients forward towards complete recovery.
You’ve had a knee injury and it’s 80% better but that last 20% of the recovery process alludes you. You could try to find yet more exercises that purport to strengthen and align the knee better. But if you’ve already gone that route without success you might want to try a strategy that is completely different than traditional exercise.
Let me explain why an out-of-the box approach will work where traditional exercises fail. The body is a system and after injury the brain’s integrated map of that system and how it functions has been scrambled. Added to that, during recovery a new pattern emerged as the brain tried to protect the body from further injury. Once the injury healed you would think the old pattern would come back and things would be normal but that’s not what happens. Instead, the protective pattern has now become the “new normal”. This new pattern worked well during recovery as it prevented you from re-injuring yourself but it is useless now that you want to get back to full function and don’t need protection. For the system to work as a whole again it needs to have an experience of integrated movement that is easy and without effort. Interestingly, when the brain and nervous system has that experience it will automatically try to recreate it all the time. Why? Because it feels good and it’s functional. The brain has an on/off switch that has now been turned on to easy effortless movement.
In this video I’m working with Ann who is almost fully recovered from her knee injury but discomfort and inhibited range of motion have persisted long after the physical healing was complete. If you have a knee injury that persists try this simple strategy that will help you regain mobility and comfort.