The Frustration with ‘Flare Ups’
‘Flare ups’ of and injury, especially whilst you are currently seeing a physiotherapist is very frustrating. As physiotherapists, we are naturally empathetic people and share that frustration.
For certain conditions, especially in persistent pain or long-term injuries, flare ups are very common and often expected as part of the recovery journey.
For example, somebody with medium to long term Achilles tendon pain trying to return to any level of running will most likely experience at least three flare ups in their recovery journey. This can often be a good thing because it provides useful information to guide progression.
We can often use valuable information from a flare up to learn more about the issue.
Key information may include:
The amount of training load (distance, intensity, weight, frequency) which caused the flare up
Recent levels of sleep, stress, energy & nutritional status before a flare up, if the training load hadn’t significantly changed
Whether there was enough or too much rest in between training sessions
We can use the above information to set up an individualized ‘flare up’ management plan
Often the cause of a flare up is a combination of factors mentioned above. It is up to a skilled physiotherapist to gather important information from the person, adjust relevant aspects of the management plan to ensure a smooth return to pre-flare up levels and beyond.
In a nutshell we are trying to increase the capacity in the person to withstand the loads needed for their desired activity or sport.
If we under load them we may completely avoid a flare up during physio rehabilitation but are unlikely to build enough capacity to prevent future injury or achieve higher levels of performance.
Like Goldilocks and the three bears, we can accept a few flare ups before we get the load ‘just right’.
Learn more about why you might be getting injured so easily by clicking the button below.
