The first time I noticed something was wrong, I didn’t think much of it. Walking home from the gym in February 2019, I noticed an electric shock-like pain shooting down my leg when I turned to my left. I thought it was strange but as an ameteur Roller Derby player, pain is par for the course.
Over time however, the situation did not improve. While I was still able to run, walk, lift, skate, etc, that shooting pain developed into something more consistent; a low hum of agony relieved only slightly by daily stretching and painkillers.
I finally went to the doctor who referred me for an MRI. What returned was what I had suspected through my own research. The cause of the pain was a ruptured disk in my lumbar spine (L4-L5) that was impinging on my spinal cord, causing pain to erupt along the sciatic nerve which runs down your leg.
The prescribed treatment for this kind of injury is pain management, physiotherapy and patience. It’s one of those injuries that so many people experience, but few understand how debilitating it can be.
After a few months the pain eased and I went back to the gym hard — probably my biggest mistake. I was trying to make up for all those missed months.
What came next was a domino effect of steadily increasing problems, and by November I could no longer walk fully upright; my body had adapted to the pain in an attempt to help me (as known as a lateral shift) and I spent most of my time either in bed, or seeking medical help.
I saw three physiotherapists, two chiropractors, an osteopath, a massage therapist, and turned to acupuncture before finally admitting that this was not going to heal without surgery.
The MRI from my L4-L5 disk herniation
After a couple of stints in the hospital; one for pain relief and one for surgery, I spent the next year in rehab to fix the muscular and neural issues that had developed over time. While the physical toll the whole saga took on my body was significant, what I didn’t expect was the toll it took on my mind.
Staying Positive is Sometimes Easier Said Than Done
If you play any sport or do any form of regular exercise, injury is bound to happen sooner or later. A lot of injuries can be managed with little to no disruption to daily life whatsoever. You rest up for a while, heal, but retain an awareness of the event going forward.
These kinds of injuries can mean a frustrating setback in your progress, but overall it’s to be expected when you’re putting your body through a fair amount of physical stress.
On the other hand, some injuries leave you feeling like you’re in the bottom of a well without a ladder. They take a huge emotional toll on your well being even if they are seemingly “common” or routine.
Modern medicine focuses on physical treatment; correcting the physical problems alongside pain management. However, mental health can seriously impact rehabilitation. You may feel hopeless, with an overwhelming lack of motivation to change your circumstances.
You may also be scared to reinjure the area, which is a natural emotional reaction post-trauma. These things alone can increase anxiety and impact your progress. They can keep you awake at night, and impact your appetite.
Feeling this way following an accident or injury are incredibly common but relatively overlooked.
According to a 2019 study by the UK’s National Accident Helpline, 72% of people surveyed said they had struggled with mental health issues as a result of an accident, yet according to the Association of physical injury and mental health, “little is known about the bi-directional associations between injury and mental health.”
If you’re like me and are lucky enough to have never struggled with serious mental health issues before, the suddenness of depressive episodes or anxiety can leave you feeling pretty sidelined. I had no idea how to make myself feel better, because I always used sport and exercise to manage negative emotions.
It left me feeling like things would never get better, I would never be pain-free, and the whole experience shook my faith in my body. The only way out that I could see was to heal from my injury, but I had no way of knowing how long that would take.
Practical Tips to Aid Your Mental Health
For professional athletes, an injury like mine can be even more detrimental; but of course it’s a very common occurrence. You always hear about the world’s great athletes wax poetic about how they overcame various kinds of traumatic injuries — and they’re not wrong!
The human body is incredible and can overcome a great deal of physical trauma. Lessons learned after a terrible incident tend to be the most valuable.
That said, when you’re in the doldrums with a head full of negativity, looking to elite athletes with a wealth of support at their fingertips probably doesn’t help, so here are a few practical steps you can start to take to aid your mental health during recovery:
1. Don’t Train in Denial
Those currently going through any kind of injury are always able to look back with the gift of hindsight and say “I should have listened to my body,” and yes, this is true, but there is no point beating yourself up for not knowing better. The simple fact is you didn’t.
One take away from any kind of sports injury are the lessons learned long after your body has all healed up.
Everyone goes through the ‘denial’ phase of an injury. Training with a strain or injury is possible, occasionally beneficial, but knowing when to take something seriously is sometimes a hard line to draw. There is a difference between training with irritation and training in pain.
It’s always better to seek a medical opinion as soon as possible to prevent even more damage, even if you’re being overly cautious. It can be incredibly disheartening when something gives, but the longer you ignore it the longer your road to recovery tends to be.
2. Don’t Neglect Nutrition & Rest
Your body is amazing, but it needs sufficient fuel and rest to aid the natural processes it’s already so good at. Symptoms of anxiety and depression can include a lack of appetite and problems getting enough rest, which is why it’s really important to prioritise these especially in the early stages of an injury.
It’s important to stay on top of a regular food and sleep schedule, which will provide you with an element of control and routine, which is psychologically incredibly valuable.
During recovery, your body will need more than the recommended 7-8 hours per night. When you sleep, your body produces the melatonin hormone which helps aid your immune system and repairs broken DNA.
Eating well and often is also important. Your body is healing and needs fuel, so here are some of the best foods you should consume while getting better.
- Fruits & Vegetables
You want to consume foods that contain plenty of Vitamin C, which reduces inflammation within the body, which occurs around the site of trauma. These include citrus-rich fruits like oranges and grapefruits, as well as bell peppers, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, and kiwi.
- Proteins
Unsurprisingly, you’ll want to make sure protein is (still) an important part of your diet. It is the nutrient that reinforces the body’s muscle tissue. Consuming plenty of chicken, fish, tofu, kidney beans, nuts, etc will help prevent loss of muscle mass around the injury, and is even more important when you’re beginning physiotherapy and retraining your body to go back to sport.
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are important in helping form the collagen found in ligaments which encourage joint health. The oils found in omega 3 also help reduce inflammation. Chia seeds and walnuts contain good sources of omega 3, alongside fish and various oils used for cooking.
- Zinc
Zinc-rich foods like meat, fish, shellfish, whole grains and nuts aid in healing damaged tissue, and it’s generally agreed that not ingesting enough zinc can contribute to a lengthened healing process.
- Calcium
Foods rich in calcium like broccoli, almonds, okra and dairy products not only keep bones strong and help you recover from a fracture or break, but they are also crucial for the brain; helping nerve and muscle function.
3. Make an Action Plan
This might be really hard if you can’t enjoy any form of exercise at all, but sometimes it’s helpful to focus on the things you can do over the things you can’t.
Once I had recovered from surgery I looked for ways to help my muscles rehabilitate and return to normal. I couldn’t walk around my block but I could stretch and eventually, swim. While these weren’t the exercises I loved, they gave me small bursts of stress-relieving endorphins and made me feel less useless (another horrible side-effect).
Exercise improves the healing of muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments, spurring the formation of collagen which helps injured tissues heal properly.
Even if you’re at a stage where you’re unable to be physical at all, you can make a plan. Talk to your physiotherapist about actionable steps you can take to help yourself; whether that be 20 minutes of stretching a day, walking up and down the street, or light exercise that doesn’t irritate the injury.
It’s also worth trying to get out and about, especially if it’s sunny. Vitamin D is one of the best methods for natural pain management.
4. Keep a Diary
This is something I wish I had done from the very start. To give you an idea of how long it can take for muscle injuries to fully heal, expect up to 12 weeks for a strain to get back to normal. We always underestimate how long it takes to fully bounce back.
As a result, it’s important to record your wins, no matter how small. Your brain tends to focus on where you want to be, rather than where you are, so keeping notes on your recovery means you have a clear timeline from where you were to where you are — even if it’s not quite where you want to be.
5. Seek Professional Help
If you’re struggling, there is absolutely no shame in seeking professional help. Therapy can be really valuable for providing you some tools to cope. These tools can include mindfulness, CBT and help you put events and progress into perspective.
It’s also okay to seek help from friends and family, and aid your recovery with painkillers. There is no need to be a hero and suffer in silence, you are certainly not alone in dealing with life-altering injury.
6. Trust the Process
When things get really bad, you start to wonder if things will ever get any better, and it doesn’t matter how many people tell you it will, it’s really hard to believe them when you’re in it. That said, I am here to tell you that those people are right.
The vast majority of people who suffer sports injuries — serious or otherwise — go on to make full recoveries and return to regular life and exercise with a new-found respect for what their bodies are capable of — myself included!
We underestimate how long these things take, but your body knows what it’s doing, so trust the process, talk to medical professionals, lean on friends and family, and know it will get better.
