This year, June 24th – 30th is not only World Wellbeing Week but also Injury Awareness Week. I am going to look at both from a personal wellbeing perspective.
Wellbeing is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy”.
For me, this not only refers to how we feel on the inside but also to how we are on the outside and how we relate to the world around us. We are mind, body and spirit.
We should not be complacent about our wellbeing when recovering from or moving on from current or past injuries. For example, from a wellbeing perspective, certain foods are known to potentially aid and even speed up muscle repair. This does not mean that you need to have an acute soft tissue injury for it to be worth knowing the best foods to eat. Any form of muscle stress, however light, caused during our regular exercise routine can create microscopic tissue tears.
Understanding foods that provide the right nutrition post-workout or injury can help reduce any soreness over the following days or weeks. It is often wise to engage in your own research to speed your recovery and to eat a varied, healthy diet as good practice on a day-to-day basis.
When it comes to bone repair post-injury, there are recommended calcium-rich foods, but also some foods to avoid, which can impair calcium absorption. Vitamin and mineral supplements can be taken as recommended, along with any rehabilitation advice you may be given.
Our day-to-day wellbeing can be impacted by past injury.
It could be that you just don’t quite feel like your old self, even though you are told your body has long healed. Adhesions and scar tissue may have built up over time, causing constriction and a lack of drainage in the surrounding tissue.
This legacy may lead to referred pain in other areas of the body, lack of flow, restricted movement through the fascia and a general slowing down of some of our body systems. You might notice that you tire easily, suffer from a sense of sluggishness or even have digestive issues.
Take into account your emotions at the time of the injury.
With hindsight, maybe you could have done something differently to prevent the injury from happening. Perhaps you could have reduced its impact on your body. Conversely, you may have been, for any number of reasons, unable to help yourself. It can be important to recognise that certain emotions do not necessarily promote healthy healing. Working to reframe the impact of the injury may be useful.
If any of this resonates with you, holding an open curiosity about what is getting in the way of your recovery from injury or return to full health and wellbeing may be the way forward.
By definition, both Somatic Experiencing® and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy are trauma-attuned modalities. Used together, either online or in person, they can facilitate the resolution of embodied trauma in a profound but gentle way, honouring each client’s unique wishes and needs.
If you think you could benefit from working with me, please get in touch to book a free chat. Email sarah@ytenehealing.co.uk or call me on 07747 111040.
Please remember to contact your medical practitioner in the first instance if you have any concerns regarding your health.
