The first stage is the inflammatory stage. This is typically the first three to four days after you hurt yourself or a chronic injury flares up.  The most important thing to remember about this stage is DO NOT USE HEAT as a method of feeling better.  It will make your condition worse!  ONLY USE ICE  for the first three to four days.  And….only apply the ice for a duration of 20-25 minutes every 2 waking hours.  That’s right.  Do not put any ice on an area when you are in bed, laying down, or anywhere where there is a possibility of you falling asleep.  Bad, bad, very bad idea.  Heat and prolonged use of ice will cause EXCESSIVE SWELLING in the area that you are trying to heal and create less inflammation.

Another great idea for this initial time period is to rest.  Yes, rest.  Those projects that you’ve been putting off can be put off for another week.  The dishes that you always do can be done by another family member.  Give up the guilt!  They’ll probably be hurt sometime in the future too and then it will be your turn to do the laundry and all those other daily chores.

It’s also a great idea to find a highly educated, qualified body practitioner to lead you through this process to totally recovery so that your injury will not effect you for the rest of your life.

The second stage that your body goes through to heal an injury is the Repair stage.  This can be up to six weeks after the injury/acute flare-up.  The most important thing to remember about this stage is that your body TAKES LONGER TO HEAL THAN YOU EXPECT.  It’s true every time.  There is more going on under the surface than we can feel.  Take your time returning to your normal way of life and your normal intensity of exercise.  Mark 4-6 weeks from your injury on your calendar, your phone, and your refrigerator.  Wait until those dates to resume your weekend warrior zesty-ness!

Again, for all of you “I don’t usually like a stranger touching my body” or “I’m fine.  I don’t need to pay for bodywork.” or “I just don’t need bodywork.” people…… make it happen.  Your future self with thank you.  Especially if you find a good practitioner.  I guarantee it.   Bodywork is awesome once you find the practitioner that will listen to your story and covey real confidence that they can help you.

Finally, the last stage is the Remodeling stage. This can last up to one year after your initial injury.  Isn’t that amazing?  Again, it takes longer to heal than we expect.  Every time.  Anyway,  the most important thing to remember about this stage is to stay regular with your active lifestyle, exercises, stretches, and bodywork even though you feel good.  Pain is a wonderful motivator.  But who likes to be in pain?  Enroll your friends and family in a preventative maintenance plan to do with you so that you can add life to your years and years to your life.

-Dr. Matt Green   www.ashbychiro.com

All of the above symptoms are signs of a body that is properly adapting to its environment.  Scientists clocked how fast microorganisms come out of our mouths when we cough – 120 miles per hour!  This is an intelligent way to rId the body of a virus, bacteria or debris generated from adapting.

We all wash our clothes and dishes in hot water because we know it kills germs.  A fever accomplishes the same thing in our bodies.  The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend the administration of any drugs to reduce fever below 104.2 (unless present in an infant) because it results in increased time of the cold or flu and lowered immune function in the long term.

A lack of appetite is the result of the body funneling its energy to respond to the invading pathogens.  Digestion uses a lot of energy and the body decreases its appetite to reduce food intake to save energy for other balancing functions.  The fatigue is often the result of all the internal biochemical and physiological functions your body is doing that one cannot see.  In additon, a decrease in food intake will result in a more tired body.  After the system has calibrated, the symptoms leave.

Are these miraculously apporpriate and orchestrated symptoms the sign of sickness?  No, they are signs of wellness.  The truth is your body can be considered healthy whether you have symptoms or not!  If you are not experienceing symptoms, your body is performing its regular functions to allow you to live.  If you are experiencing smptoms, the body is focusing inward to respond to an altered internal invironment.  A system that responds, adapts, and changes is HEALTHY!