Last Updated on September 5, 2020 by Ellen Christian
Abbott partnered with influencers such as me for its Ensure Program. As part of this Program, I received compensation for my time although thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Injuring yourself is never fun, especially as you age. Not only do you have the pain to deal with, you need to figure out how to recover from an injury so you can be healthy and whole again. Depending on the injury, the recovery process can be long, and it’s easy to get frustrated with how quickly you’re healing (or not). I don’t rest well so I usually end up pushing before I’m supposed to, and that’s never a good idea.
How to Recover From an Injury
Several years ago, my husband hurt his back moving wood. He was in good physical condition when it happened, but he turned the wrong way while lifting and it did something to his back. He went through physical therapy and steroid injections but finally ended up needing to have back surgery to correct the problem. Marty went from being very active to staying in bed during a long recovery. During the process of taking care of him, I learned a few things that I wanted to share.
Get Enough Rest
It doesn’t matter that before your injury you only needed five hours of sleep. What you need now is to heal. Whether that means a long nap each afternoon, or simply sitting on the couch with a good book for a few days depends on the injury. Listen to your body and your doctor and get the rest that you need for a speedy recovery. You’ll have plenty of time to get caught up on things after you heal. Remember that as you age, your body will need more time to heal.
Listen to the Doctor
If the doctor says that you shouldn’t go back to work or resume physical activity for two weeks, then two weeks is what he means. All too often we think that we know better and resume old activities too soon. This can delay the healing process or even make your injury worse. My husband went back too early after hurting his back the first time which made his injury worse.
Go Back for a Follow-up
If your doctor says he wants to see you for a follow-up appointment, make sure that you go. Sometimes, we think there is no need to go to the doctor unless there’s a problem. Even if you feel better, it’s important to go back to the doctor. He’s trained to look for things that you may overlook. He may also want to schedule additional tests or change medication dosages at your next appointment.
Ask for Help
Asking for help isn’t easy, but it is necessary. You may not be able to do everything you did before your injury, and there is nothing wrong with asking a friend or family member to help out until you’re fully healed. If you feel that you need more help than you should, ask your doctor what’s reasonable for you to accomplish. He may have suggestions.
Get The Nutrients You Need For Recovery
It’s important that you eat right to help your body recover from an injury. You may find that you need to eat foods that are higher in fiber to improve your digestion. A probiotic can also be helpful. Increase your protein intake. Protein can help with wound recovery so it’s important to get extra protein. My husband found that taking a drink like Ensure Enlive helped him get enough protein even when his appetite wasn’t where it was prior to his surgery. Ensure Enlive has been shown to significantly improve health outcomes after illness, injury, and surgery so you can get back to doing the daily activities you enjoy.
His injury really made him evaluate his health which he hadn’t really given much thought to before he was hurt. He still struggles with getting all of the right nutrition he needs now that he’s disabled. His activity level is still impacted and he’s working on rebuilding muscles which Ensure Enlive can help with. Learn more about muscle loss. Most of all, he’s learning to slow down and listen to his body when he needs to. He’s taking more time to admire the flowers in the garden and the birds at the bird feeder. I shared last month a few simple ways to get active.
Ensure Enlive is a complete, balanced nutrition shake that has the unique ingredient HMB, plus 20 grams of protein, to help rebuild muscle for strength* and energy. (*Fitschen PJ et al. Nutr. 2013;29:29-36. Bauer JM, Diekmann R. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2015;18:248-53.)
Abbott partnered with influencers such as me for its Ensure Program. As part of this Program, I received compensation for my time. The opinions and thoughts in this piece are my own. Abbott/Ensure believes that consumers and influencers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Abbott/Ensure policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
