Strength Resurgence Podcast
A podcast helping others learn the science and art of coming back stronger from injuries, and how to prevent them, too!
With the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that up to one-third of all humans are living with some form of chronic, musculoskeletal pain, learning a few techniques to combat these aches and pains can go a long way!
Join me, Jim (a physical therapist and strength & conditioning specialist) as I discuss various topics pertaining to living a stronger, healthier life filled with less pain and greater quality of life. From scientific principles and anecdotal experiences, to sharing stories of others persevering through and overcoming orthopedic pain, this podcast aims to inform and inspire you with taking action towards waging the war on pain and dysfunctions that can arise within the body.
The Strength Resurgence podcast is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a chance at crafting their comeback story and that pain shouldn't get the last word. Whether you're curious to learn a bit more about the body, living a healthier lifestyle, or looking to reclaim your physical health, it is my hope that this podcast allows you to gain the confidence and inspiration needed to take action and join others who believe that their comeback matters...and that it's theirs for the taking!
In strength,
Jim
Strength Resurgence Podcast
#15: Dealing with Anxiety When Returning to Activity After Injury
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
If you're struggling with anxiety as you try to return to your physical activities after an injury (be it social, sports, or even occupational activities), you're not alone. Research shows that upwards of half of all individuals who suffer an orthopaedic injury deal with some form of anxiety as they return to being physically active.
So what do we do when our body is good to go again but our brain is still struggling? In this episode, I go over the problem of treating the body but neglecting the brain after physical injury, why it can be such a common issue, and general insight towards how to overcome the troubling thoughts that may hold us back from fully engaging or participating in the activities we wish to get back into.
As always, it comes down to a multidisciplinary approach whereby we draw from the help of others while also working through action steps we can take on our own to help put ourselves in a mentally better position to overcome what holds us back.
If you want to know more, then hit that play button!
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
0:00 - Intro
7:35 - The problem to solve & the big takeaway
13:47 - Defining “anxiety”
14:35 - Post-injury anxiety statistics
20:55 - If post-injury anxiety goes unchecked
27:50 - Pain memory circuits
30:40 - Tracking progress with outcome measures
34:23 - Common psychosocial interventions you can do
39:06 - Systematic desensitization
42:39 - A story from my past (my shoulder injury)
48:25 - Learning to interpret pain
50:23 - Practical progressions for getting back on track
52:08 - What if your activity involves others?
55:19 - If you’re struggling (personal insight)
56:43 - Sharing your story with others
58:20 - Critical takeaways from this episode
59:26 - Thank you (and a small request)
ARTICLES REFERENCED WITHIN THIS EPISODE:
1. Breazeale, S., Conley, S., Gaiser, E., & Redeker, N. S. (2021). Anxiety symptoms after orthopedic injury: a systematic review. Journal of Trauma Nursing| JTN, 28(1), 46-55.
2. Muscatelli, S., Spurr, H., O'Hara, N. N., O'Hara, L. M., Sprague, S. A., & Slobogean, G. P. (2017). Prevalence of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder after acute orthopaedic trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of orthopaedic trauma, 31(1), 47-55.
3. Hsu, C. J., Meierbachtol, A., George, S. Z., & Chmielewski, T. L. (2017). Fear of reinjury in athletes: implications for rehabilitation. Sports health, 9(2), 162-167.