December 4th, 2020

// 5 Ways to Recover More Quickly From a Weight Lifting Shoulder Injury

5 Ways to Recover More Quickly From a Weight Lifting Shoulder Injury

There's nothing worse than jacking up your shoulder and having to step away from weight lifting until it heals up. Don't fall into the trap of trying to load up the weights and continue to push yourself as it will simply result in a longer recovery period. Instead, use these five recovery tips to speed up the healing process.

Don't Overlook Icing

We all know that swelling, also called inflammation, is one of the biggest causes of body pain. An ice pack can do wonders for reducing swelling to the shoulder and, in turn, reducing the overall pain you feel in the area. You should ice your shoulder multiple times per day. Ensure you only ice it for a maximum of 20 minutes.

If you ice it for longer than 20 minutes, your body will start to perceive the coldness as a threat. This results in the body sending more blood to the region to warm it up to protect against frostbite. When this happens, it completely undoes all the good the icing initially did. So, make sure you stick to 20 minutes max.

Perform Light Movements

Don't go into the gym and load up the bar. Instead, take it light for a week or two. You'll know when your shoulder is starting to feel better. At that point, you can slowly reintroduce weight to get back to where you were before your injury. Don't just avoid working out, as this will make your recovery take much longer.

Use Numbing Cream

There are a ton of pain relief products on the market. The idea is to use these products to alleviate pain from the injury and take your mind off of it. When you use  hemp topical relief cream with menthol, it will provide a slight cooling sensation that can reduce your pain level. When your pain is reduced, you think about your injury less, and your body heals faster.

Talk With A PT

PTs, or physical therapists, are there to help patients recover from injuries. Think of them as a base of knowledge that you can utilize to learn the right movements and recovery tactics to get back to your regular workout. PTs will save you a lot of time as you won't have to scour the internet for recovery tactics. Plus, you can get instant feedback for your questions.

Stay Active

One of the biggest pitfalls that weight lifters can run into is stopping all their physical activity for fear of making their injury worse. The more you focus on your injury, the tighter the muscles will be in that area. Your brain, essentially, pushes your muscles into a protective mode. Don't let this happen. Simply continue to be active and perform regular movements that can be done pain-free.

Recovery from a weight lifting injury can feel like a long process. However, if you follow the tips above, you'll be able to speed up your recovery tremendously. Just remember to not let your injury cripple your lifestyle.

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