Physical Health and Mental Health = One Health

I am so sorry that you are hurt.  I am so sorry that you are hurting.  Your physical injury is clear to see, the scar, the bruise, the swelling and splint. And although I cannot see your pain and cannot palpate your fear and anxiety related to your injury, that does not make them any less real.

I write this to you today because as a dance and performance physiotherapist I too often see a detachment between your physical health and your mental health.  There is an over-reliance on a belief that the physical rubbing, poking, prodding will get you better and back on stage quicker.  Don't get me wrong, there is value for manual therapy for performers, however the patients who address their injury holistically as one health (physical and mental health), hands down make a more robust and long-lasting recovery.

"A PHYSICAL INJURY IMPACTS YOU MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND SOCIALLY AS MUCH AS IT DOES PHYSICALLY.”

A physical injury impacts you mentally, emotionally and socially as much as it does physically.  Injury can result in a temporary reduction or temporary loss of independence, self-care, work, sleep or social interaction.  The greater the loss, the greater the increase in your stress, fear and anxiety.  The greater the loss, the greater the decrease in your confidence and self-esteem.  The greater the loss, the greater the physical pain you may experience.

Think about the times when injury often presents itself. In clinic, I commonly see an increase in injury volume during the final weeks of rehearsals, techs, understudy runs and 9 show weeks.  Granted you are physically fatigued in these circumstances - but what else is going on? 
What is happening to your stress levels, sleep, self-care, mental health and wellbeing?

The fear of injury occurring and being able to perform is real.

The fear of injury occurring and being unable to perform is real.  The threat an injury poses to your physical ability, job, performance and identity is enormous.  Studies have shown that in regard to pain behaviour, the greater the threat, the greater the pain experienced and the potential for a longer recovery period.  In short, your mental health can influence the severity of the pain you experience and influence how well you recover.

So, what does this mean for you? 

Prepare for a more robust recovery by acknowledging the intrinsic relationship between your physical health and mental health. Try not to detach emotionally and mentally from your physical injury.  Your mental health resilience is a strong predictor for your physical recovery and physical resilience. The less fearful you are about your pain, the stronger your confidence in your ability, the stronger your belief that you will make a full recovery, the better you will recover.

Allow for both the emotional and physical bumps in the road to recovery - they are normal. Accept the ups and downs of the journey, they are to be expected. It can be a rollercoaster. If you experience a set-back do not worry, you have not done something wrong, you have not done too much or done too little - do not blame yourself.

Do not blame yourself.

GRIEVE THE LOSSES, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, THEY ARE REAL.  ACKNOWLEDGE THE BRUISES AND SCARS TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, THE ONES YOU CAN FEEL BUT CAN’T SEE.  ACCEPT THAT BOTH YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH ARE IMPACTED BY YOUR INJURY.  BELIEVE IN YOUR ABILITY TO HEAL AND RECOVER. YOUR SUFFERING IS REAL BUT IT IS TEMPORARY.  ONE SURE FACT ABOUT THE BODY AND MIND IS THAT NO MATTER HOW SEVERE THE INJURY, THERE IS IMMENSE CAPACITY TO HEAL AND REPAIR.

TAKE YOUR TIME. IT IS HARD, BUT YOU WILL GET THERE.

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