Move to heal

Far too often medical professionals recommend rest and inactivity as tools for recovery from non-traumatic injuries. 

This approach is clearly counterproductive. And the opposite camp that espouses movement as part of the solution is fast emerging. 

In a nutshell: rare is the injury that requires you to lie still and do absolutely nothing. 

Healing and adaptation require loading and movement. A muscle, ligament, tendon requires compressive, stiffening and thoughtful loading to head properly. 

More importantly, movement is a skill that we are constantly adapting to. 

What are you adapting to when you are not moving? Inactivity is an adaptation. A terribly counterproductive one at that. 

Instead of don’t squat at all if you have wear and tear in and around your knees, one needs to reframe it how can I load the knees without hurting them and gradually building tolerance for harder positions. 

Same goes for shoulder, hips, back and virtually every other joint capable of articulation.

Much like the use it or lose it binary, there is truth to move to heal.