Injuries: we’ve all had them, but most people only deal with their injuries if they’re acute or very painful.

When we have an accident, we seek treatment for any resulting injuries right away, and most times, we get better.

But when the effects of an injury are only felt gradually over time, we tend to wait to get treatment. But injuries involving muscles, tendons and ligaments need attention as much as, if not more than, broken bones. Nobody would leave a broken leg unattended, but it always surprises me how many people will leave a strained ligament, tendon or muscle untreated.

I often hear, “If I just leave it alone, it will get better over time.” Sometimes, that’s true: an injury will seem to get better over time, but once you start to really use the injured part of your body again – especially in resistance training – the chance of re-injury becomes very high.

I always urge my clients to seek attention and regular maintenance for any injured area. Complete treatment of the injury is necessary so you can begin to regain your strength. To do that, you need proper diagnostic care from a doctor in order to direct you to the right rehabilitative treatment or treatments. Once you have completed the rehabilitative processes, only then can you start to rebuild.

But I have seen too many people not finish rehab, either because they think they can do it on their own or because rehab is too painful for them to complete. As a result, the injury never truly goes away, and as we age, that can cause pain and sometimes immobility.

Our body is an amazing piece of equipment, but if we damage it, we must fix it and fix it right. Most injuries involving muscles, tendons or joints are complicated, and if not treated, they can lead to other problems. Remember: once you have finished the rehab process, when rebuilding, you must to start from the beginning and build back up to where you came from.

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