When Does Rest Help?
This a very simple question with a very complex answer. When does rest help? As always… it depends. What does it depend on? It depends on the type of injury, the timeframe of injury, and the type of pain. And yes, there are different types of pain. Not all pain means tissue damage. The goal of this blog post is to provide insight into when rest is appropriate, when it will help with the healing process, and when it is actually doing more harm than good.
To begin answering this question, it is important to understand the timeframes of healing stages. There are three major stages (there’s technically more, but for the sake of simplicity, I am condensing them) of healing. These stages are; 1) Bleeding/Inflammatory, 2) Proliferation, and 3) Remodeling. In the first stage, your body is trying to reach homeostasis. Bleeding and inflammation are natural parts of the healing process. In order to not interrupt this process, rest is indicated
The inflammatory phase can last anywhere from one to three to five days. What does this mean? After an acute injury, I give my patients and athletes anywhere from one to five days rest, max. After this, the second stage beings, The Proliferation stage. In this stage, the body goes into “repair” mode and preps for the maturation process which occurs in the 3rd stage, the Remodeling stage. Phase 2 is an essential time to start the rehab process and moving again. Your body needs the foundation of proper mobility and strength, in which those changes are solidified through the phase 3 maturation process.
So, we know that rest for one to five days is appropriate after a fresh injury. What about chronic pain? For those who have experienced chronic pain, has rest ever helped your symptoms? If you have tried a few days of rest, and your symptoms haven’t improved, I have news for you - rest won’t help your chronic pain. In fact, research actively advocates against bed rest for management of chronic low back pain.¹ The definition of insanity is doing the same the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result – right? If you’ve tried rest and it didn’t improve, it’s time to get moving again.
One of the consequences of prolonged rest is vastly decreased quality of life. Prolonged rest, limited by pain, can cause limitations on not just physical health, but psychological and mental health as well, thus making pain even worse, creating a vicious and toxic cycle. Thankfully, there is promising research in providing initial patient-education regarding different types of pain and injury, then transitioning into movement-based rehabilitation programs.²
My professional advice… stop waiting to manage your injuries. Especially if rest is not helping. There is never a convenient time for self-care or rehabilitation. One must prioritize it. If you are struggling with acute or chronic pain, always seek conservative care first, especially before trying pills, injections, or surgery. Better yet, schedule a free phone consult with doctors at The PATH Rehab & Performance, in which we can learn about your story and guide you back to the path of pain-free movement and activity.
References
1. Deyo RA. Low-back pain. Sci Am. 1998;279(2):48-53. doi:10.1038/scientificameri- can0898-48.
2. Nijs J, Meeus M, Cagnie B, et al. A modern neuro- science approach to chronic spinal pain: com- bining pain neuroscience education with cogni- tion-targeted motor control training. Phys Ther.
Dr. Cody Benavides
Co-Owner
PT, DPT, MFDc
