Stress and Injuries

One of the big things I get asked often as a physiotherapist is how such a seemingly small task can cause such a huge amount of pain…for example, picking up a light object from the ground or reaching for something in the cupboard.

It’s a legitimate question and a concern for some.

As we go through daily life, we encounter various stressors. Stressors are not necessarily bad in of itself as they assist in building resilience and adaptation. The issue becomes when there is too much for the body to handle.

These stressors can come in the form of physical, cognitive, and emotional.

Here are some examples:

Emotional

• Frustration
• Anger
• Worry
• Fear
• Grief
• Hate
• Guilt

When we take all those different stressors into account, sometimes our bodies can feel overwhelmed or underprepared for the task at hand. This can lead to decreased performance or potential injury.

Perhaps, it can explain why some athletes perform well under pressure, while others do not. 

“90% of the game is half mental” – Yogi Berra

So the big question is “what can I do about it?”

Here at Movement Performance Centre (MPC), we believe that the best option is to target through physiotherapy and fitness training. We take a systematic approach to identify your stressors, reducing them, then building up your capacity for stress. Our aim is to get you moving well so that you can perform well in life and sport.

Here are just some of the assessment tools we use at MPC to identify stress factors

• Movement Analysis – Functional Movement Screen (FMS)
• Multi-Tasking
• Cognitive Stress Tests
• Eye Tests
• Aerobic Capacity Tests
• Strength/Power Tests

If you have any questions or topics you want to see covered, comment below or tag us on Facebook/Instagram and ask away!