YOU MOVE, YOU DIE!
Imagine this: You’re a soldier on the war front. In the middle of intense shooting, you accidentally step on something that clicks. Your friend’s face goes pale. “You move, you die, Noah.”
“We’re already dead,” you mutter, seeing little hope.
“No,” he says, “we’re only dead if you move. You just stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).”
That’s when it hits you—lifting your foot would be instant death for you and everyone nearby. But as long as you stay still, you might survive—unless you’re hit by a bullet.
Our war front…
This scenario feels all too real because, in one way or another, each of us has faced a similar situation in life. Okay, maybe we haven’t been in an actual war, but we have all had our own battles—maybe not with guns, but with pain.
Think about the times we heard a “snap” during a fall, or felt pain that made us dread moving a single muscle. Sprained ankle? Fractured bone? Severe back pain? Stroke? Pain, no matter the type, convinces us that moving is the worst thing we could do. And at that moment, we believed it.
But ask a physiotherapist, and they’ll tell you: not moving is often the worst damage we can do to ourselves.
Let’s Revisit Noah’s IED Moment
The soldier and the person in pain are both in a movement dilemma. For the soldier, movement equals death. And when we’re injured, pain wants us to think movement will only make things worse. True, some injuries require initial rest, but after a while, if we don’t move, we’re just falling into pain’s trap.
As we learned in biology class, movement is one of the signs of life. The musculoskeletal system is designed to move. So, if our pain makes us feel like the soldier with his foot on an IED, remember—staying still is not always the answer.
What if the pain is intense?
Pain is subjective; it’s different for everyone. If moving even a little feels impossible without yelling or tears, it’s time to call a physiotherapist. They can apply non-invasive techniques to numb the pain, allowing us to start moving without triggering pain signals. Once that pain “gateway” is closed, our body can begin the recovery process.
Often, severe pain begins with something small—like guarding an area by avoiding all movement, which eventually makes it stiffer. We strain our necks and instead of moving it gently, we purchase a cervical collar to restrict all movement. To tell the truth, after three days, movement is often more painful than it was on day one! Minor injuries like strains or sprains usually need rest initially, but after a few days, gentle movement can prevent stiffness.
The only major exception to movement? Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which can sometimes result from immobility. But unless your doctor says “no movement,” keep moving as much as you can.
The Bottom Line
If pain is trying to convince you to stay still, remember, you’re not a soldier who stepped on an IED. Move those joints like nobody’s business because, to a physiotherapist, if you don’t move it, it dies.
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