Whether recovering from an injury, a surgery, or striving to improve your physical health, you’ve probably considered looking for a “rehab” or “rehabilitation.” But have you ever wondered what sets active rehabilitation apart from other therapies?
Well, the stakes are high. Knowing how active therapy works, down to the scientific details, can speed up your recovery and boost the quality of your life in the long run. This blog will explore the science behind active rehabilitation for faster recovery and optimal health.
Active Rehabilitation
Active rehabilitation is your proactive partner in recovery. It empowers you to take control of your healing. The Physio Shop explains active rehab as actively engaging in targeted exercises, stretches, and activities tailored to your needs. The goal is to stimulate natural healing processes, rebuild strength, and regain lost functionality.
The Role of Neuroplasticity in Active Rehabilitation
Amber Murphy states in an article that neuroplasticity is the brain’s extraordinary ability to adapt and reorganize itself. When you learn a new skill or recover from an injury, your brain rewires connections, strengthens existing pathways, and even forms new ones.
Why is Neuroplasticity Crucial?
| Enhanced Learning and Adaptation | Repetitive and purposeful movements train your brain to adopt new patterns to relearn lost functions or discover new ways to perform tasks. |
| Targeted Recovery | This allows for a more efficient recovery process, helping you regain lost functions quicker than traditional therapies. |
| Long-term Improvements | Active rehab helps your brain form enduring changes. |
| Coping and Pain Management | An article published by Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging explains that the brain’s ability to rewire itself also extends to how it perceives pain. |
Brain Reorganization and Adaptation
Your brain adapts quickly to an injury by going into high gear. It starts rewiring its circuits, rerouting neural pathways, and forming new connections. Ross Cunnington, an Australian professor, explains that your brain is not a static organ. It’s dynamic and adaptable, continually reshaping to meet your body’s needs.
How Does the Brain Rewire Itself?
When a part of your body is injured, the corresponding area in the brain responsible for that body part also gets affected. It starts redirecting tasks to other uninjured areas.
For instance, if you injure your right hand, your brain could recruit areas responsible for your left hand to compensate. This process, known as brain reorganization, accelerates your recovery and helps you adapt to new physical limitations.
Active Therapy in Neural Reorganization
| Feedback Loops | This immediate feedback helps your brain understand which adaptations are effective, allowing for a more refined rewiring process. |
| Skill Re-acquisition | A repetitive practice helps your brain cement new neural pathways to recover lost skills more robust and long-lasting. |
| Cognitive Engagement | Physical exercise and cognitive task engagement encourage more comprehensive neural reorganization, enhancing physical and cognitive recovery. |
Muscle Activation and Strength Development
If you’re recovering from an injury or surgery, your muscles often need extra attention. They could have weakened from disuse, or perhaps they’ve lost some of their coordination.
How Active Therapy Targets Muscle Activation
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Isolated Movements
Isolating specific muscle groups related to your injury helps to wake up those sleeping muscles and get them back in the game.
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Electromyography Feedback
Cedars Sinai explains in an article that electromyography (EMG) provides real-time muscle activation data. This lets you see which muscles are firing and how well, helping you target your efforts more effectively.
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Progressive Resistance
As you improve, your exercises’ resistance or difficulty level will increase. This ensures your muscles are continually challenged, preventing plateaus and fostering ongoing activation and growth.
Strength Development
A certified personal trainer, Daniel Bubnis, says that when you engage in targeted exercises, you activate inactive muscles and trigger a biological process called muscle hypertrophy. Here’s how it works:
| Mechanical Overload | The repetitive and progressive nature of the exercises exposes your muscles to mechanical overload. This stress signals your body to repair and rebuild the muscle fibres, strengthening them over time. |
| Neuromuscular Adaptations | In the early stages of active rehabilitation, most strength gains come from the nervous system learning to activate your muscles better. You’ll develop better motor control to recruit more muscle fibres and use them more efficiently. |
| Hormonal Response | Exercise triggers a hormonal response, releasing growth hormones and testosterone, aiding in muscle repair and growth. |
| Nutrient Delivery | Targeted exercises improve blood flow to the activated muscle groups, delivering the nutrients and oxygen needed for repair and growth. |
Cardiovascular Benefits
Your heart and blood vessels are crucial to your overall well-being, especially during recovery. Active therapy also takes your cardiovascular health into account. Here’s how:
How Active Rehab Supports Cardiovascular Health
| Increased Heart Rate | A faster heart rate during controlled exercise ensures that your heart is getting a good workout. |
| Improved Blood Circulation | Better circulation speeds healing by delivering more oxygen and nutrients to the needed tissues. |
| Lower Blood Pressure | Regular participation in exercise therapies can contribute to maintaining or reducing blood pressure levels, which is necessary for heart health. |
| Better Cholesterol Profile | Daniel Bubnis also shares that physical activity raises good cholesterol (HDL) levels and lowers bad cholesterol (LDL), leading to less plaque in your arteries and a healthier heart. |
Cardiovascular Benefits
Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of why this exercise therapy is good for your heart:
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Endorphin Release
These hormones also positively affect heart health by reducing stress and inflammation, both risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
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Vasodilation
Physical activity triggers vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels, which improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure. This takes some workload off the heart to pump blood throughout the body.
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Myocardial Oxygen Demand
When your heart works harder through exercise, it strengthens your heart muscle, just like lifting weights strengthens your arm muscles.
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Improved Cardiac Output
Cardiac output improves with regular exercise. A more efficient heart means a healthier cardiovascular system overall.
Improving Joint Mobility and Flexibility
If you think active therapy is about building muscle strength or boosting cardiovascular health, think again. Here’s how and why it works:
How Active Therapy Focuses on Joint Mobility
| Range-of-Motion Exercises | It moves your arms, legs, and other body parts more freely and with less pain. |
| Joint Lubrication | It helps improve the natural lubrication within your joints for smoother joint movement and less discomfort. |
| Muscle-Tendon Lengthening | Some techniques help to lengthen the muscles and tendons around the joints. Longer muscle-tendon units contribute to greater joint mobility. |
The Flexibility Benefits
Flexibility isn’t just for athletes or dancers; it’s necessary for everyday activities and long-term health. Here’s a brief scientific rationale behind these benefits:
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Improved Blood Flow
Flexibility exercises increase blood flow to the muscles and tissues for faster healing and reduced muscle soreness.
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Reduced Risk of Injury
An article from Harvard Health Publishing has shown that flexible muscles are less susceptible to injury.
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Muscle Balance
It addresses this imbalance by working on flexibility for more balanced muscle strength around joints.
Motor Control and Pain Modulation
Through specific exercises, active therapy trains the nervous system to control your movements better. It utilizes various feedback methods, like mirrors or video analysis, to correct posture and technique.
But, the key to better motor control lies in repetition and consistency. Over time, practicing the right movements helps create ‘muscle memory,’ making those movements second nature to you.
How Active Therapy Modulates Pain
Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, to reduce your perception of pain. Many of its exercises focus on relaxation techniques to help reduce muscle tension.
Your blood flow increases to the muscles and joints, flushing out toxins and bringing in nutrients that aid healing and pain relief. Over time, consistent exercise can lead to neural adaptations that make you less sensitive to pain.
Long-Term Impact of Active Rehab
| Skill Transferability | You can apply these skills in various aspects of daily living, from lifting groceries to playing sports, ensuring long-lasting benefits. |
| Lifestyle Changes | The healthier lifestyle choices you’ve learned, like good posture and ergonomics, can become your habits. |
| Ongoing Support | Some programs offer long-term support to maintain and even enhance the gains you’ve made. |
| Self-Efficacy | Managing your condition effectively gives you the confidence to tackle future physical challenges, reducing the likelihood of re-injury. |
Improved Quality of Life
| Increased Mobility and Independence | Better strength, flexibility, and motor control significantly boost your ability to carry out daily activities. |
| Pain Management | Long-term pain reduction can lead to less reliance on medication and potentially fewer medical visits. |
| Emotional Health | A body that feels good and moves well contributes to a happier, less stressed mind. |
| Social Benefits | As you get better at managing your physical condition, you will likely become more active socially. |
| Cost-Effectiveness | The long-term benefits often result in lower healthcare costs due to reduced medication and fewer doctor visits. |
Get in Touch for an Active Rehab Today
Understanding the science behind active therapy is important for effective recovery. It’s not just about doing exercises. It’s about retraining your body and mind for the rigours of daily life, making you better prepared to face future challenges without the fear of re-injury.Thus, don’t settle for shortcuts or quick fixes. Seek out qualified professionals trained in active rehabilitation methods. Investing with us in Fountain Wellness for an active rehab session is investing in a brighter, more mobile, and less painful future for yourself.
