Once you’ve injured your muscles or joints, it can be a challenge to return to full activity without further risk. Re-injuring the same area is all too common. Your muscles and joints are vulnerable for a long time.

The problem gets to be even more of a challenge as you age. One reason is that over the years a lot of wear-and-tear builds up in the background. And secondly, your metabolic rebuilding processes may not be as robust as they once were.

After an injury, your muscles have a harder time utilizing energy. The mitochondria are the little sub-cellular components that convert glucose in your blood to energy your muscle can use. But for up to two weeks (or longer) after an injury, your body naturally down-regulates those mitochondria, so you have less energy available for rebuilding, let alone tackling new athletic challenges.

So if you’ve been injured, or have to deal with recurring joint or muscle problems, what are you going to do about it?

Here’s my plan….

• Give yourself time to rest and heal. But only the minimal time. Begin moving again as soon as you can.
• Revisit issues of posture and motion patterning. You want your brain to understand the best ways to coordinate and control movement so that your muscles and joints are only subject to the stresses for which they’ve been designed. This requires a chiropractic visit or two.
• NeuroTactile® Therapy will stimulate those muscles to re-awaken.
• Amino acid supplements (specifically carnitine and cysteine) are thought to be helpful. On the one hand, they’re some of the raw materials you need to build muscle. And they’re thought to work in part almost like hormones do, to stimulate your metabolism to rebuild.