"How do you navigate phantom pains and constant re-injury fears after recovering from a bone stress injury?"

—Marija

 

Fear is one of the brain's ways of protecting the body when it's injured. But often, our anxiety lingers long after it's useful. Our bodies and minds don't always recover at the same rate, Coach Carrie explains in this week's listener Q&A (that's why deliberately working on your mental skills is so important!).

 

Phantom pains and fears of re-injury are totally normal after a bone stress injury, she points out. To reset your nervous system and ease excessive fears, she recommends focusing on breathing. 

 

You can also coach yourself through in the second person, telling yourself you're safe and strong. Or, you might try experimenting with naming your injury, creating a bit of psychological distance that turns an anxiety-provoking moment into a thoughtful conversation with your body. 

 

Resources/links:

• Sign up for our mailing list to get the free mp3s, including diaphragmatic breathing

 

A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 9 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! They're the creators of the LEVER system, a portable, lightweight device that attaches to a treadmill to reduce your body weight. Use the code INJURED20 to get 20% off your purchase here. 

 

You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.

 

To access more resources for injured athletes:

• Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!
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• Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.