Has your injury caused a limp for you? If that’s the case, you’re not alone! For those who injured their leg(s) (anything from the toes up to the hip/pelvis) this is a common challenge.
So how do you stop limping?
Many people I speak to want to get rid of the limp because of the esthetic aspect – in their own words ″It just doesn’t look good″. People view them differently – and they view themselves differently.
But in reality there is a much better reason why you should work on getting rid of the limp. Using your body in a way that it’s not designed for can lead to other problems in the future – pain in ankles, knees, hips, back, or even neck.
Most of the advice that you can get online or in your PT’s office focuses on exercises and taking care of the gait and technique.
And it’s mostly sound advice… BUT – in many cases it is not enough.
In today’s video I’m going beyond the general advice. I talk about 3 things that you need to do if you want to be limp-free.
Tune in to learn how to stop limping after an injury. ❤
Things mentioned in the video:
- Iron-Built Flexible Ankles – get access to 59 physiotherapist-approved exercises. Click here.
- Need help with tip #2 and/or #3? Reach out because this is my expertise! Book your call now.
If you want to put an end to your limping – you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I will share not just one, not two, but three techniques to effectively lessen (and eventually, completely heal) your limping.
I’ll be going far beyond what traditional therapy suggests. I’ll also be illuminating core resistances which prevent you from walking freely.
I know the discomfort of limping first hand. In 2012, I fractured and dislocated my right talus bone. While waiting for surgery, I was informed I’d be limping and in pain for the rest of my life.
But things worked out differently!
Because I approached my recovery in a different way.
These three techniques I want to share with you, really helped me become limp-free.
In these 7 years, I’ve met many physiotherapists and osteopaths, first as a patient and then as a coach and mentor. At some point, every single one of them has remarked that my walk and gait improved amazingly considering my injury.
What they don’t know is… I wasn’t just doing the exercises.
I was applying three different but very powerful techniques I learned in the course of my recovery. These techniques are what I can’t wait to share with you today!
How to stop limping after an injury? Discover it here: Click To TweetTechnique #1:
DO A COMBINATION OF FLEXIBILITY, STRENGTHENING, and BALANCING EXERCISES
If you’re like me, you’ve probably scoured the internet for tips to stop limping and the pain that comes from limping. I know you’ve done your research and combed through as much information as you could get your hands on.
I bet what you found had to do with exercise. At least 90% of Google search results yielded physical exercises — which are good.
But NOT ENOUGH.
Don’t get me wrong. Physical exercise is essential to recovery. But more often than not, physical exercise is insufficient. A limp can be caused by several factors – an ankle, foot, knee, or hip injury. It could be your back or even a fractured femur. It could also be a combination of all these.
For a lot of these types of injuries, you will be off of your injured foot or leg. If you’ve ever been in a cast, you know that this “unused” joint can become stiff very quickly. Your muscles, tendons, and ligaments lose their strength. In effect, you simply can’t do “physical exercises”.
The solution, I learned, is a combination of flexibility, strengthening, and balancing exercises. This approach hastened recovery. I still maintain my practice to this day.
If you’ve injured your ankle or foot, I have a fantastic online course that has helped hundreds of others – The Iron-Built-Flexible Ankles. It’s a course consisting of 59 physiotherapist-approved ankle-stretching and strengthening exercises. Check it out HERE or get access to a preview by clicking the button below ⤵ .
A great recovery is possible, and an injured ankle doesn’t need to stay stiff and sore forever!
Get access to physiotherapist-approved foot stretching and strengthening exercises to improve your recovery and get back to your favorite activities.
The second technique is something fewer people think of, but is even more powerful.
Are you ready? It has something to do with rewiring your brain.
Technique #2:
REWIRE / RETRAIN YOUR BRAIN
I used crutches for close to six months and was completely non-weight bearing for three. I saw my body differently and it definitely felt odd. But I realized that the way I felt about my body also had a lot to do with my mind.
So I used a technique that isn’t quite new (it’s often used for helping people in chronic pain) but isn’t too well-known either.
(Please know that there are many different techniques for rewiring the brain, but this one, in particular, brings fast results.)
This is how it works.
Position a mirror in such a way for it to reflect your uninjured part. For instance, say your right arm is injured. Position a mirror so that it would reflect your uninjured left arm.
Move your left arm and look at its reflection in the mirror.
This technique “tricks” your brain to visualize that your injured right arm can move freely WITHOUT pain.
Aside from rewiring your brain to think and see yourself differently, I did a lot of being “present”. I observed myself walking in front of a mirror. When I felt that something was off with my normal gait, I made a conscious effort to walk the way I wanted to.
So take your time and observe your movement in the mirror. If you don’t have a big mirror that you can use, record yourself on camera. Take your time, observe, and correct even the smallest differences.
Its conscious, thought-out movement.
Of course, because of that mind-body connection, I could not ignore the emotional side. There is a link between your emotions and your body.
There’s also a link between and among your emotions.
For instance, when you think of sadness, your body will soon follow. It will slouch, and eventually, feel lethargic. Or try the reverse. If you begin in a position that promotes sorrow or melancholy, I guarantee you… you’d begin to feel the blues in as little as five minutes. You will feel more sad, more down.
Imagine, how wonderful the reverse could be.
Our underlying emotions manifest themselves in our bodies. Which is why our third technique has a lot to do with feelings.
Technique #3:
DEAL WITH UNDERLYING EMOTIONS
For many people, the underlying emotion of limping is fear.
It may or may not have anything to do with your injury. But it manifests itself in your limping.
Your thoughts deserve the spotlight because they are too important to ignore. Everything starts with your thoughts.
Your thoughts create emotions. And emotions can affect your body in profound ways.
Why is this so?
It’s because emotions are just chemical reactions to your thoughts –your biochemistry changes as a result of this. When you change your thoughts, you change your emotions. And everything changes as well. Your body starts acting differently.
This is precisely the reason why my clients achieve incredible healing transformations.
Yes, we focus on the physical aspect of recovery. But we devote a lot of time and energy on the mental, emotional, and spiritual part of recovery, as well.
A client I worked with made satisfactory progress with a prescribed set of physical exercises. But when we discovered her personal and emotional struggle, that’s when the significant recovery began to happen.
Within a couple of days, her ankle began to loosen up!
Note that we didn’t change her physical regimen. We ‘just’ dealt with underlying emotions.
We think approximately 60,000 thoughts per day. 80% of these 60,000 are repetitive and habitual. 80% of that 80% are negative thoughts!
It’s fundamental that we initiate change on the deepest level.
Your next step…
Focusing on just or mostly on the physical part of the recovery will bring you slower results which means more frustration and other negative emotions.
Do you see a loop here?
That’s why I invite you to step outside of the traditional approach and start healing on every single level.
THIS is what creates an incredible transformation that many people brush off as luck or a miracle.
And you, gorgeous, are capable of creating this as much as anybody else.
Do you want more so that you can create faster results for yourself?
Then go ahead and schedule a call with me NOW and let’s get YOU on the road to healing.
When healing physical trauma personalized guidance is priceless!
Book a call with Dr. Maya and discover how the Mindful Injury Recovery Method can help you heal quickly & effortlessly so that you can start enjoying your life again.
