Injury Flare-Ups - What They Mean & How To Treat Them

It is really frustrating when you experience a setback in your rehab and your injury flares up. It is common to have flare-ups when you're recovering from tendon injuries like patellar tendonitis or Achilles tendonitis. It is also normal to then worry that you've made your injury worse. In this video, Maryke explains why injury flare-ups happen, why it doesn't always mean that you've made your injury worse, and how to treat a flare-up.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:51 Why injury flare-ups happen
00:05:05 Have I made my injury worse?
00:08:50 What to do in case of a flare-up
00:13:36 How we can help

References:
Hanlon, S. L., et al. (2021). "Beyond the Diagnosis: Using Patient Characteristics and Domains of Tendon Health to Identify Latent Subgroups of Achilles Tendinopathy." J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 51(9): 440-448.

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[rayyseason]

I am recovering from a grade 2 calf strain. I didn’t know anything about rehabilitation and strengthening exercises post-injury, but found out the hard way. Each week after the calf injury, i would go back to play soccer and injure it again. After third time, I decided to have it checked and an MRI showed a grade 2 strain. Since then, i have been following a rehabilitation program and i was doing fine until first 2 weeks. Suddenly during the 3rd week, after a session my calf was sore. I was devastated thinking that i might have strained my calf again but turns out it was just a flare up and i was back to the program again after taking few days rest. I have learned not to rush through the rehabilitation phase and take everything easy. Learn from your body signals but as you say it’s actually not that bad as it feels. Also, thanks for talking about how our body perceives pain. Your videos encourage and provide much needed support. 🙏🏻 🙏🏻

[bladetc]

i have been an active person all my life and never know it takes so long for tendons to heal properly! Also i didnt know tendon injury can show up after day even it was feeling ok during exercise! And i never know tendon injuries can have flare up either!!!! Thank you so much for telling me this and from now on i will take on a whole new approach to protect and listen to my body for these type of injuries. Thank you so much again!

[suezgol]

This is a comprehensive primer of flare ups that you can apply to any injury. Thank you. For example, I have a friend who fell on ice and broke 9 ribs in 12 places. As we age, we really need to adjust or expectations with injury. We heal differently and mentally we need to adjust or expectations.

[adrianhepton]

To identify what caused the injury I also look at my posture and technique, the equipment that I have been using and keep a record of injuries and recovery, a kind of diary so that each time I learn, this also includes looking at activities of daily living as well because they can add to the cumulative load. Personally I avoid anti- inflammatories such as Ibuprofen and steroid injections. Ideally it's good to have somebody else look at you doing your activity because there are some things that you might not see.A key question for me is what have I been doing differently that may have caused the injury?

[stravagantares]

This video is absolutely on point. Every sports enthusiast should watch it. Good job. 😊👍🏼

[linda]

Oh my goodness Maryke..you described me to the “T”! …..Thank you so much for your very informative videos! I only wish you were here “across the pond” to be my therapist! I have been dealing with SI joint dysfunction along with Piriformis syndrome. It seems all my Dr wants to do is injections (which I have had for both areas)..and I’m in no better off than I was. In fact more painful. At the same time I am in the process of a Posterior Tibial ankle injury. Followed your videos and saw much improvements and as you have said take things slow or you can irritate things. You have been so right…I would immediately go back to my regimen to let the ligament heal longer. Thanks so much again Maryke!

[bigpickenergy]

Fantastic video. I am currently going through a 2nd lumbar sprain and have flared it up again. 7:03 appreciate the sensible advice. It's good not to jump to worst case scenarios

[MsRAnnuncy]

I've learned so much by watching these videos! Excellent and timely advice for my injury issues.

[sandrabrown]

Thank you for these videos, Maryke, I love your content and find your work extremely helpful. Have you considered creating a video on hip flexor/iliopsoas tendinopathy? Thanks!

[annecoleman]

Marylebone, thank you for your videos, they are extremely helpful and informative, much appreciated 🤗

[AndreaSergon]

Thank you so much Maryke, I've been watching all your videos about tendinopathy, and this knowledge is already helping me coping with my ongoing injuries. Actually, but you've explained that too, I've been experiencing a decrease of pain without doing anything in my treatment, just knowing more what is going on, the flare-ups, the pain that is not directly connected to the tissue damage; apparently the psichologycal aspect is very important.
I'm looking forward to see the results of the rehab excercises next month, I know that I have to keep it slow and gradual though.
Thank you for all the advices! And ..this could be personal, but it's very pleasant to hear all that from you, I feel you so human, emphatic and reassuring. That matters... :)

[loriwilliamson]

You are amazing! Your info and delivery are superb. I feel safe learning from your videos. Thank you.

[starshine]

What a brilliant video so well explained ! Thank you and yes very interesting about how our thought and feelings effect pain

[bisharakevin]

Awesome video! Thank you for posting this 💪🏽

[DevelopingNL]

Love this video, and you call yourself an idiot regarding your own training, I can relate to that 😊 My patellar tendon flares up after a hard trail run, but it often happens 24 hours after the workout. Is that normal?

[joshuahankins]

Hi MARYKE, I tried the free trial for patellarfemoral pain syndrome on exakt health and all the exercises feel ok no pain during or after (very good app will be doing the three month subscription). I just get a flare up during the week from my office job. Was wondering how to modify my office job which involves sitting an aggravating factor so I could heal the injury and follow the plan for the next month's as outlined within the app. I tracked all activity's in the week and the sitting at work is the only one causing my flareups. On weekends when not it the office it doesn't flare up and exercises are fine so it has to be the sitting that is too much. Any tips for reducing flare ups from sitting? The app mentions to avoid deep squat and kneeling, jumping etc, but never addresses long periods of sitting and modifications for it since there are periods during the day you have to sit so harder to avoid then things like jumping. Thanks

[rubenkoning]

Hey, could you do a video about chest injuries? Checked your channel, but don't seem to be any videos about it. Would be much appreciated!

[thomasromeni]

Hi Maryke. Is it actually normal that the pain after the load of new exercises, with me Heel Raise without shoes with 3 times 12 slow repetitions, increases and drops back to the previous pain level during the day, although I do not feel any pain during the execution? Can I still do the exercise every two days if there is no increase in pain after 24 hours? I'm a little scared now if I'm doing something wrong.

I do the exercises against my plantar fasciitis.

[matriaxpunk]

What if there’s swelling in adition to pain?

[NansGlobalKitchen]

I had a second flare up of sciatic nerve pain! It is like my body is in hell, so painful! Please help What can I do to heal this?