People have to undergo bed rest for long periods of time for all kinds of things. Recovering from major injuries or surgery in the hospital is one common reason, but these days, even struggling with a COVID-19 infection could leave you cooped up in bed for days or even weeks. People often don't realize just how much this can do to your body, even once you've fully recovered from your ailment. If you're having pain in strange places after getting back on your feet, this is likely what's going on.
Weakened Muscles
Losing muscle mass is a lot easier than you might think. While it's possible to lose muscle mass over time if you stop doing regular physical activities suddenly, being bedridden is another thing entirely. When you're stuck in bed, you don't move at all except, perhaps, for rolling to change position and getting up to go to the bathroom. This means that every muscle in your body is at risk of atrophy.
According to some studies, people can start losing a major amount of their muscle mass in as little as a week of inactivity and immobilization like what you'd experience while bedridden.
Their Overall Role
By this point, you may very well understand why you might be weaker doing certain activities and could even struggle to do something like pick up a heavy object. But what about constant pain? It's actually common, and for a simpler reason than you might think.
If you were cooped up in your house every day, your body would still have a certain level of muscle strength. This is because muscles are constantly working in your body, even when you're not in motion. The muscles in your back support your spine. Those in your torso help you to sit up straight. This is your base, minimal level of muscular strength. But when you're bedridden, you don't use these muscles anywhere near as much. You're lying down, and the bed is doing all the work of holding you up. These muscles then start to degrade, and then the very simple act of doing something like standing up straight or sitting up for a long period of time can indeed become painful. Of course, that doesn't mean that those muscles can simply stop doing their job, so you may end up with chronic soreness and even muscle spasms if this continues.
What to Do
In this situation, getting physical therapy is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Trying to launch into exercise or even your simple daily routine can backfire when your body is this weak. If you hurt yourself, you'll be back in bed and will end up even weaker. Your physical therapist, on the other hand, will be able to assess your condition, and with information about where you're experiencing pain, they can advise and teach you how to strengthen the areas that need it the most. They'll also start at your level, ensuring that you don't harm yourself.
With the guidance of a physical therapist, you'll feel better in no time. Don't underestimate just how weak you can become from being bedridden, even for a short amount of time. If you're having pain or struggling, get help.
For more information about how physical therapy can help, contact a local physical therapy office.
Share8 October 2020
Do you remember the first day you woke up with back pain? If you are like most folks, you probably tried to write off the problem until you realized that the issue was impacting your mobility. Back pain is serious, but not everyone takes the issue seriously at first. Not only can a little back spasm make it hard to shower, walk, or even sit comfortably, but back pain can also be a symptom of a deeper problem. The goal of my blog is to educate the public about back pain, so that you know how to tell when you are really in trouble.
