An interesting result the Coronavirus Lockdown has been a resurgence in a condition known as the Weekend Warrior Syndrome. With more time at home and more free time on their hands, many have taken on projects that had been on the “when I get time” list for a while.
The Weekend Warrior Syndrome or WWS is the result of stressing an underworked or sedentary muscle, joint or body part to the point of injury. What seemed like a fun or possibly necessary endeavor at the start, will frequently end in pulled muscles, inflamed joints, lost sleep and days lying on the couch or walking around in pain, hunched over like an old, broken down version of yourself. Then, the frustration of not doing anything physical because of work or time or pandemic insanity becomes the frustration of not being able to do anything physical because it just hurts too much.
Whether it was gardening, cleaning out the garage or basement, reorganizing the attic, power-washing the house or something fun like playing tennis or full contact badminton, the body was pushed beyond its limits of physical stress. Yet, despite the new discomfort, because you were only halfway into an all weekend job, you pushed yourself to the breaking point – literally – to get it done.
You Are Not Alone
Don’t worry. You are not alone. This is all part of the human predicament. It’s common to ignore your body’s signals and over-do. Over time, because of a busy but sedentary lifestyle, your body may slowly lose strength and proper function. Unfortunately, the change takes place so slowly that most people don’t notice the decline. Then, when the time comes to perform, it doesn’t take much to exceed the body’s ability and create injury, particularly vertebral subluxation – misalignment of the bones of the spine leading to nerve interference and lost healing ability.
Most of our patients who come to us on Monday with complaints of WWS after a weekend of excess will tell us that, “I only did _____.” Not realizing that their body wasn’t ready for the added physical stress. These folks generally respond quickly because their healing ability has been enhanced from their chiropractic care. They are able to get back on their regular adjustment schedule after a relatively short increase in visit intensity. Others who come to us after they are injured are not as fortunate.
When WWS takes place on top of vertebral subluxation, which may have been present for months or years, the time it takes to correct and heal the damage may be longer and require more work for both of us. Sometimes, a WWS injury is a signal that long term degeneration has exceeded the body’s ability to adapt, setting it up for a more significant injury.
The Best Way To Avoid WWS
The best way to avoid WWS is to ensure that your body is working at its best and healing is optimized. Getting regular rest and exercise, maintaining a healthy diet and ensuring a highly functioning spine and nerve system by getting regular chiropractic care can help you to avoid this common syndrome.
Call us to schedule your next chiropractic checkup to help you to stay well. If you are not yet a practice member, give us a call to schedule your first chiropractic evaluation. Remember, it’s not about how you FEEL, it’s about how you HEAL!