Why Rest Might Be the Worst Thing for Your Injury

Movement Is Often the Missing Ingredient in Healing

By Dr. Andrew Kakishita | Kinetic Chiropractic – Lehi, UT

We’ve all been told to “take it easy” when something hurts. But rest, especially total rest, might actually be the worst thing you can do after an injury—especially if you're active or trying to return to your workouts or hobbies. Here’s why.

The Difference Between Healing and Deconditioning

When you're injured, your body starts the natural healing process, but if you stop moving altogether:

• Muscles weaken.

• Joints stiffen.

• Neuromuscular control deteriorates.

This leads to a slower recovery and often puts you at risk of re-injury once you resume activity.

What to Do Instead of Full Rest

1. Active Recovery

Gentle, guided movement helps stimulate blood flow, reduce inflammation, and promote tissue repair. At Kinetic Chiropractic in Lehi, we often give specific rehab exercises that support recovery without worsening the injury.

2. Address the Underlying Dysfunction

If an injury happened because of poor movement patterns, muscle imbalances, or joint restrictions, rest won't fix those problems—it’ll just hit the pause button. Chiropractic care can help identify and correct these root issues.

3. Keep the Brain Involved

Movement is a language your brain understands. When you move through pain-free ranges—even in adjacent joints—it keeps your nervous system engaged and improves coordination and proprioception during healing.

Common Injuries Where Movement Beats Rest

• Low Back Pain – Movement and spinal adjustments often outperform bed rest

• Ankle Sprains – Controlled mobility improves outcomes compared to just icing and elevating

• Shoulder Strain – Proper taping, light exercise, and mobilization reduce recovery time

What This Looks Like at Kinetic Chiropractic

Your visit starts with an exam to understand exactly what’s going on. Then we’ll create a customized treatment plan that usually includes a blend of:

• Gentle chiropractic adjustments

• Rehab-focused exercises

• IASTM (instrument-assisted soft tissue work)

• Shockwave therapy if indicated

• Education on what movements are safe and helpful

Bottom Line

Rest has its place—but rarely is it the whole answer. Don’t just wait it out. Book a consultation with a chiropractor in Lehi to take proactive steps toward healing and get back to what you love, faster.