Returning to running using the traffic light system is just as fun as it sounds!
After an injury one of the most common goals is returning back
to running. Running is a fun part of any sport and one in which
all our clients should return back to.
Here at Albany Children’s physio we like to use a traffic light
system to help guide our clients back to running and doing the
sport they love.
There are 3 levels in our traffic light system red, amber and green.
These levels are used to assess how much pain our clients are in whilst playing as well as the 24 hours post game.
Red: The red light is excessive pain and is when pain is 6-10 out
of 10. When we have pain in this range we need to stop our sports as we are at risk of further injury. Its also crucial to note that in the 24 hours after a game if the pain levels reach this range that shows that the game finished was too much and should be decreased next time.
Amber: The amber light is our acceptable pain range and is for pain that is a 4-5 out of 10. In this range it is okay to remain playing but keeping in mind if the pain does increase, we will need to cease our game. In this range it is quite common for the pain to increase in the 24 hours after sport.
Green: The green light is our safe zone and is for pain from 0-3 out of 10. This is normal pain to be felt during a game and the 24 hours after. This safe zone is where we would like all our clients to be when playing their sport and going back to running.
So lets keep an eye on pain when going back to sport and the traffic light system is an easy way to do this.
Making sure we keep all pain under a 5/10 can assure we reduce the risk of hurting ourselves again and return to running as fast as we can.
For a physio assessment please call us on (08) 6818 6268.