Injury Prevention
“I had some knee pain during my workout class, but I think I’ll just rest and it will go away.”
Most of the patients whom I work with are avid in the fitness world, whether it be Bootcamp, CrossFit, OrangeTheory Fitness, or running. Most everyone comes to me for the treatment of pain in various places throughout their body.
There is usually a common theme and this is how it goes…
“My pain started about a month ago, it was just a little twinge during their workout but then it went away.”
They decided to push through the pain during the next class. After a few days they notice it beginning during every workout, daily activities, sleeping, while caring for their children, working, etc.
“I thought I would just rest for a while and it would go away.”
They decided that rest was the best answer and they stop going to the gym. They start to feel sad that they can not workout, they feel like they are gaining weight, and missing out on the fun with their friends at the gym.
Now, it has been a whole 2 weeks week off from working out and they are ready to get back to it.
“I started class and my knee was fine! It wasn’t until I woke up the next day and realized that the pain was still there.”
They are now in a worse situation…
Their body has moved into a different pain stage. This is the stage when it is more difficult for the symptoms to resolve. You don’t want to find yourself here because it will be more challenging for you to return to your regular, pain-free routine. Even if your pain has subsided, going back to exercise too soon, will also disrupt the ultimate healing process.
Let’s talk a little bit about pain…
Pain is the body’s perception of a threat. That threat is the pain experienced when the initial tissue inflammation occurred, lasting about 72 hours. At that point, the body begins to heal this acute irritation and the pain that continues is no longer true inflammation.
Have you ever tried to take Advil or Motrin for a nagging pain in your knee and it just doesn’t help?
That could be due to the fact that there is no inflammation present causing your symptoms. Research has shown that there is not an actual inflammatory response from the body during the later pain stages – anti-inflammatory meds won’t help!
You do not want to let your pain get to this point. Once pain has occurred, the body’s changes the way it moves. It wants to stay away from something that caused pain before. It will change your running, squatting, snatching, burpee’ing form without you knowing it. This leads to a cascade of compensations that can lead to further issues.
So, what can you do about it?
If you have pain, get it addressed as soon as possible by a physical therapist! Acute pain can be addressed within a few weeks to a month. It can take longer to deal with pain that has been going on for weeks.
What if you do not have pain?
Find out how you can prevent it by…. Seeing your physical therapist! Full body assessments can be looked at like an annual doctors’ visit. What do they really do in a check up? They tell you you’re healthy. Who tells you that you’re moving okay? A physical therapist can help with preventative medicine, not just your primary care doctor!
Feeling like you want to make an appointment? Click HERE to book a complimentary consult at Infinite Potential Physical Therapy and Wellness and find out what we can do for you!
