Should you exercise through pain?
Pain is complex, and to decide whether the pain is “bad” enough to get something done about it is tough. Exercising can be one of the reason causing pain. Contrary to popular belief pain is not always “bad”, as pain and tissue damage are not really related together. For example, migraines and muscle cramps can be painful but they are not due to tissue damage or trauma.
There are some questions We ask our patients to decide whether they should be exercising through the pain, or resting. Here are the questions:
- Do you have any signs of severe injury such as swelling, bruising, locking, giving away? If yes, then we suggest you no to exercise.
- Can you easily adjust the pain as in slowing down a little, taping, or wearing different shoes change it?
- How is the pain response – how severe is the pain, does it go away immediately or the pain last for a whole day? The longer it stays and more intense it is usually a sign of “bad” pain.
- What is the pain producing structure? Because different tissues respond differently to exercising.
To exercise through pain is always a subjective question. Still, if your pain getting worse each time you exercise, then it is better to stop and get it checked by a professional.
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