Have you read a post like this:
"i have this pain that is [insert location on body here] that might be [insert tendinitis, pull, herniated disk, whatever here] - what do i do so i can lift again"
Guess what?
To Get out of Pain
MORE than 9 times out of 10 the answer is a simple two parter you can test yourself
1) NEVER MOVE INTO PAIN - really - do not work through pain
2) whatever your issue, the biggie however is to keep moving the joint WITHOUT PAIN
* how to test this:
If there's PAIN - then STOP
i) reduce load and try again
retest
if still pain
ii) reduce speed as well and try again
retest (ie do the movement again)
if still pain
iii) reduce range of motion
retest
if still pain - like NO movement is possible in that joint, then move something else - a joint above or below
The above is how to test your capacity to move again in your chosen area of sport.
If you want to accelerate actively and actually moving out of pain, then just like getting with a coach will improve one's lifts, getting with a movement specialist or movement coach will accelerate this process.
Why do we need this extra set of eyeballs? because the site of pain is not the source of pain, and a trained person can help test the movements we need to practice/improve to get and stay out of pain.
Then practicing movement deliberately daily is a big deal.
Why wondering what the "it" is (tendonopathy, herniation, scoliosis) *actually doesn't matter* here more times than not
Following he above heuristics will change your life in terms of getting back into movement, healing and so on.
This strategy works whether you fear a disk herniation or a sprain or a name your ailment.
Why?
well, what else can you do? really?
Say you have an actual diagnosis of a disk herniated. What can you do with that? What does that tell you about how to get back into performance?
A doctor who doesn't lift may say to you "don't lift anymore"
Are you going to follow that? I know doctors who tell people not to lift heavy no matter what: that it's just a bad idea - hey healthy people are you going to stop lifting?
what do we know about pain and performance and injury and healing? moving works
1) pain and injury are not the same thing. One can have an injury without pain; one can have pain long after the injury is seemingly healed.
2) because of a whole ton of neurological activity and related healing processes, movement is a *really good idea*
* from signalling the brain that this ROM is still needed (don't prune the nerves);
* it's moving so it's getting better (if it doesn't move there's no information to the brain to inform state);
* it helps flush the crud from a joint to keep it mobile;
* it helps model the tissue to support the direction of work rather than being laid down randomly.
3) wherever the pain is coming from - a tendon, a muscle, a disk - these are pretty much all tissue oriented issues: most of these injuries also limit movement - which is our performance space - and we want to get back to moving, right?
NO ONE IS SAYING DON'T REST
- one is saying - move as soon as possible as much as possible WITHOUT PAIN. So let me come onto my last point about the standard practice for dealing with what is often here pain/inflammation.
---
a Note about RICE
rest-ice-compresse-elevate
THis is a really over-prescribed protocol in too many circumstances.
RICE is largely designed for WHEN there is OBVIOUS inflammation.
It is the go-to protocol because ya really are hard pressed to harm someone doing this and when there is acute inflammation, yes elevating a limb will take blood away from the area, ice will numb the sensation, compression does have an effect on edema (swelling) and rest is well chicken soup: rest this thing so that the inflammatory soup for an injury has a chance to rebuild some tissue around an injury.
NOTE: this is best for ACUTE inflammation for a short period: when an injury has just happened. This is not a solution to sort out chronic pain. nor is it the ONLY strategy when in an acute phase.
In Conclusion,
HAVE PAIN? Move It - as much and as often as possible WITHOUT PAIN
What many of us in research and practice are seeing quite a lot is that the sooner one can get a joint moving with any degree of motion
WITHOUT PAIN - the faster the healing and getting back to performance .
Because the above heuristics of stop, reduce load, speed, range of motion, retest, have a test / reassess model built in, then we have an in-built safety mechanism to gait the approach.
** Final final note: **
please do consider adding in a daily, joint by joint movement program in your practice: this is a great way to reduce injuries in the first place. Blend that with good coaching for form, AND reducing fatigue in practice and there will be far fewer folks using this thread in the forum.
about movement as bullet proofing
best
mc
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