When is pain ok? When should you ask for help?
Having on-going back pain while you’re trying to do that set of squats? Feeling pins and needles running down the leg every time you attempt deadlifts? How do you know whether it’s time to get input from a physio?
Is this the good pain I’ve heard about?
In a word… no. Pain is a subjective experience based on numerous factors. Pain is also a good thing. It tells us when we’ve pushed the limit of our body too much and pain is the body’s way of letting us know “hey I need a breather here”. Although everyone will be subject to their own aches and pains, it is important to distinguish between a pain that is hurtful and pain that just needs a bit of time to get better regarding exercise.
What is good pain? What is bad pain?
Picture yourself carrying a bunch of heavy groceries for an hour. The arms feel sore and tired, don’t they? It’s essentially feeling unusable right? Now if you wait a day or two, it’s almost as if that hasn’t happened, or the fact that soreness has dissipated over the course of a few days.
That is normal pain and nothing to be concerned of. It just means the muscles are fatigued and needed some rest to get better. That didn’t stop you from continuing to use them though did it? Using the same example, if I was constantly bending up and down every single day for hours on end, you’d be pretty darn sick of it and your muscles would not be happy.
Allowing your body to rest enables recovery so the muscle doesn’t get further injured. Again, we can apply the same principle to the back.
In short, experiencing soreness after a workout should only last less than a week and it should dissipate over time. If you are getting any pins and needles or numbness after doing an exercise in the legs or the glutes, consult a physiotherapist to see what may be going on. Subsequently, if any pain persists for more than a week, it might also be time to get a quick assessment.
WEDNESDAY 14 April
5pm-8pm
Book a 15min chat with Jai from Peak Health Services at Hiscoes Reception
