In the world of fitness, many people see pushing through pain as a sign of strength. However, not all pain is the same. Some types of pain, especially the dull and constant type, cannot be ignored. What might feel like a minor twist of the ankle, a little ache of the wrist, or a slight strain in the knee can be left to develop into a long-term injury if nothing is done to treat it.

Many serious injuries start as mild discomforts that we push through, and sometimes even ignore, because they do not cause enough pain to stop movement. A “small” injury can be made up of tiny tears in a muscle, strains in a ligament, or irritation of the joint.

Things that aren’t addressed initially only get worse. When the body feels pain, the brain tells the body to make a compensatory movement to protect the pain part of the body. This causes other parts of the body to increase their load to accommodate the injury. For example, wrist pain can lead to elbow pain or a sore foot can lead to hip pain.

Here are just a few examples of injuries which may seem small but can escalate if they are ignored:

1. Ankle Sprain – If ignored, this injury can develop into chronic instability or a bone bruise
2. Wrist Strain (or “Gym Wrist”) – A common injury for lifters, a wrist strain can lead to ligament damage or even nerve damage.
3. Shin Pain (Shin Splints) – This is often ignored by runners or athletes, which may eventually lead to stress fractures.
4. Shoulder Soreness – What starts out as a pinch may ultimately leave you with a torn rotator cuff, if you don’t allow for some rest.

If you take early and appropriate action, it is much less likely that these small injuries will develop into bigger problems. Usually, minor injuries can be resolved solely through rest (no running or jumping for at least 5 to 7 days can alleviate the matter), ice, compression and elevation, otherwise commonly known as Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (R.I.C.E.). Just a little rest and some simple injury management will help avoid any long-term consequences of your minor injury.

However, the problem is that many people are unwilling to take any early action due to a fear of missing a training session, a competition, or certain factors around an injury may simply have amplified a mentality that avoids possible weakness. Ignoring early stages of injury may result in more extended periods of time away from training at a later date. Non-stop training through injury doesn’t make you mentally stronger than someone who decides to take a week off. Not resting while injured usually results in worse injuries and will result in more time away from training.

To avoid small issues becoming big issues, you must:

1. Use the RICE method immediately after any new injury.
2. Don’t be dependent on painkillers to get through — they mask the real problem.
3. If pain lasts for 3–4 days, visit a specialist.
4. If possible, don’t stop all activity, just switch to modified exercises.
5. Stretching / recovery should a routine part of your training.

Also Read: Man vs Machine: Human Coder Defeats AI In Programming Marathon

Bear in mind that it may be a small pain today, but if you don’t do something about it, may ruin your entire season. Listening to your body and taking action quickly is the smart way to keep fit and injury-free.

Share

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•