Although pain is a natural part of exercise, you should also know when it is a sign of a legitimate injury that needs treatment.
Obviously one of the basic ideas behind exercise is to challenge the body. We are naturally driven to intensely exert ourselves when we engage in physical activity. However, exertion can easily become overexertion, especially when it’s your first workout in a while or you are trying a new activity. In those cases, you may experience pain that goes beyond the sense of soreness that can accompany any strong effort.
With that in mind, when does it make sense to see the doctor?
Some pain is OK
You should not be worried if you feel a burning sensation when you lift weights. “[L]actic acid … builds up rapidly in your muscles and triggers the ‘burn’ commonly associated with weightlifting,” explains LiveStrong. “This sensation acts [as] a signal from your muscles to stop working and rest your body.”
That explains the immediate pain, but what about the next 48 hours? You may experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) over that period. The pain of DOMS should quickly recede, and it should not interfere with normal functionality or range of motion.
When do you need medical attention?
As established above, pain is a natural part of a workout. However, you don’t want to ignore your body if it is intense or continues longer than a couple of days. You might have injuries such as a torn ligament or stress fracture.
Be on the lookout for pain with these characteristics:
· Limits the range of motion in the affected area
· Involves a part of your body that suffered previous injury
· Includes substantial, visibly apparent inflammation
· Resistant to recovery, remaining strong despite your immediate use of rest, ice, and perhaps over-the-counter pain relievers
· Constant or intense, refusing to go away and perhaps extreme enough to bring about vomiting or nausea
· Accompanied by contusions or a fever.
“If you experience any of these pains, seek treatment from a medical professional,” notes the Cleveland Clinic. “The sooner you resolve an issue with pain, the sooner you can get back to exercising.”
Seeking professional help
Are you suffering from post-workout pain that you think might require medical treatment? At Flexogenix, we can help you achieve an active and pain-free lifestyle via innovative non-surgical solutions. Get a personal consultation now.
