To some degree, injuries and pain come with the territory when participating in athletics. In The Program, a coach asks, “Are you hurt or are you injured?” There is a difference, and the answer can determine whether you grit your teeth and get back on the field or you have to sit the next inning out. Medically speaking, the question is whether continued participation will result in further injury, or not. If no further injury is likely to occur, the choice of whether they should continue participation is likely left up to the athlete. Of course there are the rare, heroic performances when athletes risk further injury only to win a championship or gold medal. These instances are few and far between. So, how does the weekend warrior or aspiring athlete decide when enough is enough?
The first criteria to use when assessing the situation is whether the pain or potential injury is severe enough to cause altered movement. For example, if you have pain while running and the pain is bad enough to cause limping, then you should not continue running. Changing your normal movement to compensate for an injury only increases your risk for injuring another body part.
The next criteria that I often use is to have the athlete rate the pain on a scale of 0-10, with 0 being no pain and 10 as the worst pain you can imagine. If the pain reaches 6 or 7, it is generally time to seriously consider taking a break. The quality or type of pain is important also. If the pain is sharp or stabbing, further injury is more likely than if the pain is dull and achy.
Lastly, you need to consider timing. If you have been training for a big event or have a big game coming up, tolerating some aches and soreness may bring its rewards. However, if you have 3-4 weeks or more before your event or game, taking a few training sessions or practices off to heal is usually worth it.
The body normally does a pretty good job of healing itself within 7-10 days. If your injury persists beyond that amount of time, consider taking a couple extra days off. Likewise, if you have already taken some time off and are still having pain, it might be time to see your physician, physical therapist, athletic trainer or other health care provider. Look for a provider who shares your goals of getting back to your sport or activity as soon as possible. It's OK to ask how long you might be out and what you can do during your recovery time to maintain conditioning. Make sure you are well informed, comfortable and dedicated to your recovery plan. Be smart and be healthy!
