Not every hurt equals harm

If I were to go the gym and perform 300 repetitions of a 25 lb. bicep curl, my arms would hurt the next few days. Lifting my coffee cup the next day would likely be painful. Probably very painful. Yet doing so does not create further damage.

This is a good example of "not every hurt equals harm". Many chronic pain sufferers get confused with this, and I can understand why. The medical system has in the past taught us that we are fragile. The "overuse " theory makes us believe that we should not exert ourselves. The problem is that exertion is what is needed to become stronger, and thus avoid the problem next time. Einstein once said "A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it".

Most assurances that rest, along with other passive treatments like medications, ice packs, or hot packs will take of the problem fail to recognize why it happened to begin with.

That is why most new patients come to our clinic. They don't understand why they hurt. New patients typically don't come to see me because they are sore from obvious strenuous activities such as home projects, yard work, or a vigorous workout. They realize some soreness is to be expected. Yet when there is no obvious trauma, accident or overuse that they can point to, it stands to reason that there is a deficiency in the person's physical ability to perform daily activities. Working through some pain is usually required.

Having someone experienced helping you through these painful exercises is essential. Ignoring pain is tricky, but there is one general rule. That is if you are exercising and it hurts, continue the exercise. If the pain goes away the more you do the exercise, then the answer is obvious. If the pain worsens it is best to stop. Unchanging pain is a judgement call. If the pain is mild and you can tolerate it, continue. Again, it is best done with an experienced professional's guidance.