Aches, Pains and Making Gains

Maybe this story sounds a little familiar- the temperature is dropping and with that the bodies aches and pains are starting to make a little noise. If they aren’t, the grunting and groaning as you make basic movements in the gym might be instead.

Whether it is a niggling injury from “back in the day” or a recurring issue that pops up from time to time- it is important to follow some simple steps when it comes to leaving pain behind you.

I’m yet to meet someone who wants to be in pain. Personally I could think of nothing worse, so assuming we all want to leave it in the past or better yet- avoid it. Let’s crack on.

Maybe it is a set of old busted knees, perhaps a shoulder that just doesn’t quite move right, how about a dodgy lower back?

You might have done a lot of work on the problem area, or maybe you’ve done a little. The first step to making improvements is a genuine diagnosis, otherwise you are just poking about in the dark with nothing other than “the feels” to give feedback as to whether you’re improving the problem or making it worse.

Now, with your diagnosis it is important to understand the injury and the limitations it puts upon you and your training as this is going to really help you understand the should’s and the should not’s of exercise.

If you have thrown your back out for the 9th time in the last twelve months, understanding what you can and can’t do is imperative to manage your training so you aren’t overdoing it and risking aggravation or further injury. Take it from someone with experience in being injured and working with clients dealing with recurring injuries- it is important to know your limits.

Managing the pain is more than likely going to be walking the tight rope of balancing mobility and stability, most of us will need a little more work in one camp than the other and all of us can benefit from a little of both.

This may mean for a snippet of time putting the high intensity work on the shelf (not forever- just a little bit) to prioritise getting the tissue surrounding the problem area a little stronger or more supple- this is likely going to mean isometric holds (holding a contraction or flexing a target muscle for time) or isolated movements (exercises targeting one muscle at a time).

A key focus here should be working on tissue surrounding the pain- of course there are going to be contact or non contact sporting injuries or the equivalent for the everyday gym goer where the joint is hurt- more often than not however the joint might be feeling pain because something above or below the joint isn’t pulling its weight, or alternatively is pulling too much weight and that is leading to problems (remember we mentioned the tightrope- it’s all about that balance!)

As you progress from pain to pain free it can be all too tempting to dust your hands of the rehab type work and dive straight back into heavy weights or high intensity exercise but I would urge you to consider that merely being pain free is only a job half done.

From that point the rehabilitative exercises should progress to more difficult movements to move from pain, to pain free and then on to future pain prevention. 

When it comes to rehabilitative exercise, patience is key- a friend once told me “Hurry Slowly” meaning go as quickly as you can but take as much time as you need. I believe with this mentality you are more than likely to succeed in rebuilding the body to a point where it is stronger than ever before, not just pain free but bulletproofing the area against future injury.

In the instance of chronic pain or an injury that can only be rehabbed “so far” it becomes important to have the chat. Whether it’s a bit of self talk or its with your coach or rehab professional it is important to be realistic with what your body is and isn’t capable of.

There is no denying that some of our joints take an absolute beating for large parts of our lives, take the knees for example- the cartilage may be worn down and no amount of rehab is going to grow it back. This doesn’t mean you can never train legs again, rather it is important to be realistic and recognise the pain to progress ratio. If an exercise causes you a world of hurt, say a squat for example, as good as it is- it isn’t the only way to get work for your quads, hamstrings or gluteus and thus may not be the right exercise for you. There are a host of exercises or loading parameters you’re able to use that won’t place the same demands on the knees.

Exercise selection will come down to your training goals and for the majority of us, general health, well being and looking good when we take our kit off are the chief motivators. There is always going to be discomfort, that is just part of the equation when it comes to making big changes- pain however, not so. Embrace discomfort and work around pain. With the right guidance and a committed, disciplined approach- pain is something that can on many occasions be left in the past.