Is all Pain bad?

Pain is an extremely complex subject. Our body uses pain as a way of telling us, something is off. Pain is our bodies' way of saying- we can't handle that weight or that we are tired from a sleepless night and can't handle that max effort 15 cals on the bike today. 

However when we are in pain, we often want to get rid of it right away because lets be honest, it is extremely unenjoyable. The # 1 goal of physical therapy is often: I want to get rid of my pain. We need pain though because its our bodies way of keeping us safe. A better goal might be: Lets increase the threshold of my pain with a certain movement that way I can perform better, yet still have the safety when it gets too much for my body.

Again, pain can come from many sources such as my knee can't handle the weight on the barbell for a squat or my back hurts because I haven't drank water in three days thus leading to kidney issues. 

We often need a whole body approach to pain with an empathize on the root cause. Lets say our pain starts in the knee at 200 lbs on the back squat. We want to solve why the body is sending the signal. Is it that the quad can't handle any more of the load? Is it because you don't have the ROM necessary to complete the rep? Or is it because you just need some technique work? Bottom line- pain tells us something is there but not necessarily why its there. This is where evaluating, test/ retest, and skilled treatment through a coach or physical therapist may be necessary to solve your pain. Again the goal would be to fix the underlying cause that way your body is safe and ready to perform the performance target you might have. 

So lets start making a better goal: I want to increase my pain threshold (through solving the underlying reason) so I can perform my favorite activity again at the intensity/volume I want, but have the necessary pain signal when it may become an issue or dangerous again. 

Check the video for more discussion on "Is all Pain bad?"- short answer NO 

Are you struggling with pain? Consult with a doctor of physical at Hercules Performance and Physical Therapy in Jupiter and Vero Beach, FL today.

-Dr Alec Spano, PT, DPT, CSCS, Cert DN, Pn1