When you get up and move your body (i.e. train) you’re no doubt increasing your chance for tweaks, bumps and bruises.
If you move poorly or with reckless abandon, you’ll no doubt amplify those tweaks into injury. (hence the importance of quality coaching)
One of the biggest issues in fitness or defensive training world (or life in general) is that you want to “get back in the game” as soon as possible. You focus on relieving the pain, by any means necessary, so you can get back to training.
The old adage “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” comes to mind.
The reality is, the obvious pain you feel (symptom), isn’t always the real issue (cause). It’s usually a failure in the system elsewhere that lead to the issue.
Take back pain for example. Usually the athlete automatically jumps onto a roller or lax ball into the lower back, reaches for some pain killers and works to get back to business asap. Most physicians will give you pain killers (the strong stuff), tell you to stop moving and/or talk injections, surgery or major moves.
None of them consider that it could be an issue with tightness in hip flexors, VMO and other muscles that directly affect the pelvis and spine. They don’t often consider that it could stem from a piss poor stabilization or movement pattern your body goes into under load. They don’t try to address the long game and dig to the actual cause. They’re going to glue you back together, collect they’re money and send you out the door.
If you’re able to get relief quick, you will find yourself in a constant pattern of back pain, quick fix, workout, back pain, quick fix, workout… until it finally puts you down for good.
When you’re dealing with injury in training, don’t just slap a band aid on it and mask the pain. Take that as a sign from your body and explore the actual cause.
It often takes time and insight from a knowledgeable coach or physician, but it is worth the wait and the money to not end up FUBAR in the long run.
One love,
-aaron
*if you do not know the legitimate explanation of FUBAR, please reference the 1989 classic “Tango and Cash” staring Stallone and Russell
Aaron Jannetti 