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In the (power)lifting scene, I have really enjoyed the articles by Austin Baraki et al. from Barbell Medicine on pains and aches in the context of physical acti
by vkk8 5y ago
In the (power)lifting scene, I have really enjoyed the articles by Austin Baraki et al. from Barbell Medicine on pains and aches in the context of physical activities. See for example https://startingstrength.com/article/aches-and-pains https://startingstrength.com/article/aches-and-pains or https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/the-barbell-medicine-guide-to-tendinopathy/ https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/the-barbell-medicine-gu...
In a nutshell, the idea that there's a straightforward causal link between something being physically broken in your body and you feeling pain is simply wrong. Sometimes people feel pain in various body parts without any detectable physical changes and sometimes classical training injuries, like herniated spinal disks, can be found by medical imaging without the person feeling any pain at all. Also the common advice to rest until the pain subsides is often - but no always - wrong; there are plenty of anecdotes of people with completely fucked up knees or ankles or back starting heavy powerlifting program and suddenly healing from their injuries or at least learning to use their body in such a way that the injuries don't bother them anymore.
- datameta 5y agoI dont know about rapidly resuming the activity that caused the injury, but I totally agree that stopping all activity to exclusively rest and recover is terrible. You have to try to walk a bit at the very least. I participated in a chronic pain study where I personally learned that there are times, much more often than not, that one should not second-guess their joint that is having a flare-up and continue to walk a similar amount each day. I can't overstate how empowering it is to not be in a thought loop on a case by case basis and trust the learned system. Increased blood flow, released endorphins, usage of muscle, flexing of connective tissues and operation of joints often addresses the issue (if it is not an acute injury that really does need our body's regenerative abilities). We evolved to walk.
- DoreenMichele 5y agoPhysical activity -- muscle movement -- also increases the flow of interstitial fluid back to the circulatory system. This is how the body "takes out the trash" which is essential to the healing process. I have a serious medical condition. I sometimes go for a short walk when I feel awful because I know from long experience that doing so frequently makes me feel better and I've gotten good at telling when I feel awful in a way that will likely be helped by taking a walk.
- datameta 5y agoThis connects the dots even further! I had a time where I went on a walk and thought it would be an extremely short one. After I thought I had been hitting the wall and I was sure I was making it worse, my joint started feeling much better. I extended the walk and returned feeling like the flare-up I had been experiencing before the walk had rapidly dissipated. That was a defining learning moment for me.
- DoreenMichele 5y agoYou might find this comment of interest: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25427090 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25427090
- datameta 5y agoThank you!!