What Should I Do When a Movement or Activity is Causing Me Pain? Let the Stop Light System Be Your Guide
PAIN GUIDELINES
First off it has to be said, if you have a NEW INJURY that is causing pain and is not getting better with any techniques you are doing at home please see a rehab specialist as soon as possible to get it assessed. Grinding through pain in workouts and daily activities is not normal. Also if you start to notice a decrease in range of motion in a joint during a workout or daily activity that is not getting better, please take note. Pain is usually the last thing to come on. We can save a lot of aches and pains and speed up the rehab process if these things are accessed early and not looked at until you are in unrelenting pain.
Now for this post we are talking the rehab process of an injury AFTER it has been accessed and serious red flags have been ruled out. Meaning we have a plan and are on our way to healing the injured tissue. So the questions become in this process: Should I avoid all movements that are painful? When should I stop doing an activity if it is painful? Let the stoplight system be your guide.
STOP LIGHT SYSTEM TO PAIN
Remember: Hurt does not always equal harm.
RED LIGHT:
1. Major loss in range of motion or strength (more than 50%) after doing an activity.
2. Pain increases during activity
3. Lingering pain (not workout soreness) that last several days after doing an activity.
Action Plan: STOP THE ACTIVITY THAT CAUSED IT and seek medical advice from your rehab professional.
YELLOW LIGHT:
1. No change in range of motion, strength, and function.
2. Pain spikes during the activity.
3. Pain persists AFTER activity by 3 numbers (ex: 2/10 to 5/10) for more than couple hours or you wake up the next day and is still spiking.
Action Plan: Remember a flare up in pain does NOT equal harm. It is a part of the process and it just means too much too fast. Take note and stay course with normal activity. Avoid increasing activity (speed, load, volume of an exercise) or adding any new activity. If same pattern continues the next time, decrease activity by 50% (load, sets, reps, duration, speed) and go back and see if persisting pain decreases. If it is better then stay there for couple days and then increase activity gradually again. If it is not then consult your rehab professional.
GREEN LIGHT:
1. No change in range of motion, strength, and function.
2. Pain spikes during the activity.
3. Pain is no worse after activity and back to baseline after few minutes.
Action Plan: Stay the course. Be confident and gradually load and challenge the tissue more and more over time.
HOW ICT MUSCLE & JOINT CAN HELP YOUR PAIN
Here at ICT Muscle & Joint in Wichita we have techniques like chiropractic adjusting, dry needling, IASTM, and cupping to help relieve pain a little bit, but all that is a means to get you moving and get you strong again. We use this stop light system to help guide you to being more resilient and come out of any injury being more educated and stronger than before.
References: "A World of Hurt: A Guide to Classifying Pain"
