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Dave says “Scratch No Pain No Gain from Your Vocabulary”… Read why in his latest blog entry. (11/16/2011)
I’m sure most people have heard the phrase: No pain no gain. As a physical therapist I have noticed for several years the meaning of that phrase has been lost. Occasionally when I teach patients activities for their physical therapy program it is clear that they are experiencing a reproduction of the pain we are working to overcome. On numerous occasions I’ve heard a patient say, “No pain no gain, right?”. The answer to that question is “wrong”. A better phrase in my opinion would be “No effort no reward”. Pain should not be a part of the equation. Don’t get me wrong, when you use some muscles more effectively because of a new exercise program or even occasionally from your physical therapy program, your muscles may become sore, sometimes to the point of feeling like a cramp. Sometimes that soreness/stiffness can last for days.
When we guide our patients through a program there are specific muscles you should feel working (and some you should not), but when the word pain is associated with those activities we have a problem. If you’re actually experiencing pain beyond what I’ve just described from an activity, I would argue that you’re doing the activity wrong…and it is your therapist’s job to help you learn to do the activity correctly. Once we understand that, we can now start making changes in your life that can help take away your pain.
Train smart and train hard.
~Dave
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Hruska Clinic Restorative Physical Therapy Services
5241 R Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68504
Phone: (402) 467-4545 | Contact Us
