Pain management is a large part of living. If we train, we find pain. Those who don’t train are in pain too. Buddha said that life is suffering – so we might as well be moving, able and suffering (in my opinion).
The most common recommendation for pain seems to be RICE. I might be called a RICE denier and a heretic coach for disputing the validity of RICE; yet, let me try to convince you otherwise.
Rest. There is a healing benefit to sleep; but, it’s not the first thing I do when hurt. I try to keep going by walking or some light activity or even running. In the past while running through the Texas Hill Country off the roads and miles from home, I would sprain my ankle. With no choice but to continue going for the next four miles or more, I would. Before I was home the pain was gone and I was on my way to recovery. The other day, I hurt my Achilles tendon and I walked the remainder of the workout and then swam. Whenever I noticed the Achilles later in the day, I walked easily. I stretched around it (the entire body except for the Achilles). Swam and lifted weights the next day (except for the calves and Achilles). I didn’t put on a boot and rest. I kept moving without aggravating it further.
Ice. I seldom like ice unless I’m hot and want it in my drink. Ice seems to tighten me up and tightens the muscle. This isn’t always bad as it does seem to energize the area. Yet, when hurt, I keep on moving until I know the pain rather than stop and apply ice. Cool to cold water (from a hose outside the house) works as well for me as ice. A cool down swim keeps me moving and gives me feedback about the injury. Walking forwards and backwards in the pool is helpful.
Compression. While compression has performance benefits, it can be over done when it comes to healing. My preference is to go in and out of compression to energize the area and promote healing. Compression restricts blood flow and healing if compression is left on too long.
Elevation. When I think of elevation, I think of foot up in the air or hand above heart to keep the bleeding down. Elevation restricts movement and if you can walk it off and train it out, do that rather than stop training and elevate.
RICE is safe and maybe that’s why it is so often prescribed. Nobody is going to get sued by telling someone to stop doing what is hurting them so maybe that’s why it is so popular. Telling a person in pain what to do is riskier.
When in pain, here is what I do.
Keep moving. If I can’t run, can I walk? Cycle? Swim? Lift light weights slowly? Restrict the movement to a non-aggravating range.
Use warmth. It’s that time of year for aches and pains. I aggravated an abductor, thumb, hamstring, shoulder, ankle, Achilles tendon, etc. recently. A friend told me that wherever I crashed on a bike when I was younger is going to get arthritic later (I’m in for a world of hurt). Before I go to sleep, I take a hot/warm rice/corn bag and move it over the sore spots to energize and relax them. Warmth for twenty seconds to a minute works fine. Once the area feels better, I move the warmth to the next most needed area. This took care of most of the pain overnight.
Leave it alone. The worst thing I could do for a sore Achilles is stretch it. Don’t try to replicate the pain. Do whatever you can without re-creating the crime.
Go backwards. Much of our pain and injury comes while going forward and can be overuse injury. Hamstring injuries are a good example. In football, often I read where a wide receiver or a runner has hurt their hamstring. Seldom do I read where a cornerback or safety who has to run backwards has an injured hamstring. I find relief in walking backwards, cycling backwards on a spin bike, swimming backstroke, and weights going backwards for muscle balance. We do too much forward and develop muscle imbalances and the cure could going backwards.
While I am not a doctor and this is not a prescription for you because I don’t know your situation, this is what I do.
Play your position. Pay attention. Move through life.
