When a child gets hurt, you might hear him say, “It hurts so bad!” When an athlete finishes up an intense workout, you might hear her say, “It hurts so good!” But wait, isn’t pain…bad? How can something that hurts feel good? We’re here to answer that paradox.
Bad Pain
Bad pain is, what you might already assume, bad. Your joints, ligaments, muscles, bones, tendons, and cartilage are all living things. If you work them too much, you can do damage. Of course, your body can heal itself, but damage it too much and you’ll be out of commission for a while, not to mention the lingering pain that comes with the damage.
To avoid injuring yourself and creating “bad” pain, start your exercises with stretches. Likewise, if you plan on amping up your workout, start gradually rather than all at once. Starting too heavy and too intense is a surefire way to hurt your body, which is ultimately counterproductive to what you’re trying to do with exercise.
You’ll definitely know something is a bad pain if it hurts all of a sudden, especially if accompanied with a crack, snap, or pop sound.
Good Pain
After exercising, good pain is a sign that your muscles are getting stronger. This is referred to as DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness When your muscles start doing something new or something they haven’t done in a long time, you will start to feel sore in a day or two. As opposed to other soreness, this will go away quickly after it comes on. The key here is that it isn’t an immediate pain, but rather one that comes on gradually.
When muscles sense a tiny trauma, they repair themselves to become stronger. Bones also strengthen as the muscles and joints around them are used. Remember, though, that while vigorous exercise can be beneficial, it’s also important to not get too into it too quickly. Give your body time to warm up to the idea of harder workouts before jumping into them.
Let Us Help with the Bad
Exercise is important for growing stronger, but you must still be careful how you do it. If you are experiencing “bad” pain, let the experts at Commonwealth Spine and Pain Specialists help. Schedule your appointment with us today!
