Pain Management 101

Did you know that at least 45% of all Americans seek professional advice for persistent pain due to an injury or other physical problems at some time in their lives? Studies have shown that more than 150 million workdays are lost annually due to pain and pain relief medication is a multi- billion dollar industry.

I know I have mentioned in earlier posts that I am currently training for a 30 km Around The Bay race. Not three weeks into my training I started feeling massive pain in my foot. Of course I felt it in a lesser degree before hand but my mind said "work through it"..not advice I would give.

What is pain?

It is your bodies way of protecting itself. Something is wrong and your body is trying to cope with it. I ignored my pain, and if I dealt with it right away, it probably wouldn't have gotten to this state and maybe even be healed by now.

Knowing my own clients, I know that many of them live in mild to moderate pain on a daily basis. Some I can relate to, some I can't. I can't say I've chronic back pain, but I've suffered my fair share of sprains, strains and torn ligaments.

Here are some facts about pain to keep in min as you participate in your physical activities:
1) Bone mass decreases up to 30% for females and 15% for males by age 60.
2)90% of all injuries involve slow and wear and tear, strains, sprains or inflammation.
3) 8 of 10 adults suffer low back pain at some time in their lives.
4) By 60 years old many can expect a 25-30% increase in body fat.
5) By age 40 or 50, many will have cartilage damage caused by wear and tear, and injury.
6) A decrease in muscle mass, less mobility in the joints and lower cardiovascular efficiency is common as the body ages
7) All of these factors lead to a loss of body balance and flexibility. This affects the ability to perform daily functional tasks, including workouts.
(source: American Council on Exercise Oct./Nov. 2001)

The best advice I can give is not to wait til it gets so bad you can't stand it. I did that with my plantar fascitis. I ended up getting orthotics and I'm definitely on the road to recovering.

Committed to fitness success,
Kelly Parker
www.fitmommakeover.net