Pay Attention to Pain

   Pushing through discomfort isn’t always a sign of strength; it’s often an avenue to injury.

POWERED BY TRUCKS: Anthony Trucks

   “It’s nothing, I can handle it. I’ll just push through the pain”

   Worse words have never been uttered when in my presence at the gym. I was a professional athlete, so injuries, big and small, were a part of my life. Heck, an injury ended my NFL career.

   The problem is that people don’t fully comprehend the magnitude of exponential effects an injury, left untreated, can have on their body, career and life.

   Most athletes are trying to prove how tough they are and how un-fazed they can be by physical issues. This way of thinking shortens more careers than you’d believe.

   It starts small, with something as seemingly benign as a sprained toe. To compensate, the athlete shifts his weight when working out in the weight room. Now other body parts are being asked to do more than usual as they try to adjust and take on a greater load than they’re used to. Then, gradually over time, BAM! Something goes out. It could be a shoulder, hip, back or ACL.

   The slow degradation of the body part happens almost without notice over time. The only alert your body will give is its best way of notification: pain. So the next time you’re in the weight room and you feel something nagging at you, or you notice some small ache that won’t go away, don’t just continue to push past it. Make a SMART decision to stop for a moment and get it looked at.

   You’re no good to your team if your on the bench in a brace.