I am often asked about the rule of thumb regarding resting an injury. Being overly cautious, I generally suggest erring to the side of caution, yet when I tore my own hamstring, after a day or two of rest, I was going out of my mind and out of my body. I had to move. Turns out new research by the the scientists at the University Hospital of Ulm, in Germany, found that while runners needed to rest through bone and joint injuries, they WERE able to run through most muscle pain, especially muscle pain in the leg. In fact, Stephen Fealy, an orthopedic surgeon at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, says that “if you’re pain free at rest, the problem’s most likely muscle and you CAN keep on going. But if you have pain at rest, it could be a bone or joint issue that you need to see a doctor about.” Though this particular study was done with runners, I would imagine you can apply it to all sports and all situations. Personally, I must say that the leg of the hamstring I tore, is now, a year and half later, every bit as strong and definitely even MORE flexible than the other leg, as a result of the stretching and movement I did almost immediately following my injury. I am glad I worked through the pain. Thanks to Gordy Megroz and Men’s Journal for this information.
On that note, I am off to get ready for a morning run. Every day that I can run on my leg, I am thankful. “Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle your setbacks.”
Whatever life holds this day, every day, I hope we can all handle our setbacks and emerge “successful.” Thanks for stopping in. Thanks for taking care of yourselves and each other.
Related articles
- How to Deal With a Sports Injury (fitsugar.com)
