S E15: Ep 15 – Is training through pain ever a good idea?
As an osteopath I regularly see clients that like to exercise whether that’s a park run, ice hockey, powerlifting or some other activity. If they have an injury they will often ask if it’s safe to continue training.
The answer that I always give is that “it depends”…
Welcome to the Pain Free Living Podcast with me, your host Bob Allen. I am an osteopath who has been successfully treating people’s pain problems since 2008.
This week’s podcast covers what “it depends” on and why “no pain, no gain” is a useless myth.
Should You Stop Training?
Bob highlights the fact that pain during or after activity, especially if it’s getting worse, should never be ignored. The common solution to pain problems like this is to rest which usually resolves the problem temporarily but the pain often comes back on restarting training as the issues causing it have not been addressed.
He also emphasises the need to take note of persistent pain, as continuing to train can aggravate any muscle and joint problems and will delay your recovery.
Case Study: Marathon Runner
Bob shares a story of a client training for a charity marathon who developed hip pain after increasing his mileage too quickly. Despite initial reluctance, he had to defer his event to allow for proper treatment and recovery. With a tailored rehab plan and hands-on osteopathic care, he was able to start running again and with the knowledge to avoid the same problems occurring in the future..
It Depends: Individual Assessment is Key
There is never a one-size-fits-all answer to an injury and Bob stresses the importance of getting a professional assessment to determine the cause of pain and the best course of action. Sometimes, modifying or temporarily stopping the activity is necessary for long-term improvement.
Expert Guidance Matters
Bob urges anyone experiencing pain to seek advice from a qualified professional who can diagnose the issue and guide recovery. There is no need to “put up with it” when effective help is available i.e. don’t become a victim of the Region-Beta paradox
Why Listen?
Whether you’re a runner, gym-goer, or just trying to stay active, this episode offers practical, evidence-based advice on managing pain and training smarter. Bob’s approach is supportive, realistic, and focused on long-term health.
Get In Touch or Book a Free Assessment
If pain is holding you back, contact Bob Allen at Pain Free Living in Northampton for a free 15-minute assessment and expert advice on getting back to what you love.
Share this episode with friends, especially runners gearing up for marathon season, and leave a comment if you found it helpful!
Takeaways:
– Listeners are advised that persistent pain can indicate a worsening condition, and the need to reevaluate their training routine and highlights the need for proper recovery.
– The podcast discusses the need to assess when pain occurs during exercise to identify the best modifications to training. It underlines the fact that ignoring pain can make the underlying issues worse and can lead to more significant problems in the future.
– Listeners are encouraged to find knowledgeable healthcare professionals who can identify and provide tailored advice and treatment for their specific injuries.
More about Bob
You can find out more about Bob and why he became an osteopath here https://bit.ly/BobsOsteoStory
Sign up for his very popular Monthly Pain Free Living newsletter here https://bit.ly/PFL_newsletter_signup
If you want to follow Bob on social media, this is the place for you https://linktr.ee/Painfreeliving
Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Pain Free Living Podcast with me, your host, Bob Allen.
Speaker A:I'm an osteopath.
Speaker A:ople to get out of pain since:Speaker A:And today I'm going to talk to you a little bit about pain.
Speaker A:Funnily enough, quite a few of the people I see are athletes.
Speaker A:They like to train, they like to go to the gym, they like to exercise.
Speaker A:And one of the questions that they ask, reason they come to see me in the first place, is, I've got some pain.
Speaker A:I don't know what I did, I don't know how I did it, but, you know, doing this particular activity hurts.
Speaker A:And they generally say, do I need to give up training?
Speaker A:I am one of those people that's very reluctant to tell people to stop their training because, generally speaking, it's good for their health, they enjoy it, and particularly if they're runners, because runners can be a bit obsessed with that running thing.
Speaker A:They really don't want to be told that they can't do it.
Speaker A:And even if I were to say I'd hold off on the running for a bit, they'd do it anyway.
Speaker A:What I say to them is, well, okay, when does it hurt?
Speaker A:Does it hurt when you're doing the activity?
Speaker A:Does it.
Speaker A:Has it been getting worse?
Speaker A:Does it hurt when you stop doing the activity?
Speaker A:And if they say yes, then we have a conversation about, well, okay, I would suggest that you, you don't have to stop, but you carry on doing the activity.
Speaker A:There's a good chance it's going to carry on getting worse.
Speaker A:So let's talk about some alternatives to that.
Speaker A:And a great example of that springs to mind is I saw somebody about six months ago, he was training for a marathon as a charity event.
Speaker A:So there was a lot of pressure on him to do that.
Speaker A:He wasn't naturally a runner.
Speaker A:So he'd started doing the running thing.
Speaker A:He got up to about 14 miles, and then he started to get hip pain.
Speaker A:And being a bloke like we do hip, he ignored the pain and ignored the problem for a bit, and it slowly got worse.
Speaker A:It got to the point where he was struggling to walk to work and back during the day, never mind actually running.
Speaker A:So he came to see me and he was in quite a lot of pain.
Speaker A:So we sat down, we talked through what was causing the problem.
Speaker A:And this is one of those rare occasions where I had to say, I'm sorry, but the event, which was actually going to be in a couple of months, I had to say, you're not going to be able to do that event because he put a lot of time and a lot of effort into it.
Speaker A:But he'd overtrained, he'd gone a little bit too fast, a little bit too quickly, and he's aggravated a hip flexor muscle funnily enough.
Speaker A:Now hip flexors are quite fixable, but we weren't going to be able to get him to that event in that timescale.
Speaker A:So he came in, we did some treatments, we dialed the training right back, we got him back to running again, but there was no way he was going to make the event.
Speaker A:So what he did, he deferred the marathon.
Speaker A:He then put the effort and the hours into the training, bit of hands on treatment as well, and he was back to running again, faster and better than he was before.
Speaker A:That's kind of an example of, and probably the only time I would say, yeah, don't run, but let's go back to basics, let's get that problem resolved and then we'll get you back to running again.
Speaker A:And like I said, he can run better now than he was before.
Speaker A:So should you run or should you, should you exercise and train through pain?
Speaker A:As I always say with these things, it depends.
Speaker A:Find somebody that can work out exactly what the problem is, then listen to them.
Speaker A:And as long as they know is there people that know what they're talking about and there's a lot of us out there, then they'll be able to guide you through what you need to do.
Speaker A:If you develop an injury, whether it's through training, whether it's through whatever it is, get it looked at.
Speaker A:Find somebody that knows what they're talking about and then work out what you need to do to get that problem resolved.
Speaker A:So, yeah, that's it really.
Speaker A:Should you train through pain?
Speaker A:Depends.
Speaker A:If the pain's getting worse.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Find somebody who knows what they're talking about and then get them to help you to resolve it.
Speaker A:Okay, so that's it for today.
Speaker A:If you thought that was useful, then you can drop a line in the comments, tell your friends, tell your runners, particularly as we're coming up to marathon season now, weather's getting better, people are getting out, and running is a very popular thing to do.
Speaker A:So if you know anyone that's developed any aches and pains, then point them in my direction.
Speaker A:Tell them about the podcast.
Speaker A:And yeah, if they drop a line in the comments, I'll get back to them and see if I can help.