Pain Management

Alright, as promised today will be dedicated to recovering from painful situations. First off, if you are dealing with emotional pain, toughen up or get a therapist to help you work through it. I will not be helping you with this just so we are clear. Now down to business. There are a lot of different approaches to pain management and they can get a little confusing. When to ice,when to apply heat, what to take for relief, what is most beneficial in the long run as far as getting you back to feeling better are just a few of the questions that get thrown around. Here are some answers!

1. If a muscle cramps gently stretch and massage the muscle until it relaxes. If the muscle is still tense, apply heat and increase bloodflow(massage or activate the muscle).

2. If you are generally sore, say a day or two after a workout or bout, the best thing for your body is blood flow. A light cardio session will help relieve soreness. You may not want to get up and get active but it is the best for your body generally speaking.

3. Stretching will prevent as well as help sore muscles. Never stretch your muscles cold however, as this can cause damage to them if bloodflow is not adequate to support them.

4. Ice is one of the most effective tools for reducing swelling and alleviating pain. An ice bath the day after an intense workout will help reduce swelling and bring muscles around quickly. Remember to warm the muscles back up slowly and do not over exert them while they are still cold.

5. Pain relievers can be an effective tool to help alleviate pain and soreness from your life. The only down side off some of these is the side affects as well as the toll they can take on your body. In large doses or continual use, both tylenol and advil(ibuprofen) can have harsh effects on the liver and kidneys. I'm not saying don't take them, just be careful. There are other products that are as effective without the undesirable effects. I'll post a link on the facebook page for my personal favorite and the one I recommend.

6. The most obvious but overlooked method of pain management is to stop doing something if it causes you pain. Some soreness from any physical exertion is to be expected. There is definitely a difference between "good pain" and "bad pain". If something hurts in a bad way, STOP DOING IT!

That should cover a lot of questions. If you have any others feel free to let me know !!! Here's your workout!

5 min warm up

Stretch

3x 10 back flys

3x 10 chest presses

3x 10 overhead presses

3x 10 skier squats

3x 10 single leg squats(each side)

4x 30 sec. planks

2x 25 reg. crunches

2x 25 neg. crunches

5 min. cool down

Stretch

Enjoy!

J