No Pain, No Gain?

Benjamin Franklin once said, “There are no gains without pains.” More recently, the phrase came to be known as, “no pain, no gain” and “feel the burn” from the Jane Fonda exercise videos of the 1980s. The statement “no pain, no gain” refers to the belief that pushing yourself harder will yield better results, but is it true?

A Dangerous Motto to Follow

Many trending workouts like boot camps and interval classes involve high intensity movements like plyometrics that can be stressful to the body. There are also competition workouts that emphasis high workout volumes that are timed, which can lead one to push through pain. Historically, personal trainers and even Olympic coaches would encourage their athletes with “no pain, no gain” to be successful. Yet when we push ourselves to do those 10 more pushups or five more burpees, injury can result.

In general, we find the average person has a difficult time distinguishing between soreness, pain and injury. In the physical therapy world, these conditions can be sequential: Normal soreness can evolve into chronic pain and eventually lead to injury. Many overuse injuries are just that; if you don’t allow yourself adequate time to recover from strenuous activity, the micro-trauma from workouts can lead to an injury.

Further fueling the idea of “no pain, no gain” is the fact that, in order to gain lean muscle, it must first break down. We have allowed ourselves to feel “pain” after activity and accept this as normal, when better training techniques involve the gradual buildup of tolerance for exercise.

Does PT Have to Hurt?

Many of our patients joke as they enter into a program that PT stands for “pain and torture”. While the vast majority of our patients are seeking relief from the pain associated with injuries or chronic conditions, the adage that “it has to hurt before it gets better” follows us into the rehab process.

This belief can often lead people away from physical therapy as a treatment option. When you’re already in pain, the thought of being stretched out can make a patient feel uneasy. Those fears may have been more legitimate years ago but by applying the knowledge we have today, our PT techniques can be easier on the body and more impactful.

Decades ago, periods of immobilization were longer, which led to greater deficits in joint motion and strength. Subsequent PT sessions would often be painful because of the need to re-gain joint motion. The combination of decreased immobilization time with a greater understanding of which tissues limit a specific range of motion allow us to regain mobility with less pain.

In addition to the effective therapeutic results we can produce with specific tissue targeting, we can also develop a strengthening routine to help progressively improve your condition. These exercises typically do not hurt because we focus on gradual introduction of exercises at the injury site, as well as working other joints to optimize function. We allow the tissues to heal, rather than pushing the body too much too soon.

Keep in mind, everyone has a different pain tolerance. After prolonged immobilization, there may be some initial discomfort. To combat this, we tell our patients to focus on frequency over intensity. Especially post-surgically, your body will likely respond better to gentler at-home exercises performed more frequently than less often at a higher intensity. If you push too hard before your body is ready, you could end up in an inflammatory cycle that’s hard to break.

Since pain is subjective, the idea of “no pain, no gain” can play a role in recovery, but those who allow this to be their guiding principle for training or rehab head down a slippery slope.

Physical Therapy as An Adjunct

The ultimate goal of physical therapy is to increase your mobility and stability. Mobility accounts for the muscle flexibility and joint movement, while stability helps to steady and balance our joints during normal movements.

We prescribe at-home exercises on a specific schedule for a reason. When patients do their at-home recovery exercises too much or not often enough, it can impede progress. If your body lacks mobility or stability during physical activity, you could end up doing more harm to the body than good. We teach people how to move and carry themselves smarter, so they can safely achieve their recovery goals.

If you believe that “no pain, no gain” is the only option to overcome your injury, the physical therapists at Integrated Rehab are here to put that myth to rest! To get started on your journey back to a healthy body, contact one of our Connecticut office locations today.