It was a long hot day on the bike and my legs were screaming. We were 60 miles into the ride and had another 10 to go. This was not a race but a very aggressive group ride.
Everyone in our group was worn down and we could feel the pace starting to slow. Then we started a downhill section and I went to the front of the group to drive the pace.
After a minute of a hard effort I looked back and found only one rider with me. Instead of slowing down we kept the pace high…sorta an adrenaline rush, similar to when I was racing.
I stayed on the front for 10 minutes, in my mind once we made the left turn we would slow the pace and let the group come back together, but I was wrong.
As I turned left onto Robertson road it kicks up as you start a small climb. I eased off the pace a little and then Dave put in a hard effort. I said a few choice words then went as hard as I could to stay with him. I let him set the pace and I was able to stay on his wheel.
Robertson road has three big hills on it with the next one harder than the last. On the second hill I could tell Dave was starting to let up a little so on the third hill I put in another hard effort and opened up a gap and continued to drive all the way to Boat Club road where we all stopped to regroup.
So why do I tell you this?
If the last time you competed or did anything physically to your maximum (think wind sprints in track, running up and down the basketball court or lifting bags of mulch all day) then you can relate.
I was in a tremendous amount of pain during these 25 minutes. My legs were cramping, my lungs were on fire, I was gasping for breath and my heart raced.
Pain can be interpreted as good or bad. Most people think all pain is bad so they should stop doing the task that is causing the pain.
In this case I am talking about physical pain which typically means something is damaged and is a sign of an injury.
So What Is Pain?
We have a bunch of tiny sensors in our body. Floating around the sensors are chemicals which then send signals to the brain for interpretation.
It is our job, via the brain, to determine if this is a good or bad pain (or more appropriate) pain which is a signal that damage is occurring or not.
The pain you and I feel when our backs hurt is a sign that something is wrong/damaged and needs to be addressed.
The pain I felt from that really hard effort on the bike, while mentally it was hard, I knew it wasn’t “damaging” anything.
When asked most people will say that all pain is bad. I disagree, we can experience the “pain” of a hard bike ride, workout or stressful situation and it not be bad or damaging. It is usually in the struggle that we find strength.
We have to think about what is happening and learn to be able to tell the difference between good and bad pain.
What do most people do when they have “bad” pain, (i.e. something is injured/damaged) they tend to ignore it, thinking it will go away or they take some painkillers or over the counter medications. They are just masking their symptoms and not really addressing the true issue.
This follows my 3D principle to handling any problem in life
- Don’t Ignore it
- Don’t Mask It
- Do Something About It
You can read more about this HERE.
Our Physical Therapists are experts in muscle and joint problems which lead to movement dysfunctions and consistent, nagging pains that don’t go away on their own. They can help you make better decisions as to the next proper steps for your condition.
Usually some type of stretching and strengthening will be beneficial but remember doing the wrong exercises for your condition could actually make it work.
Finally the sooner you address your problem the better. We all know what happens when we let a little issue linger on for too long. It starts to get out of hand and then it seems almost impossible to fix.
If you or someone you know is suffering with some aches and pain then give us a call 817-220-MOSS (6677) to schedule a FREE No Obligation Discovery Visit
At MOSS Rehabilitation Center we make it easy for you to get started. We even have a simple 3 step process.
1. Schedule a FREE NO Obligation, Discovery Visit with one of our experts. During this visit, you will talk with one of our friendly experts about your issues. This is a safe and confidential visit, you can trust that your safety and privacy is important to us.
2. Receive a Customized (Individualized) Treatment Plan. Based on your free discovery visit, we will put together a custom, unique to you plan that will address all of your nagging pains and issues. The goal is to get you back to your healthy self as soon as possible while also addressing your issues for the long term.
3. Get Your Life Back and Do What You Love. The best result for us is a patient who tells us they can finally do what they love without the constant pain, stress, or issue they were facing. Together we can get you back to living life without worry.
Not only will we create a physical therapy program designed around you and your needs, but we also provide you with quality education for your long-term health.
The first step is always the hardest and I can’t take it for you but I promise we will do everything we can to help you.
As always if you have any questions or suggestions please drop me a line at robert@springtownphysicaltherapy.com, give us a call 817-220-MOSS (6677) or interact with us on social media.
To your health,
Dr. Robert Moss PT, ScD, OCS, FAAOMPT
PS. Remember the 3 D’s of handling any problem-Don’t Ignore it, Don’t Mask It, Do Something About It. You can read more about this HERE.
