$~~~~$While Dr. Weinstein, a surgeon at Dartmouth College, was trying to lift a heavy box, he twisted his back. The pain was agonizing. The surgeon could not sit, and when he lay down he could barely get up. So he decided to go out for a run. He took an aspirin, iced the injured area, and off he went. When he returned, he felt “pretty good.”
$~~~~$ When people have sprained a muscle or tendon, they are usually advised not to go right back to exercising until the pain goes away. But Dr. Weinstein says that approach is outdated and counterproductive. In fact, when active people consult him, he usually tells them to just keep exercising.
$~~~~$Dr. Weinstein is not alone in his treatment of sports injury, but the specific advice can differ from specialist to specialist. They nevertheless caution that a cutback may be necessary, such as running shorter distances or going more slowly. Others say the patients may need to engage in sports outside of their usual, main sport (that is, to cross-train), at least some of the time. Still others say the safest thing to do is cross-train all the time until the pain is gone. Their consensus, however, is that unless the injury involves something as serious as a broken bone or a ripped muscle, moderate exercise can actually speed healing.
$~~~~$ Thus, more and more patients are now advised to keep moving despite the pain. The rule of thumb, however, is to see a doctor first and get an accurate diagnosis. If a serious injury is ruled out and the pain is not getting worse after exercising, then the exercise “makes a lot of sense.”