Health Corp.
  
 

EXERCISING WITH PAIN

  
 
by Herman Falsetti, M.D.
  
     
 

Sometime in your exercise career you will develop an ache or pain. The next questions is how to proceed. If you have pain that is sudden, associated with swelling, heat or redness you should seek a medical opinion. Injuries that fall into the above category are usually strain, sprain or rupture of tendon, ligament or muscle.

  
     
  If you have chest ache or pain that occurs with exercise or shortly after stopping exercise you must consider coronary or heart disease. This is especially of concern if you have any risk factors such as; over the age of 40, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus or family history of heart disease. In this case you should consult your family doctor, an internal medicine doctor or cardiologist to be checked out.  
     
 

For the vast majority, however, that ache or dull pain is the result of muscle, tendon or ligament strain due to years of exercise. The dull ache in the knee, the pain in the low back. For those people who wish to exercise I recommend the following:

1) Take an anti-inflammatory such as buffered aspirin or ibuprofen 30-45 minutes before exercise.

2) Apply moist heat to the affected part 10-20 minutes before exercise.

3) Stretch before exercise.

4) Apply ice pack to affected area after exercise for 10-20 minutes.

5) Stretch after exercise.

6) Exercise at low intensity. Train in zone 1 or 2 if you use a heart rate monitor. If you use perceived exertion, on a sale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest, do not go over 6.

 
     
 

For more information Dr. Falsetti may be reached at Health Corp. in Irvine, California. 949 727 1900

  
     
 
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