We all have the occasional aches and pains from time to time.  For most of us, we go to the cupboard and grab some Tylenol or Ibuprofen, or another one of our favorite pain medicines.  Several minutes later, we are pain free and ready to go about our daily business.

But what are we really doing?

Once again this comes back to the load principal that I discussed in my last post (to read it click here http://iowacity.patch.com/blog_posts/take-a-load-off-your-guide-to-musculoskeletal-health-acbd8822).  The body is signaling that something is wrong, or, "out of whack.”  As we take the pain medication, we are merely tricking the body into thinking that the problem no longer exists.  The problem is that when the medicine wears off, we go right back to where we started. For most people this process will repeat itself over and over and over again, sometimes in the same day.

By hiding from the pain we are essentially allowing our body to overload itself.  This only adds to more problems later on down the road as we create even more dysfunction, and eventually chronic pain and degeneration that may not respond to conservative care.With that being said, instead of “hiding” from the pain, you should recognize the pain, and know that something is wrong.  Be proactive in your care!  The sooner you realize you have pain and decide to get treatment for it (without the use of drugs) the shorter your recovery time will be.  Doing so will all but eliminate the chronic pains that await you! And oftentimes, with a plan that addresses both treating the pain as well as rehabilitating the tissues involved, the body ends up stronger and less likely to have a future injury in the same location. 

Do yourself a favor and ….Stop Hiding!