“Pushing through the pain” is a phrase commonly thrown around by athletes who might have had a hard practice and need to push through the resulting soreness during the game the next day. The question is: at what point can pushing through the pain become dangerous?
The key is telling the difference between discomfort and pain, according to ABC Fitness and Wellness.
Athletic trainer Amanda Rolik explained these different types of pain, and how athletes can confuse them.
“Pain is the body’s way of telling you something’s wrong, but that’s pain, not soreness,” Rolik said, “and so it’s about understanding the difference between soreness and pain.”
However, pushing too hard can have very real consequences. Seventeen-year-old track star Arielle Newman of New York died of salicylate poisoning in 2007 as a result of using too much pain cream. Six times more salicylate was present in her body than is safe for a normal human being; she pushed herself to the point where she overdosed on pain treatment.
Rolik described the dangerous situation that some athletes can end up in when they continue to play and mistake their pain for soreness.
“Some people are in pain,” Rolik said, “and they think because people are talking about pushing through it that they’re actually just sore and they need to push through that.”
Freshman Haley Tonizzo has suffered the consequences of pushing through the pain throughout her soccer career, and is currently recovering from an injury that occurred during this year’s junior varsity season.
“It either resulted in worse pain or just not playing well and having to recover for longer,” Tonizzo said
Sophomore Mojdeh Nourbakhsh has played soccer, basketball and softball in the past, and currently plays field hockey. She is also a dancer, and says that sometimes she perseveres despite the pain she’s facing.
“I still continue, and sometimes when it’s not even recommended I still push through,” Nourbakhsh said, who tries to put her team first. “For example, in dance you can’t just have a teammate sub in because they have to learn the formations, change the formations [and] learn choreography, so you have to kind of push through for your team.”
On the other hand, junior and varsity baseball player Steven Johel has positive experiences in continuing to play, but sees the long-term ramifications.
“I think that it’s a good mentality because it allows you to get better and strive to be your best, but at the same time it can be bad if you hurt yourself in the long run,” Johel said.
The competitive air of athletics can also cause players to choose to continue playing despite an injury. Players participate regardless of the pain to not get benched, to get more playing time and to not lose their spot on the team, according to Tonizzo.
Rolik recommends a few basic symptoms to look for in order to help decide whether or not ignoring the pain is a viable option.
“If your function is limited by the the discomfort that you’re feeling: so you can’t run without a limp, you can’t walk without a limp, you can’t run as fast, you can’t start sprinting, you can’t go up and downstairs,” Rolik said. “If someone watching you can tell that you’re hurting because you’re moving differently, then that’s a bad thing.”
There are also signs that the pain is just muscular soreness, and it is safe to continue.
“If you can continue moving the same way that you want to without sharp pains, then you’re probably okay to push through it, as a general rule,” Rolik said.
When it comes down to it, a variety of factors contribute to the decision on whether or not to endure the pain and keep playing. The most important aspect of pushing through is understanding your own personal limits.