3 signs you need to see a physio

A few aches and pains or muscle soreness is all part and parcel of living an active lifestyle, but beware of overtraining, which could lead to one of these 3 signs you need to see a physio.

High-impact sports such as running or jumping put great strain on your joints, and just because they’re low impact, sports like swimming and cycling can cause tightness and niggles too.

The key is knowing when rest is enough to fix it or when to seek professional advice if you’re carrying what might be an injury. More often than not, runners in particular will try to ‘run through’ pain, hoping to ‘run it out’, and sometimes this does more damage than it’s worth.

Running physio Tom Goom understands the complexity of pain and says that sometimes, adjusting our stride or speed when running can reduce the pain. Although he of course doesn’t advocate running through pain as a way to fix things, his useful article on pain threshold, response and management offers great insight for injured runners.

If you’re finding yourself still hobbling around in pain after a few days of rest then it’s time to bite the bullet and see a physio.

It might be expensive and seem a bit overdramatic at first but trust me when I say that there’s no point trying to plough on through training with an injury – you’ll only make it worse.

1. Persistent ‘niggle’ or pain when exercising

Is that a tight calf or hamstring? Or is it the beginnings of a muscle tear? Running on painful knees, or achy ankles? Don’t underestimate what your body is trying to tell you. We all know that familiar post or during exercise muscle burn, and it’s very different from actual pain. Listen to your body and get it checked out.

Regular exercisers will need frequent physio visits for sports massages to loosen any tight muscles and knots. Think of your body as an engine – you wouldn’t skip your car or bike service, so don’t skip your own MOT!

2. Rest hasn’t helped

For anyone who’s got the exercise bug in a big way, taking complete rest is actually sometimes harder than the training itself – all our bodies want to do is move and chase those endorphins. Sitting still just feels wrong.

If you’re anything like me, your version of rest might be to have a couple of days off running, but still cycle, go to the gym or do yoga. Sometimes that’s not enough though – your body needs at least one day of total rest per week, and if you’re injured, total rest means just that. For as long as it takes.

If you’ve managed to behave and have a few days of complete rest but are still unable to exercise without pain, this could be a sign of injury. The pain might subside when you stop using those muscles or joints, but will return when you start up again.

Unless you want to put yourself out of action altogether, get to a physio and explain your symptoms. It could be anything from an overuse injury to poor technique, or weak and imbalanced muscles (and therefore other muscles compensating), or any number of things. A professional physio can diagnose the problem and give you a solution, whether its strength and conditioning, treatment or rest combined.

3. Swelling, bruising, heat or discolouration

This might sound obvious, but these are all warning signs that something’s not right, and if applying the trusty RICE trick (rice, ice, compression, elevation) doesn’t help it’s time to seek advice.

You know your body best, and if RICE and over-the-counter meds aren’t controlling the pain or bringing down the swelling it could be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Don’t let your passion for fitness ruin your chances of recovery. Listen to your body and don’t learn the hard way that rest and recovery is just as important as training.

Read more from Tess Agnew at thefitbits.co.uk.