Painful Decisions: When to Get Back in the Game?

Greg Miller, writing in the L.A. Times, rightly points out that for many of us, it’s easier to play through pain than to sit on the sidelines. Not everyone likes to watch. The big question, of course, is how long to sit on the sidelines. Miller’s answer, very unhelpfully, is that it depends on who you talk to, because there are still very few agreed-upon rules on how to treat a particular injury. OK. Now that we know what we don’t know, he offers this advice:
For acute injuries such as muscle
strains and sprains, follow old acronym RICE — rest, ice, compression, elevation. Avoid
painful movements of the injured area and reduce swelling with ice, a
compression bandage and by keeping the affected area above the heart.  Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help reduce pain and swelling. Moving the injured part within the range of motion that doesn’t cause
pain can speed healing, and can begin almost immediately after the
injury. Activities that increase pain or swelling will
make the injury worse.
For chronic injuries, such as tendinitis and
stress fractures, rest is the key. Too much activity on a stress fracture can cause a more serious
fracture.  Scale back activity to avoid pain during or immediately
after exercise, then increase in small, gradual steps to return to
normal.
For more info, Millers suggests that we consult Medline Plus, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.