DIET | DETECTIVE^®

Before deciding on a treatment, you should figure out if you even have an injury. You can have both good and bad pain while working out. Good pain is feeling tension in the muscle you are working. Bad pain is feeling sharp, shooting pain, numbness, tingling and pain in parts of the body other than the muscle you are exercising. If you have bad pain, you can assume that you have an injury.

What you shouldn't do: First, the phrases "no pain, no gain," and "walk it off" have proven to be a farce in the gym setting. If you have a tear in the muscle, tendon or ligament and you do something to make it hurt (like walk), you are potentially making the tear worse. In turn, the recovery time may be longer, or you may not be able to work out at all.

Second, never self-diagnose. It might be worse than just a sprain or strain. It could be a herniated disk or broken bone. So don't listen to that woman next to you in aerobics class who says "Oh, the same thing happened to me 10 years ago and this is what you should do." Seek advice from a medical professional who has expertise with your injured area. Once you have a proper diagnosis then you will be told the proper treatment.

When to use ice: If you can't get to your doctor immediately and it is not a medical emergency, then you should use the R.I.C.E. method: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevate. Let's break this down. Rest means to not use the injured area or do anything that is painful.

Prompt Ice treatment can speed up the healing process, which allows a patient to resume activity faster. "Ice helps to speed recovery time and may prevent long-term damage and scarring to the injured area," says Howard Levy, M.D., a leading sports medicine orthopedic surgeon at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.

There are different types of ice: ice from the freezer, squeeze gel packs and even some sports creams say they "ice" and reduce inflammation. "The over-the-counter sports creams have aspirin and cortisone, which actually have the reverse effect by increasing the inflammation to the injured area, which causes more pain!" says Levy. What's more, you would have to massage the cream into the skin, and that's a contraindication if have an acute injury. (If you have a tear in the muscle, rubbing the area will be very painful, and you will actually make the tear worse.) "Don't put ice directly on the skin. Put a cloth between the skin and the ice to prevent ice burn. Also, never leave ice on for more than 20 minutes at a time," says Levy.

A Compression wrap is great for a wrist, ankle or knee injury. It creates stability and helps keep the swelling to a minimum. Wrap the injured area (not too tightly) from the farthest point of the injured area and gently progress toward the heart.

Last but not least, Elevate the injured area. Placing the injured area above the heart reduces the inflammation. The R.I.C.E. treatment is most beneficial for the first 24 to 72 hours; if the pain persists, you must see a medical specialist.

When to use heat: If you have an area that has a cold, tight, pulling feeling, heat will be helpful. This type of pain usually comes from old injuries that did not heal properly and "take a little time to loosen up" in the mornings. The best way to really increase circulation to a body part is a hot/cold dip or contrast bath. Jon Adam, head trainer for the Milwaukee Brewers, uses this method on his pitchers three to five days following discoloration and swelling brought on by an acute sprain. It ensures that their pitching arms will be at their peak performance prior to the players enter the game. To do it yourself, have a separate bucket for hot and cold water (or a whirlpool of each) and switch off immersing the injured area in each water every three to five minutes for 20 minutes.

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