What does pain mean and should I be worried
The primary reason I see most patients in clinic is due to pain, second to this I might see some patients because they cannot do a certain movement and often in their story pain was a factor at some stage.
This begs the question from most patients, what is pain and should I be worried?
It its simplest form I often explain this to patients that pain is your bodies alarm system and its asking you to pay attention and in some cases, make a change.
Understanding Pain: Your Body’s Alarm System
Pain is your body’s way of saying “Pay attention.” It’s not always a sign of damage—sometimes it’s simply a warning that something needs to change in your approach or behaviour.
What Pain Really Means
- DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - Often linked to training and can be very sore for a short period if the body is overloaded.
- Acute pain — short-term, often linked to a specific injury like a sprain or strain.
- Chronic pain — lasts longer than 3 months and may continue even after tissues have healed.
- Inflammation — your body’s natural healing response, causing swelling, warmth, and stiffness.
If you are worried or can link pain to a specific injury its always a good idea to discuss this with a Physiotherapist for guidance and reassurance.
During rehabilitation, pain can be one of the main reasons a patient might choose to not do their rehab of just to do the minimal amount. In many cases the patient has linked the pain they are feeling to damage and worsening the problem.
Research is giving confidence to patients that 'Therapeutic exercise that temporarily aggravates pain needn’t be ruled out or avoided in people with painful musculoskeletal disorders' (CSP 2017)
So what signs should Patients look for when they are doing their rehab exercises?
Pain During Rehab: What’s Normal?
Not all pain is harmful. Some discomfort is expected when tissues are healing.
Green Light Pain
- Mild soreness (3/10 max on a pain scale and settles quickly)
- Stiffness
- Ache that settles within 24 hours
Yellow Light Pain
- Sharp pain during movement (consistently greater than a 3/10 on a pain scale)
- Pain lasting more than 24 hours
- Increasing swelling
Red Light Pain
- Sudden or constant severe pain
- Loss of function
- Numbness or tingling
If red‑light symptoms appear, seek medical advice straight away.
Its important to talk about your pain with your Physiotherapist and recognise that Pain is very complicated and can link to a number of things in your life that you may not have considered:
- Sleep quality
- Stress
- Exercise and Physical Activity
- Lifestyle choices
- Past experiences with pain
- To name just a few!
For more information or to discuss your issues with pain we welcome you at Live Strong Performance Physiotherapy in Cornwall.
Andy
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