Now accepting Telehealth appointments. Schedule a virtual visit.
Skip to main content

How Long Should You Power Through Pain Before Seeking Medical Help?

How Long Should You Power Through Pain Before Seeking Medical Help?

Have you ever been told you should power through pain rather than stop an activity? While it’s always good to try to push your limits to expand your capabilities and strength, pain does have a purpose, and ignoring pain beyond a certain point can mean that you’re doing yourself harm and ignoring signs that you’re significantly injured.

At the interventional pain management practice of Edward Carden, MD, Inc, located in Sherman Oaks, California, Dr. Carden and his team provide tailored pain management plans to help you recover from injury and manage lasting or chronic pain. However, the best way to avoid these situations is to avoid unnecessary injury to begin with and to seek medical help quickly when pain signals you’ve sustained damage.   

What causes pain

There are many different types of pain, and depending on where your pain originates, you may be able to treat yourself at home or you may need to go straight to urgent care or the ER. 

If exercise causes pain, chances are your body is unaccustomed to working out certain muscles and is trying to adjust. Shorten workouts to reduce the possibility of damage, and slowly lengthen the amount of time you exercise (duration) and how hard you exercise (intensity) to prevent damage and strengthen your body.

If you’re in pain when you’re not exercising, you may have arthritis, inflammation, or another problem causing your pain. If pain is intense, and located in your abdomen or head and neck, you need to seek help sooner rather than later.  

What worsens pain

Since pain often results from exertion, you may come to expect aches, discomfort, and pain that feels like a burn in your muscles or soreness in your joints after activity. However, if you have pain that doesn’t go away after you’ve rested, or is too severe for you to sleep at night, you need to get yourself checked out. 

Pain shouldn’t be constant, nor should it limit your mobility. If you find yourself limping days after a hard run or find that back pain is getting worse and not better as days pass, you could have a serious injury, and there’s a higher chance you’ll need medical assistance. 

When you need to seek medical care

There are some red flags you should watch for that can tell you if you need to get medical care because of pain. Sports injuries or other traumas that require immediate medical attention include those that:

If you feel pain, don’t ignore it or let your peers, coach, or even family members pressure you into “powering through.” Seek help and prevent an immediate problem from becoming a lifetime of chronic pain. 

Call Dr. Carden at 310-842-8668 today for personalized pain management care, or book a consultation online.

You Might Also Enjoy...

5 Effective Treatments for Chronic Back Pain

5 Effective Treatments for Chronic Back Pain

Are you worried that you might need surgery for chronic back pain? Fortunately, surgery is rarely necessary to relieve back pain and restore mobility. Read on to learn about nonsurgical treatments that may be able to help you.
Living with a Spinal Cord Stimulator

Living with a Spinal Cord Stimulator

Are you struggling with chronic pain? Not getting the relief you need from medication or other conservative therapies? Then, check these facts about how a spinal cord stimulator can help and what it’s like to live with one.
When (and Why) to Consider a Pain Pump

When (and Why) to Consider a Pain Pump

Chronic pain can take a toll on your physical and mental health, especially if different treatments fail to ease symptoms. However, innovative solutions, such as pain pumps, can offer relief. Read on to learn more about this option.
Tips for Getting Better Sleep With Sciatica Pain

Tips for Getting Better Sleep With Sciatica Pain

It’s bad enough that sciatica makes it difficult to sit and stand during the day. But that shooting pain down your leg also often prevents sufferers from sleeping at night. Read on for expert tips on how to fight back and catch some z’s.
How to Manage Your Neck Pain Without Surgery

How to Manage Your Neck Pain Without Surgery

If the fear of surgery keeps you from getting treatment for chronic neck pain, you may be doing more harm than good. Learn more about the nonsurgical treatment options available for neck pain that can actually prevent the need for surgery.