I remember you posted this for me, I found it in the PT thread.


I'm going to post my guidelines here on the achy factor. I hope it doesn't just confuse people more.

General rule of thumb (there are always exceptions, especially if part of the treatment includes breaking up scar tissue):

Sharp pain is bad and activities that cause sharp pain during the activity should be avoided until discussed further with the PT

Muscle aching is OK and even good. I think most of you understand this.

A little aching in an injured joint, tendon, ligament is OK as long as it subsides within 2 hours of the activity and does not cause a change in function eg limping. If it lasts longer that 2 hours or causes a change in function, it may still be a good activity but requires some tweaking (time, intensity, positioning...)

Intense aching that last longer than a day is an indicator of an activity that you're not ready for and needs to be adjusted.

No aching in the injured tissue at all during an activity followed by aching later that day or the next day, typically means that the achig is coming from increased stress on the area from muscle imblances that are working against you either during the activity or as they tighten up afterward. That means closer attention to stretching, self myofascial release, yoga.

Phew. Hope that helps and doesn't confuse.
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