Whoever coined this phrase was right... and wrong! If you are working out and feel any pain beyond the normal burn one feels when they are pushing themselves, stop what your doing! That pain could be a sign that you are doing something wrong or doing too much, but that is another topic for another day. Right now I want to talk to you about what happens once you are already in pain, not necessarily from working out.
Lets just say that you fall and sprain your wrist while trying to save a litter of puppies from being run over by a drunk driver (I know... you are so brave!). Your mother, who arrived in a puff of smoke (as all mothers do when their children are hurt), tells you that you need to go to the hospital, but in the meantime you need to take something for the pain and swelling immediately. Does mother know best?...
No she does not! When the body incurs an injury such as this one, it goes through a healing process. One that I will simplify (I mean really simplify!) and briefly explain to you now.
The first phase your newly sprained wrist goes through is the acute phase, when the redness and swelling start. This occurs because nutrient rich blood and leukocytes (pronounced luke-o-sites, the body's clean up crew) flood the injured area. Depending on the severity of the sprain, there may be very little, if any, bleeding (don't worry, you messed yours up really bad). Within 5-10 minutes of your heroic mishap, blood vessels in your wrist are constricted to help control bleeding. A blood clot also begins to form in order to contain the controlled bleeding.
Once the area is cleaned of cellular debris, leukocytes, and the blood clot, you move onto the repair phase. It is important for the above steps to take place for your wrist to heal nicely. If taken too soon NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs i.e. ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.) can break this cycle. That is not to say that NSAIDs will stop the healing process if taken too soon, it will just slow it down.
So if you plan to take medication, wait about half an hour for the body's cellular and vascular response to occur. This time also allows for your heart rate, blood pressure, and other vitals to return to normal levels. NSAIDs should not be taken as a prevention tool (i.e. you had a hard workout and you know you will be soar in the morning so....) and contrary to some people's belief, they do not speed up the healing process.
P.S. Even with all this new and fascinating knowledge bouncing between your ears, you should still consult a medical practitioner for a professional assessment of your injuries.~
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