A niggle is something that causes you discomfort but doesn’t stop you from exercises. An injury however, involves pain isolated to a muscle or joint that increases with activity and ultimately stops you from doing something.

What do I do if I notice things just don’t feel right?

1). Adapt your training

This does NOT mean you need to stop everything you are doing, simply adapting your training can actually mean adding things into your routine. An example of adapting your training includes changing your running pace, distance and surface; running shorter distances more frequently instead of a longer run that may be aggravating your symptoms.

Some swaps could be helpful too; instead of running, try the watt bike. If squats are causing knee pain, try focusing on single leg work or trying Spanish squats instead. The addition of accessory movements into your sessions can help to make sure you are moving optimally.

2). How do I know the difference?

Think of your body as a continuum. When things are moving and working optimally, you are at one end and when things aren’t so optimal, you are at the other. A niggle would fall somewhere in the middle. Being aware of your body before, during and after activity can be a simple way of gauging if something is not right.

Prolonged discomfort that is isolated to a muscle or joint and increases with activity, is where the difference to ‘normal soreness’ would be apparent. This can include pain in the same movement or activity more than once, ie. Knee pain when squatting that is present during every repetition. Isolated discomfort that increases with activity is more than likely a ‘niggle’ and should be acknowledged.

3). Come and see a professional

Sub-optimal movement can become a contributing factor to development of niggles through overloading a muscle or joint during exercise. Identifying imbalances and implementing a few simple exercises can stop these niggles from getting any worse.

If you are unsure, come in for a FREE 10 minute consultation with one of our Treatment Room therapists to talk through your options and get some advice.