Look Above, Look Below, Look to the Other Side

We've all been there. Whether we developed a chronic condition through excessive use, suffered an acute injury or just developed some sort of repetitive strain injury through poor posture. Tennis elbow, chrondromalacia , plantar fasciatis and shoulder impingement are some common maladies. So we do as we're told, the old R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method and pop a few Advil. Next step is rehab. We strengthen and stretch with all the focus being on the source of pain. The pain still exists a couple of weeks later. We continue with the Advil. We continue with the exercises that the physical therapist has given us. The pain is still there. Okay, now we go back to resting with hopes that the pain goes away. The pain goes away, so we get back to our normal everyday and exercise routines. The pain comes back. What in God's name is going on?
I see this scenario too much. Do you know what God (if he was a great physical therapist or trainer) would tell you? You're treating the symptoms, not the problem. Pain is just an indicator that something is wrong. It is not always going to tell you where the source of the pain is. If you've already put all your focus on the site of the pain and are still having trouble, it's time to look elsewhere. Look above. Look below. Look to the other side. There may be muscular imbalances or excessive tightness at the muscles above, below and on the opposite side. Or there may be a trigger point that is referring pain elsewhere. I'll give you a couple of examples.
Look above. Your knee joint was designed for stability and your hip joint was designed for mobility. What happens if you're hip joint is excessively tight and not very mobile. Now your knee joint has to make up for the lack of mobility in your hip. What is supposed to be a stable joint is now being asked for mobility. The end result: knee pain
Look Below. Same idea. 80% of the population has dealt with back pain at one time or another, mostly lower back pain. And if I were to check the mobility in these persons hips, I bet you I would find very little. So again, the forces are transferred. The lower back is not made to excessively twist and turn. It's role is stability, just like the knee. The end result of the lower back having to be to mobile because the hips are not: back pain
Look to the other side. Every time I pick up the paper or turn on Sports Center, at least one athlete has suffered a hamstring strain. And sometimes it's the same guys over and over again. Must just be a case of chronically tight hamstrings, right? Maybe, but not always the case. Look to the other side. Look at the hip flexors. If the hip flexors are tight they are going to rotate the pelvis too far forward. If the pelvis rotates too far forward, the hamstrings become lengthened. So if the hamstrings are already lengthened, what can happen when they have to be lengthened even more when running? A hamstring strain.
There are many more painful conditions that can arise from places we may not suspect. But if we are aware enough to remember that pain is just a symptom, not the problem, we'll have a better chance of operating pain free.