365 Ways #178–You have to walk before you run

#178--I often have clients who come to me complaining of pain which keeps them from pursuing a passion. Most recently it was a cyclist with knee pain. But there have been tennis players with back pain, swimmers with shoulder pain, runners with ankle pain, and dozens of others. The pain sometimes has an etiology in faulty biomechanics or orthopedic dysfunction. More commonly I find that nutrition is the source of their pathology. Regardless, many of these cases require that the client stop their chosen sport while we spend time "filling in the holes" in their development. And when they're patient, the reward is usually a lifetime of pursuing their passion. But many of them prolong their misery by trying to begin before the necessary prerequisites for pain free movement are in place. The typical Type-A, over achievers, these people are their own worst enemies--doing too much too soon or stopping the prescribed rehabilitation protocol just because they're beginning to feel good again. If this describes you, take some time to reflect on your athletic history and when injuries occurred. Each one of them is an opportunity. How many times will you have to sit injured on the side lines to learn the same lesson?