Pain

Dealing with pain

During Taekwondo training, acute non-debilitating pain must be endured. However, pain from serious injury must be obeyed. You should stop training and seek medical attention so you may resume training as soon as possible. 

Pain relief may come from different sources, depending on the injury. One source is drug therapy, either over-the-counter or prescribed. Another is psychological relief that may come from many sources, such as:

• Distraction. People who are distracted by other stimuli, may forget about their pain.
• Relaxation. Relaxation reduces tension and thereby reduces pain.
• Physical Touch. The touch of another person has been used to relieve pain for centuries. 
• Imagery. Imagining a situation that is devoid of pain may help relieve pain. 
• Meditation. Deep relaxation and concentration on a single thought helps neutralize stress and strain.

When pain strikes, we seek pain relief. Relief may come from removing the source of the pain, such as removing a splinter, or from ingesting or applying some substance that offers relief.