The Difference Between Being Hurt and Being Injured

When you're working out or playing sports there may be times when you are hurt or injured. But what exactly is the difference between being hurt and being injured and how do you know when you should work through the pain or take some time off. This post will discuss the difference between being hurt and being injured and touch on when to rest and when to push through the pain.

"Bring injured" and "being hurt" are quite different from each other.

Being hurt means having the sensation of pain. Being hurt can also mean having a sprain, tear, bruise or laceration. If you are HURT, you can still workout or participate in sports and "play through the pain".

Being injured is caused by severe pain and trauma where certain forms of treatment are needed for recovering. An injury is usually takes weeks to months for healing. An injury will result in a permanent change to the body - scar tissue will form, a broken bone will heal but you can still see it on an x-ray, etc...

So when should I work through the pain?

Although you can exercise or participate in sports when you are hurt, there is a fine line when it comes to continued participation while hurt as athletes and people like us as "playing hurt" can lead to an injury. When you lift or participate in sports when you are hurt, you're not directly injuring the hurt area of your body, however since it is hurt, you will naturally use other parts of your body to compensate for the hurt area. This means you will probably alter your form, put more weight on a different leg and increase the chance of injury to other parts of your body due to this natural compensation. That being said, if you are not a competitive athlete, it is a good idea to take a few days off until you have recovered. I always say it's better to take a few days off then get injured and have it turn into a few months.