Training while shins are bruised/painful/etc?

Discussion in 'Thai Boxing' started by Morik, Oct 25, 2016.

  1. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    So I took my first MT class yesterday. I used the gym loaner shin guards. They were pretty thin. (Also, worst smell ever.)

    I took a large number of kicks on them (learning blocks). Two of the kicks seemed to hit the same spot, and really dug in hard into my shin. It was pretty painful the first time but ignore-able, the second time I nearly fell down it was so painful and had to stop drilling for 30 seconds to recover. No other kicks hit that spot that night, but it still hurt (mildly) in that spot when I took kicks elsewhere for the rest of the class.

    I have a pretty nasty bruise there now. Its much bigger than the bruises over other parts of my shins (which don't really hurt and look pretty superficial).

    Are there any health concerns with continuing to train before this heals up?
    If its just painful but not doing any long-term damage to me I would like to keep training (hopefully it will heal a bit by next class).

    I'll also ask my instructor of course, if it is still painful when I go back, but wanted to see if anyone had thoughts/advice regarding this here as well.

    (BTW, I have my own shin guards which are much better padded. I will bring to the next class. I foolishly forgot them for my first class.)
     
  2. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    As long as you have no existing medical conditions you should be fine.

    If you want the bruising to go away quickly, and you have no medical reason why you shouldn't take blood thinners, you can always have a small dose of aspirin, or apply arcaina gel for a few days.

    This thins the blood and can help any preexisting bruises disapate quicker, But also avoid contact whilst your taking it, as it will make any future bruising worse.

    Ask your chemist for advice, because listening to random people on the internet is generally a really bad idea, especially for medical advice!
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2016
  3. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    Impossible to say without seeing it, but if there is no issue with range of motion of the foot then I'd say it is probably fine. Always see a health professional if you have concerns though.

    Shins toughen up and stop bruising so easily pretty quickly.
     
  4. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Yeah the bruise starts a good 3 inches below the bottom of my kneecap; its not near any joints. I can move my leg around with no pain, its only when I physically touch the bruise that it hurts.
    Its centered right on the shin bone.

    Would thinning my blood via aspirin or similar just clear out the appearance of the bruise, or would it actually help the underlying tissue heal faster?
     
  5. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    It'll just clear the clotted blood out of the way, and so will help the tissue heal a little bit faster, but the pain etc is mostly from the clotted blood anyway.

    DONT Contact train on aspirin though!
     
  6. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    I already had that hammered into my a while ago--except my version was "don't train on painkillers at all". (This was from an Aikido instructor who was all about taking aspirin after class if needed, but would blow his top if a student showed up and informed him that they had been in pain so took aspirin/acetaminophen/etc prior to class.)

    My understanding of the principle is that you want to be at your sharpest in terms of pain receptors when training so that if you are doing any damage to yourself you are aware of it. With painkillers you could be damaging yourself and not realize it, which means you won't know to stop doing whatever it is.
     
  7. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    Dit Da Jow is amazing for making bruises heal faster. Stuff is amazing! Go to a TCMA place and buy some. Or buy some online. Although if you want to buy some online, let me ask some people for the better people to buy from.
     
  8. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Do you know how I could find a good local place that sells it? I live around Boston.
    Should I just search for TCMA places near me? Or would someplace in Chinatown have good Dit Da Jow?
     
  9. Unreal Combat

    Unreal Combat Valued Member

    Tiger Balm massage the area that is bruised. Use better shin guards. Ask your partner to strike lighter. You should be able to practice leg blocks without shin guards if correct technique and control is used.
     
  10. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    Locally, I don't know. Sorry, I am on the other coast. I know they make a few types of it. Just ask for the kind that heals bruises quicker. Call TCMA places near you or - yeah - I imagine some Chinese herbal places. But I would try TCMA places first.

    I can ask someone I know where he gets his online. I know he thinks highly of the Dit Da Jow he gets from an online resource. I want to be sure I have the right place first though.

    You just rub it into your skin a few times a day. It's pretty cheap and a bottle lasts a long time.
     
  11. EdiSco

    EdiSco Likes his anonymity

    Very interesting product! I was looking for something exotic like this lol. Ordered it but I assume it will have a very strong smell due to the ingredients?
     
  12. Theidiot

    Theidiot New Member

    Tiger balm is the best thing ever.

    The first time you use it, use only a small amount on an uninjured, insensitive area, as a minority of people are allergic to one of the ingredients. And don't let very young kids anywhere near it, because even the smell can be dangerous for them. The warnings are avaliable on the tiger balm website, but generally it's pretty safe.
     
  13. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Which tiger balm? Their website has a bunch of different types.
    EDIT: Is it the "Tiger Balm Liniment"? Or would one of the "muscle rubs" work better?

    I am bringing my own shin guards next time, they should be a lot better than the ones I borrowed. (They have more padding and don't smell.)

    I can't imagine how painful it would be to practice leg blocks without guards on, at least with the intensity my partner was throwing.

    The bruise looks a little better today, and isn't quite as painful. I'm a lot less worried now--it should be tolerable tomorrow with a bit more rest + better shin guards.
     
  14. Theidiot

    Theidiot New Member

    Tiger balm red. The original. Tiger balm white is weaker for people sensitive to red. Then after that I think it's all the commercial stuff that the marketing people wanted.
     
  15. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    If you train on aspirin, you'll be one massive bruise afterwards.
     
  16. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Oh, yeah, and the blood thinning--I wasn't thinking of that angle either, thanks.
     
  17. daggers

    daggers Valued Member

    Don't keep kicking with it, even with a shin pad. let it heal.
    I had a guy train through bruises that ended up with a blood infection
    If anyone tells you to train through it they don't know what they are talking about
    As to HEALING it, I would see a good Physio and follow their advice, there is no miracle cure such as tiger balm.. achinacia etcu
     

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