It takes time to understand what is a niggle and what is something that needs some time off. Personally, if I stopped running every time I had a niggle, I’d never run. Over the last decade of running, I think I’ve developed a decent idea of what I can run through.
Having said that, I’ve also come to realise how important S&C is on an ongoing basis.
This could be the start of something a little more annoying.
I’ve been running and cycling 3-6 times a week for 20+ years. I have developed tendinitis in my adductors. Part of this is due to over training, part is due to having weaknesses and imbalances in my body.
My advice to you now is remember to do complimentary exercises, strength & conditioning so your legs track correctly when you run or cycle
I’m assuming this guy is from the U.K. like I am but basically it’s a kind of informal term we use to describe a mild feeling of pain or discomfort - kind of before you get to it being a full blown injury. Not as bad as it sounds haha!
Niggles are just small annoyances/pains that aren’t full blown injuries. Niggles or niggling things typically refer to annoyances and inconveniences. This word predates the n word by hundreds of years despite the similarities.
I’m hyper mobile and get injured easily so I’m probably more cautious than most. For niggles, especially asymmetrical ones, I foam roll, take some anti inflammatories, mobilize the area well. I won’t run on hip pain because that’s a weak area for me. If it’s not resolving in 3 days I see my physio (yes I spend a fortune on it in a year)
Dull achey pain in the hip and groin can indicate a stress fracture. I’d proceed with caution
I do 3 days completely off and then do a 'hop' test to see if there's much pain. If it's still bad I do 3 more days off and repeat. From there it's probably time to speak to a physio!
I had something similar and I approached it completely wrong and it lasted for like four years. If I would have stopped walking when it first happened maybe it would have been gone in a week, I don’t know because I did it all wrong. For me the only good thing to come out of the pandemic is that I completely stopped walking on it, I could ride my bike pain free, and after a few months I was walking again, pain free. My suggestion, take as long as it needs to be cured, don’t be like me.
First things first, don’t take what someone says on the internet as medical advice. If you’re worried about something then seek the advice of a professional.
What I would say though is the following.
Don’t do nothing.
RICE would be first action. Only keep the ice on for 20 mins at a time. Do that several times a day.
Next would be to do some foam rolling across the whole lower body chain and back. when you get to a gnarly bit spend a bit more time on it. Whilst you do this, rate the “pain” on a scale of 1-10 so you can keep track of it over time. Spend about 20 mins doing that once, maybe twice a day. Generally I try do this a few times a week even when there aren’t niggles.
I’d also try do some yoga to get into the tightness in a different way.
Finally at some point do some mobility work as well. The SAM exercises are quite good.
These things - called active recovery - are probably what you should be doing a lot of the time anyway. Although it’s always hard work to keep that motivation to do it when you’re feeling fine.
Actual running wise, I find with niggles that they often ease off whilst running. So even on your first few steps you’re feeling it - and again monitor the scale of the pain on a 1-10 level throughout - it may ease off after a few minutes. If it starts to get worse then call it a day on that run. Just take that first run very very easy and maybe run/walk it.
I’m just surprised at how many people believe this and wonder why doctors still push for this regiment indiscriminately. It may have a time and place but it should not be standard practice.
I’m assuming this guy is from the U.K. like I am but basically it’s a kind of informal term we use to describe a mild feeling of pain or discomfort - kind of before you get to it being a full blown injury. Not as bad as it sounds haha!
Oh really haha! I’m from London as well. My PE teacher would use the phrase lots when I was in school.
Without doxing myself I went to school in one of the Home Counties, not London - not sure if that makes a difference or perhaps it does!
Niggles in this context are just small annoyances/pains that aren’t full blown injuries. Niggles or niggling things typically refer to annoyances and inconveniences. This word predates the n word by hundreds of years despite the similarities.
Rest for a few days. Stretch out the hip flexors and get a sports massage. Do you have a desk job? That has a tendency to shorten muscles and cause tightness and if you're overdoing the exercise a bit then you're just annoying the area.
Now we're not doctors here so don't just expect a magic answer, watch the area. Hip and especially groin pain... Also monitor how your back feels. Even trouble urinating. If the pain moves around the back and over the buttock and sciatica. You're into lower L3,4,5-S1 discs. That's when you need professional medical advice.
Maybe its just bc im still young and recover quickly, but most of my “niggles” resolve themselves after 2-4 days of a bit more stretching/focused recovery, sometimes after speed sessions for some reason. Usually if they persist longer than that then i take a step back.
I proceed with caution, but still proceed. I might use the treadmill so I can easily quit if it gets weird, or if I need a run surface with no surprises. I might tape up or use a compression sleeve in a joint, and that often helps.
Sometimes I am just stiff and need to start going to loosen up.
If it does get worse as I go along, I modify my gait to accommodate for it and head home to give it some rest.
If it gets worse after a few activities, talk to a doctor or physiotherapist.
I run every day, so I have muscles through a lot over the years. Had to do all these things a few times.
Idk I’ve always gone off of if it’s a sharp stabbing pain it’s an injury and if it’s a dull aching pain it’s DOMS or a niggle. Obviously wiggle room either way on this depending on intensity and length of injury. A niggle and I’ll ease off on training, a proper injury I’ll cross train if possible or stop if necessary.
Broadly speaking injuries have a specific mechanism of injury wherein you do it at a specific point like a misstep or a trip (though not always.) Niggles are mostly caused by overtraining.
Carefully when using that word around Americans, Most of them don't watch Soccer AM. Have a nice long hot bath. RICE is good on a fresh injury, but sometimes things just need a relax and pop back into place. Gentle stretches. If you are still struggling get a sports massage.
Niggles in this context are just small annoyances/pains that aren’t full blown injuries. Niggles or niggling things typically refer to annoyances and inconveniences. This word predates the n word by hundreds of years despite the similarities.
It takes time to understand what is a niggle and what is something that needs some time off. Personally, if I stopped running every time I had a niggle, I’d never run. Over the last decade of running, I think I’ve developed a decent idea of what I can run through. Having said that, I’ve also come to realise how important S&C is on an ongoing basis.
S&C?
Salt and cpepper.
#NailedIt
Strength and conditioning.
strength & conditioning
shampoo and conditioner
THIS^ I had IT band issues that I thought was just a niggle, till I couldn’t run anymore. Had to take 2 weeks off.
This could be the start of something a little more annoying. I’ve been running and cycling 3-6 times a week for 20+ years. I have developed tendinitis in my adductors. Part of this is due to over training, part is due to having weaknesses and imbalances in my body. My advice to you now is remember to do complimentary exercises, strength & conditioning so your legs track correctly when you run or cycle
wtf did you just say
I’m assuming this guy is from the U.K. like I am but basically it’s a kind of informal term we use to describe a mild feeling of pain or discomfort - kind of before you get to it being a full blown injury. Not as bad as it sounds haha!
"I've got a niggle in my fanny" means something completely different over here
Nobody ‘over here’ has ever used that phrase, ever.
Lol. Agreed…
A 'niggle' is a small ache, pain or feeling of discomfort. Not a proper injury, but perhaps the first warning sign of an injury to come.
Niggles are just small annoyances/pains that aren’t full blown injuries. Niggles or niggling things typically refer to annoyances and inconveniences. This word predates the n word by hundreds of years despite the similarities.
I’m hyper mobile and get injured easily so I’m probably more cautious than most. For niggles, especially asymmetrical ones, I foam roll, take some anti inflammatories, mobilize the area well. I won’t run on hip pain because that’s a weak area for me. If it’s not resolving in 3 days I see my physio (yes I spend a fortune on it in a year) Dull achey pain in the hip and groin can indicate a stress fracture. I’d proceed with caution
I do 3 days completely off and then do a 'hop' test to see if there's much pain. If it's still bad I do 3 more days off and repeat. From there it's probably time to speak to a physio!
Just say hi and don’t call em niggles.
Well that’s racist
I had something similar and I approached it completely wrong and it lasted for like four years. If I would have stopped walking when it first happened maybe it would have been gone in a week, I don’t know because I did it all wrong. For me the only good thing to come out of the pandemic is that I completely stopped walking on it, I could ride my bike pain free, and after a few months I was walking again, pain free. My suggestion, take as long as it needs to be cured, don’t be like me.
First things first, don’t take what someone says on the internet as medical advice. If you’re worried about something then seek the advice of a professional. What I would say though is the following. Don’t do nothing. RICE would be first action. Only keep the ice on for 20 mins at a time. Do that several times a day. Next would be to do some foam rolling across the whole lower body chain and back. when you get to a gnarly bit spend a bit more time on it. Whilst you do this, rate the “pain” on a scale of 1-10 so you can keep track of it over time. Spend about 20 mins doing that once, maybe twice a day. Generally I try do this a few times a week even when there aren’t niggles. I’d also try do some yoga to get into the tightness in a different way. Finally at some point do some mobility work as well. The SAM exercises are quite good. These things - called active recovery - are probably what you should be doing a lot of the time anyway. Although it’s always hard work to keep that motivation to do it when you’re feeling fine. Actual running wise, I find with niggles that they often ease off whilst running. So even on your first few steps you’re feeling it - and again monitor the scale of the pain on a 1-10 level throughout - it may ease off after a few minutes. If it starts to get worse then call it a day on that run. Just take that first run very very easy and maybe run/walk it.
RICE method has been disproven multiple times even by the creator himself.
Yup. Wikipedia article has the quote: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RICE_(medicine)
I’m just surprised at how many people believe this and wonder why doctors still push for this regiment indiscriminately. It may have a time and place but it should not be standard practice.
Because the reduction of inflammation feels good, so it perpetuates itself as good science.
The NHS says to use PRICE method for sprains and strains
Never heard of it but sounds racist
I’m assuming this guy is from the U.K. like I am but basically it’s a kind of informal term we use to describe a mild feeling of pain or discomfort - kind of before you get to it being a full blown injury. Not as bad as it sounds haha!
Ah thanks! Where in the UK are you from? Never heard it as a Londoner
Oh really haha! I’m from London as well. My PE teacher would use the phrase lots when I was in school. Without doxing myself I went to school in one of the Home Counties, not London - not sure if that makes a difference or perhaps it does!
I’m from a comprehensive in Croydon so that might explain the discrepancy 😂
Haha. Big time 🤣 London is regional in itself!
Niggles in this context are just small annoyances/pains that aren’t full blown injuries. Niggles or niggling things typically refer to annoyances and inconveniences. This word predates the n word by hundreds of years despite the similarities.
Grow up
Rest, ice and yoga
Rice. Yoga. Foam roll. And swim. Amazing what a little cold water and mobility will do. Don’t rush.
Rest for a few days. Stretch out the hip flexors and get a sports massage. Do you have a desk job? That has a tendency to shorten muscles and cause tightness and if you're overdoing the exercise a bit then you're just annoying the area. Now we're not doctors here so don't just expect a magic answer, watch the area. Hip and especially groin pain... Also monitor how your back feels. Even trouble urinating. If the pain moves around the back and over the buttock and sciatica. You're into lower L3,4,5-S1 discs. That's when you need professional medical advice.
Maybe its just bc im still young and recover quickly, but most of my “niggles” resolve themselves after 2-4 days of a bit more stretching/focused recovery, sometimes after speed sessions for some reason. Usually if they persist longer than that then i take a step back.
I proceed with caution, but still proceed. I might use the treadmill so I can easily quit if it gets weird, or if I need a run surface with no surprises. I might tape up or use a compression sleeve in a joint, and that often helps. Sometimes I am just stiff and need to start going to loosen up. If it does get worse as I go along, I modify my gait to accommodate for it and head home to give it some rest. If it gets worse after a few activities, talk to a doctor or physiotherapist. I run every day, so I have muscles through a lot over the years. Had to do all these things a few times.
I ease off, and hope it gets better on its own. Cycling niggles usually do, running ones usually don't.
Idk I’ve always gone off of if it’s a sharp stabbing pain it’s an injury and if it’s a dull aching pain it’s DOMS or a niggle. Obviously wiggle room either way on this depending on intensity and length of injury. A niggle and I’ll ease off on training, a proper injury I’ll cross train if possible or stop if necessary. Broadly speaking injuries have a specific mechanism of injury wherein you do it at a specific point like a misstep or a trip (though not always.) Niggles are mostly caused by overtraining.
Carefully when using that word around Americans, Most of them don't watch Soccer AM. Have a nice long hot bath. RICE is good on a fresh injury, but sometimes things just need a relax and pop back into place. Gentle stretches. If you are still struggling get a sports massage.
Bruh you can get cancelled for saying that word.
Niggles in this context are just small annoyances/pains that aren’t full blown injuries. Niggles or niggling things typically refer to annoyances and inconveniences. This word predates the n word by hundreds of years despite the similarities.
Terrible joke dude