MMA is currently one of the fastest-growing sports as far as popularity is concerned. Contrary to popular opinion, people don’t watch for the carnage and blood. Fans have the chance to appreciate something spectacular. Decisive fights are stopped at the right moment, so they don’t represent any risk to the health of the participants. Most importantly, there’s no whining, no scandals, not to mention that you enjoy year-round action. The road to fame and fortune isn’t as glamorous as you’d be tempted to think it is. Countless people want to fight for the UFC. Needless to say, only a few lucky ones actually make it.
The morning after an MMA game, you feel like you got hit by a truck. More exactly, everything hurts. Bumps, bruises, and headaches can make the next day gut-wrenching. Any task becomes difficult to accomplish. If a fighter wins, they’ll most likely go out and celebrate. If a player loses, on the other hand, they might try to make their sorrow go away by consuming alcoholic drinks. Either way, it’s not good in terms of recovery. Professional MMA fighters react intelligently, which means that they deal with the pain in such a way that it wears off quite fast. The nasty side effects can be avoided by staying away from the game, only for a little while, and setting enough time aside for recovery.
In MMA, pain management can take many forms
Veterans have mastered healing well, but not the same thing can be said about beginners. Indulging in pain isn’t a solution. The good news is that there are plenty of techniques to resort to when it comes to speeding up the healing process. So, the question now is: How does the body heal from such abuse? If you’re curious to find out more, please continue reading.
Sleep
The body doesn’t recover from a tough game unless the fighter gets enough sleep. The muscles, as well as the central nervous system, need rest, so it’s of the essence to get at least 8 hours of sleep. During sleep, the pituitary gland releases the growth hormone, which the muscles need to repair and build tissue. It’s important for muscle growth, but not only. Taking a nap helps improve athletic performance and allows an MMA fighter to reap the benefits of physical activity. Not getting sufficient sleep could no doubt impact the recovery process. It increases cortisol levels that reduce the production of testosterone. This in turn can affect muscle mass, energy, and more.
Surprising as it may seem, sleep is the best painkiller. Scientists have discovered that lack of sleep makes the body more sensitive to pain by numbing the brain’s response. The data helps us understand the correlation between sleep loss and pain, highlighting the fact that sleep is an efficient therapy as far as pain management is concerned. So, even if the injury is the same, the brain might react differently to it because of lack of sleep. As sleep improves the need for pain medication decreases. Some medications used for fighting pain can result in sleep disturbances, yet the clinician may be able to suggest alternatives.
Ice baths
Icing an injury should be done immediately. It’s necessary to use a cold compress or an ice pack on the strained muscle to decrease inflammation and numb pain. If you’ve ever seen an MMA match, you’ve probably seen the fighters soothing their wounds by using ice packs. The muscles get hot during a fight and cooling them down with ice helps speed up recovery time. What happens is that the low temperature destroys the irritant nerve. Icing an injury is a traditional first aid injury being used for everything from bruises to contusions of all kinds. However, leaving the ice on the injury for too long can do more damage than good. It constricts the blood vessels, so blood doesn’t get to the injured area and recovery is delayed.
Hemp flower
Hemp flower is becoming popular in the world of MMA; it’s being used for fast recovery, working as an essential supplement. Hemp flower can alleviate body pain by decreasing inflammation. It has an impact on the molecules and receptors in the endocannabinoid system. In case you didn’t know, the endocannabinoid system is made up of receptors, receptors, and enzymes that affect pain pathways. When getting into the right, it’s hard, if not impossible to come back without getting hurt. Injuries are accompanied by inflammation, which can turn out to be unbearable. Managing pain helps ease suffering and promotes healthy recovery.
Pain can be effectively treated without resorting to opioids. Hemp flower is a good example. Not only does it have natural roots, but also it promotes good sleep. Pain medication can have unpleasant side effects, including but not limited to nausea, clouded thinking, and slowed breathing. Many of them are toxic to the liver. The point is that prescribed drugs end up doing more harm than good. They are released onto the market without undergoing thorough testing, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that these pills cause serious side effects. MMA fighters are allowed to use hemp flower, but they must be very conscientious about the product.
The professional MMA fighter’s road to pain relief can be long
At times, the pain can be so bad that it’s necessary to take a long break from training. When the fighter gets back to practice, they might still be sore. Deciding what to do in terms of medical needs isn’t always simple. Nevertheless, it’s paramount to get a good understanding of the situation and understand the risks before making a decision. The types of injuries that participants incur are more often than not very painful, whether we’re talking about swollen hands or more serious injuries. While professional MMA fighters can take this treatment because they’re well-trained for this endurance sport, the pain can be hard to tolerate.
If you’d like to become a pro, you must understand that it takes a lot of strength, dedication, and determination. Knowing what to do when it comes to pain management can make all the difference. Rather than spending weeks at an end struggling to recover, you can make a rapid comeback. Make the best decisions for your body without affecting your health or well-being.