Give yourself a second chance at dealing with pain on Mulligan's Day

What exactly is a Mulligan?

A Mulligan is a term used in golf for the free hit you take after you play a bad shot or have an air swing.

You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy the benefits of a Mulligan - the term is now widely used to describe any "do-over", or second change after an initial failure.

For example

Give yourself a Mulligan when dealing with pain

Unfortunately, pain often doesn't settle down on the first attempt. And it's easy to fall into the trap of burying your head in the sand and hoping it just miraculously goes away.

Everyone experiences pain differently, no two people are alike and not everyone responds to treatments the same way. To misquote "Diff'rent Stokes", what might be right for some, may not be right for you. Your tolerance to pain will vary depending on, not only on the degree of injury but tolerance will be lowered by a lack of sleep, high stress levels and poor diet to name a few.

Sometimes you need to try different treatments to find the one that works for you and your pain

Some treatment options include

• Taping and de-loading the area affected
• Strengthening and stretching
• Massage and myofascial release
• Medical Acupuncture
• Shockwave therapy
• Pain medication
• Desensitising the area
• Modifying the load - changing shoes, training intensity, surfaces, orthotics
• Addressing sleep, stress, diet etc.

So on National Mulligan's Day give yourself a second chance