If you say that a sports player has gone through the pain barrier, you mean that he or she is continuing to make a great effort in spite of being injured or exhausted.
[British, journalism]
England's World Cup hero is determined to play through the pain barrier.
pain barrier in British English
(peɪn ˈbærɪə)
noun
British
the point at which pain reaches a peak and begins to diminish
England's World Cup hero is determined to play through the pain barrier.
Examples of 'pain barrier' in a sentence
pain barrier
When the going gets tough, men and women exercise to different tunes to help them through the pain barrier.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
If not, better to go through the pain barrier of parting so you can look back fondly in time.