Which fits in the brackets

With a car, stopping to evaluate a warning sign seems quite logical. But consider that the next day while out jogging you experience knee pain. Instead of stopping, you continue to run, pushing through the knee pain. The pain persists through two or three runs. Eventually you purchase anti-inflammatory medications and ice packs to cover up the pain for the next run. You are throwing a towel over the dashboard rather than addressing the cause of the pain. Covering up the symptom (pain) and pushing the joint further and further into activity can cause a significant amount of damage. You want the pain to go away so that you can get on with things, but by [denying / avoiding] it you are ignoring one of the keys to improving your training.

In the brackets, which is more suitable? If one fits in them, please explain why the other can't be put there.