When you lose faith in the body
Many of us have had moment’s where we’ve been injured, were in the healing process post-surgery or have experienced chronic pain. Regardless of why we were experiencing that discomfort and/or inability, it’s important to know that everyone has been there and the truth is, we’ll most likely be there again.
No one likes to talk about injury or pain from a state of preparedness.
Most of us just want to be OUT of pain and capable again. However, it’s part of life. Injuries happen. Pain is part of movement and living. So how do we prepare ourselves for when we’re IN that moment? Especially when the healing process is taking longer than it ever has before?
KEEPING THE FAITH
Are you a believer? That is, do you believe your body can heal just as much as it can get sick? Our body has numerous defense mechanisms that are centered around keeping us safe. We don’t often think of pain as a protective tool but it IS there to alert us that something is wrong.
What’s also difficult is when we’ve seen EVERY. ONE. Been through all the tests with our MD & have had X-rays and MRIs yet (still) nothing is detected. Arthritis is suggested as the culprit from time to time. Age is certainly thrown out there as a ruling factor (eye roll please). But you’re still in pain, unable to put your socks on and you are starting to give up on you.
When we begin to lose the faith that our bodies will be in pain ‘forever’… I go back to 5 truths that give me hope. I like to teach my clients about pain & help them better understand the neuroscience behind the ‘ouch’ so they can begin training out of pain with their movement and their mentality.
So here’s a few Pain Re-education Tips that I jump my clients into right away and wanted you to know these for those moments when you begin to lose the faith in your body.
#1. THE BRAIN IS DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU SAFE
What we experienced can have a LARGE effect on the reasoning for why we’re in pain. Your emotions, behavior and movements are all designed to shift when you need to be protected. As I often say, pain is designed to keep you safe. So back off and discover what’s up.
Check in with your sleep, stress levels, breathing habits, nutrition, environment, vision or balance issues, etc. The brain likes to take a snapshot of you as a WHOLE and respond.
#2. PAIN IS AN OUTPUT
This one tends to be the hardest one to grasp because we don’t talk about pain with the proper science. Even doctors can talk about pain backwards! So in a nutshell, there are NO pain receptors. There is nothing coming from your knee to your brain saying “ouch!” There’s a whole web of decision making that goes through the brain to determine the output of “ouch”.
So what does this mean to me?
It means that the system of the body as a WHOLE could have something that is compromising the survival of the brain and it doesn’t feel safe. And the brain knows how to get your attention: pain. Rough part about this is, pain is like a crying baby. We don’t know EXACTLY what the brain needs as it just needs to get your attention. Sometimes pain can be associated with a local area of threat but pain isn’t always JUST structural.
#3. DON’T LOOK FOR THE PAIN
You can train your brain INTO pain just as you can train the brain OUT of pain. So it’s important to learn that initially you don’t want to push your movement into the pain. You need to train the brain to experience ‘one pain-free repetition’ when you begin moving.*. So take it easy as you begin to heal.
(*This is different when working with a Physical Therapist or a trained movement professional)
#4. B-R-E-A-T-H-E and count 1-2-3
We need to reset the brain’s pattern and nothing better than narrowing our focus as we count our breath and begin to feel ourselves take the air into our bodies. When we’re in pain, it takes a LOT of fuel, so it’s best to refuel our oxygen intake with gentle breathing. One hand on your chest, one hand on your stomach as you breathe in and out.
Count 1 on the inhale and 2 on the exhale. 3 on the inhale and 4 on the exhale. Etc. Count up to ten and then count back down as you feel you hands rise and fall.
#5. TALK PRETTY TO YOURSELF
It is crazy to think but you can literally talk yourself INTO pain just as you can out of pain. Be aware of that downward spiral of pain catastrophizing. “I’m never going to get out of this pain.” “Everyone’s given up on me, I guess I’ll always be in pain.” Go back to point #1 as your brain needs to feel SAFE and mean talk isn’t going to help.
As hard as this is going to sound, you don’t have to say “THIS IS FOREVER” when it comes to pain. Remember, pain and immobility are outputs of the brain as the brain is saying “something’s up” and it needs to feel safe.
In addition to your biomechanics….your stress, your environment, nutrition, digestion, sleeping habits (or lack thereof), respiratory function and so so much more, can and will have an affect on how you’re functioning.
Don’t give up on yourself. Keep the faith. And always reach out if you have questions. You can live pain-free and sometimes we just need that moment of hope to move us toward
