Greetings cherished reader, today I want to talk a bit about pain. You really need to be in the absense of pain to thrive. Pain takes many forms, and arises from many places in our lives. It is also a uniquely personal thing, that varies widely based on your experience. A regular companion, the nagging occasional visitor, sometimes pain is a cruel master, sometimes a seldom quiet whisper.  I’m sure you’re enthralled with the concept so let’s jump right into the pop media style list about what pain is NOT.

Pain is not just a thing that happens sometimes, there is always a reason

If you have a pain, especially a reoccurring pain, there is something happening that shouldn’t be happening due to a lack of something, too much of something, or physical damage. Understanding where you pain comes from is one of the first steps to relieving it. 

 

Regular Pain is not regular.

Pain that is ongoing and reoccuring is almost always representative of a dysfunctional habit, usually a movement, creating inflammation in your body that builds up as you become less capable. If you have chronic pain, it’s something you can understand and take control of. Pain is not a result of age, or regular proper use of the body, and you don’t get it from your parents.

Pain is not something you can fix the root of with medicine.

Any and all medication for pain covers the symptom, pain. It does not cover the source of the pain, a dysfunction, deficiency, or excess. Numbing pain with medicine also reduces some of the body’s mechanisms to releiving it, as there is no signal for prevention and engagement. 

 

Pain is not something you can cut out of your body.

There are a lot of people who make a living telling you your pieces are wrong, or this extra piece is hurting you. In almost all situations resorting to surgery in the pursuit of avoiding pain is not a successful endeavor. I have known people to take drastic measures to avoid pain, and I have seen people take drastic measures to beat pain. Several years later, the avoiders are still avoiding.

 

Pain is not a purposeless tool of suffering.

Pain does not exist as a sensation or a concept without purpose. Pain is a tool of the communication system our body has with our mind and our awareness. Our body is constantly adjusting variables in our system to maintain a smooth run, and it does not do anything to us that we are not creating or asking for. 100% of the time there is a reason for pain. 

 

Pain and suffering are not mutually inclusive.

There will usually be pain in life at some point, you must decide how much to suffer over it. Sometimes it is something we must carry for a time, I survived a 60 mile and hour car wreck and you can be sure I carry. Staying action minded, and seeking solutions is the best thing. Explore your options.

 

Pain is not something you should ignore as a permanent solution.

Physical, or emotional pain. You should definitely stop for a second and check it out, with scaling concern to the situation. There is always a present root cause in a pain situation. 

Pain is a defensive mechanism of your body to alert you that it something needs to change, a warning, a threat. ‘Fix this problem’ it says. By looking your pain in the face and asking, ‘why?’ You are taking a huge first step to living a pain-free life. Noticing how your pain feels can help you understand where it’s coming from. See pain from your body’s point of view, an alarm, a cry for help. The following are 3 major ways I look at pain when I am working with someone or they are telling me about an issue. 

 

Long term pain, tightness, soreness, overuse, fatigue aches pains

This type of pain is usually associated with overworked muscles that are part of a compensation dysfunction pattern in the body. Some muscles work a lot and are very helpful, others do nothing and wither. This creates inflammation and mobility issues that create pain as the body cries for movement.

 

Stinging/Tearing/Burning Pain

A Tear or strain, pushing your mobility beyond it’s current limit, striking with force and over-exerting a joint. These types of pain are usually situational and should be responded too right away. If you really did it, stay off till it’s better. Sprains are damage to body tissues that do not have a blood supply, so they take longer to hear. See a doctor, and foster proper patterns as you heal to avoid compensation.

 

Hot/Numbness/Weakness Pain

Nerve pain and damage occurs when a nerve is over-stretched, bound by other tissue, or pressed upon too firmly by tight muscles, or bones. Nerve pain is no joke, this is where we usually see the cruel master situation. Sciatic pain is brutal, typically from a simple pelvic misalignment and disorganized hips. Do something about this one, the only way to fix it is to physically relieve the nerve.

It has been a real journey since November 18th when I got into a 60MPH car accident, and I am still doing so much to gain and maintain physical wellness. Mostly just happy to be alive. I have been helping people with pain and function for 7 years, and this is my first experience with a severe personal injury beyond a sprained ankle, or throwing out and in my back. Considering my condition and level of care, I shudder to think what shape I might be in, or who I might be in 10 years if I didn’t have the experience and education that I do. Pain sucks, and what also sucks is seeing people all around me every day quietly suffering from surmountable problems they don’t understand.