Rethinking What We Know About Our Body & Our Pain
“ Pain dis-engages us from the world. It complicates our sense of time, sense of space and erases our sense of self. It robs us from what is meaningful as it paints the world in immutable colours” - Sanja Maretic
It is not uncommon to see patients coming to the clinic with persistent and reoccurring pain. Pain is a scary thing. We don’t know how long it will be around for and how bad it will be.
The normal reaction is to look for quick fixes, reliefs or cures to get rid of the pain as fast as possible – And I can understand why. After breaking my leg (surf accident that required immediate surgery) and living with a chronic back pain issue due to a bulging disc at L5 after a motorbike accident in my early 20’s, I can say that the journey is not easy, fun or pleasant at all.
Maybe you checked Google to see what the best option is for you? You might have been thinking that surely there is a solution to your problem or at least an option that you haven’t explored yet. A single element that has probably been missed by previous practitioners.
We are human and we hate to deal with uncertainty.
Have you found the answer to your questions? Or have you been left more confused about your situation?
We know that pain is complex, and if you are experiencing chronic pain then you may need a different approach to break the cycle. One size doesn’t fit all, and it is really rare for pain to arise due to one factor alone.
So, what now? Well, you need to think about your health from a different perspective.
If our body was like a car, made of bolds, screws, rods, and oils, then replacing or fixing its parts should be easy. If that were the case, then a simple hip replacement would be enough to fix hip pain and we would have seniors doing cartwheels outside the hospital post-surgery.
Or what about having better core or glute muscles? By ‘fixing/strengthening’ our muscles, surely this will remove the pain? If this approach could fix pain, then we would have found the cure a long time ago.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.
We now know, through modern scientific research, that everything is connected and blaming one element of your body as being responsible for your pain is not correct or helpful.
- My back hurts because my spine is out of place
- My neck hurts because of my posture at work
- My hip is sore because I have one leg shorter than the other
- My doctor diagnosed me with Osteoarthritis so I should always expect to live with this degree of pain
The list is endless. And the reality is that many people do have disc bulges or arthritis in their joints and live a very active life without pain.
I think you see my point here.
You need to think differently about your body, your pain and your health and consider your situation as an ecosystem. Everything is interconnected and as an ecosystem, there is more than one element that generates pain in your body.
Thinking About Your Pain Differently
Are you struggling with sleep lately?
Do you feel tired in the morning, in body and mind?
Are you feeling some stiffness in the morning which in turn creates pain in a particular area?
Do you sit or stand for long hours at work?
Is your work or family situation creating stress in your life at the moment?
Are you anxious about life in general?
Do you tend to binge eat?
Are you always pushing your body to its limit at work, at home, on the farm or during your fitness activities? No pain, no gain – Right?
Why is it important to think about how your pain is influenced by other areas of your life?
Well, it is what we call having a holistic approach to healthcare. It is important to be aware of and address all the elements that influence your pain, to be able to implement effective strategies to help you get out, and preferably stay out of, pain.
Everyone wants to be healthier, live without pain and enjoy life. It would be hard to imagine someone saying, “I want to have neck pain, so that I can have days off work.” Or “I’m too healthy and energetic, it would be great to be sick to balance it out.”
To move beyond pain, you have to be active with your road to recovery and consider your health holistically. If you are here, then most of you are probably thinking about osteopathic treatments or home-exercises. It’s a good start. I constantly remind my patients to ‘USE it or LOSE it’. Motion is lotion. We know that movement is good for your joints, muscles, heart, lungs, brain and mental health. But what about the rest? Sleep, emotions, family, food, deep breathing, friends, laughter, mindfulness, water and more…
It is important to remember and acknowledge, that unfortunately there will be some moments of difficulty on your health journey. Flare-ups will occur and pain will resurface along the way and sometimes, it is not necessarily due to your muscles, joints, spine or tendons.
Instead, it may be important to consider how healthy your personal ecosystem is at the moment:
- Sleep
- Stress
- Diet
- Exercise
- Work
- Emotional well-being
Often pain doesn’t just show up out of nowhere. Pain doesn’t knock at the door one day saying: “Hello, lucky you! I’ve decided to create stiffness and tension in your back or neck.” Instead, what usually happens is that it’s the accumulation of actions (or inactions) beforehand that contribute to the pain you’re experiencing now.
- Lack of sleep
- Lack of movement
- Increased stress
- Lack of quality time with your family and your friends
- Not spending enough time outdoors
- Binge eating unhealthy foods
All these can influence flare-ups of your pain and when you aren’t aware of the health of your ecosystems, it can feel like they come out of nowhere. And when left unchecked, this can result in increasing chronic pain.
Therefore, being strategic and addressing all the elements surrounding your health is important.
Here are 5 Tips to Deal with Pain:
1. Stay calm. As we mentioned earlier, flare-ups are normal. Our body can be responding to many different things. So, sometimes, wait and see how things go. There are a few studies showing that back and neck pain can resolve by themselves after 6 to 7 weeks. So, that is good news!
2. Ask your different health practitioners to communicate with each other. Having everyone working together is always better. With multiple eyes on your situation, this can not only help you have the best care, but also help your health practitioners to tailor the best plan of action for you.
3. Keep yourself moving. Often when we are in pain, we always think about Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. The truth is that this model is outdated and we want you to move within your pain level as soon as you can. After orthopaedic surgeries, majority of surgeons will tell you to stand-up and move. We know that motion is lotion, and the same goes with pain. If you are experiencing back, knee, shoulder or neck pain, moving within your pain level won’t create damage to the tissues, but do the opposite: Release natural anti-inflammatory cells in the area, keep the muscles, ligaments and tendons gliding smoothly and decrease your pain level overtime.
4. If you are having recurrent pain in one area of your body, assess your lifestyle. Try to look at all the areas of your life and consider where you might be lacking positive attention. Sleep, nutrition, family time, outdoor time, hobbies, friends and so on. I remember a patient who was suffering from chronic back pain after working on his business 24/7 and the simple advice was: “Go surfing every day (Find time that suits your other life responsibilities), do some yoga, breathe and eat good food.” This simple advice was enough for him to offload the external stress of his life that created internal tension within his body.
5. Don’t deal with the pain alone. We know that pain is not only physically fatiguing, but it can also be emotionally and psychologically draining. Always ask for help. There are strategies and advice you can get from your local health practitioners to help you navigate your issue.
The blog was written by Teano Nguyen-Verdenet (Osteopath) from Mana Health Clinic. Teano has a particular interest in helping patients who suffer from persistent pain. He mixes active movement programs, a holistic approach to healthcare and osteopathy to help patients to learn how to overcome their pain and empower them to move beyond their it.
Recently, Teano has been awarded a scholarship with the University of South Australia to become a Certified Pain Management Local Educator for the South West.
