Welcome back to Movement Monday and today we're going to look at pain and what is really going on when in pain. For starters, pain is your body's check engine light or alarm going off letting you know that there is a threat to the body with the goal of getting you to stop what you are doing and check it out. Just like with our check engine lights, sometimes there's a good reason for this alarm going off(like you stepped on a nail) and other times, just like with our car, it can be a false alarm.
The message from your body to your brain goes something like this "Hey Brain! Something is going on down here, could you please check it out?" The sole purpose of this alarm is to get us to do something about it(in the case of the nail, pull it out and get a tetanus shot). This is a good thing, it helps us realize that touching hot stoves is a bad thing. But what about the pain that I've had for the last 6 months, 6 years, or longer? In this case, the body part that might have been injured to start with has healed. This may be the bulging disk that I had 10 years ago or the Rotator cuff tear they found on the MRI. The problem is that our nervous system hasn't figured that out yet. In some cases, the nervous system sets itself to extra sensitive so that the brain is alerted at the earliest sign of potential danger(like when you are unable to sit for more than half an hour because of back pain). Or it could be that end of day headache that happens after working on the computer all day. What do these two things(as well as many other persistent pains) have to do with each other? There is something we are doing, maybe it is being in a certain position for too long, or a motion we are doing over and over again which is making things more sensitive and more painful.
Watch the video below to learn more how pain works.
What can you do about it?
First, understand that you have options. One of the first messages that I give my patients is that "Motion is Lotion" for your joints, spine, and muscles. Even if it is just a little bit, the right kind of movement can make big changes in how you feel. At Body Mechanix in Tallahassee, I offer free e-books with steps you can take from day 1 to start feeling better and getting back to life. Simply fill out the form on the "learn more" tab on the WHERE DOES IT HURT page.
Does your pain change in intensity throughout the day or do certain motions make it worse? Is resting it and missing out on life not working? Would you like to arrange a free phone call with a Physical Therapist to see what you can do about it? Please fill out the form below.