Pain is a symptom. Symptoms are the feedback that the body generates when it faces problems with its delicate internal balance (homeostasis). Without symptoms like pain, thirst, nausea and fevers, it would be very difficult for us to maintain a healthy body in the same way that it would be hard to drive a car safely with no dashboard display.
We long to be ‘pain-free’. Because physical pain is somehow the opposite of physical freedom, it places terrible limitations on the variety, quality, and vibrancy of the life we are able to lead.
John is one of those rare gentlemen who has continued to play competitive soccer well into his late 50s. He is in really good shape, which you need to be to play football at that age—good shape except for his left leg. His left leg is not in good condition at all. In fact, once you get to know his left leg a bit better, it becomes apparent that it's miraculous that he's able to run at all, Let alone the type of running required to play competitive soccer against younger men.
Few things in life deserve more respect and appreciation than science. Science has made our lives so much easier, warmer, drier and safer that it is hard to fathom.
After using intensive cupping therapy to support remedial care of chronic pain patients for nearly 20 years, I feel an incredible weight of responsibility. To help people understand this often overlooked but vital tool in the box of remedial pain management techniques.
People who have suffered a manageable amount of pain seek relief, while those who have suffered an unmanageable amount of pain seek resolution. Resolution of pain means wishing for it to go away and never come back. Both relief and resolution are possible for most pains. But in order to take a realistic shot at pain resolution, most people need first to make a mind resolution. A resolution to do whatever it takes to reclaim their life, relationships and health from the grip of chronic pain and underlying causes.
Over time, a toxic belief can be as harmful to the body as a toxic chemical. One of the most toxic and inaccurate beliefs nurtured by many pain sufferers is that their pain is caused by getting older. The old age myth may stem directly from the global family doctor's office, where it is often advertised, but it's hard to know for sure where it started.
Healthy, strong tissues are highly resilient to damage; if they weren't, there would be no such thing as contact sports. So true injuries are, without exception, memorable physical events. If you experience a 'sudden pain' in your spine picking up a box of tissues, it is worth questioning how healthy your spine is; and whether it really qualifies as a true injury at all.
Many pain sufferers struggle to discern between what really causes their pain and what simply triggers their underlying pain issues. Triggers are always external forces and events, like bad sleep and awkward lifts. Whereas causes can be environmental, but are often internal challenges, like having a weak core, for example. The true causes of pain are always a very big and important deal. Pain triggers, on the other hand, are very helpful to know but often trivial in the grand scheme.
If you have stubborn pain in a muscle, joint, nerve or your soft tissues - it’s highly likely to be mechanical pain. Mechanical pain is caused by factors relating to movement. It is the body's way of alerting us when healthy movement patterns are lost within body parts for an extended period of time.