Your Fitness: A common misconception when it comes to pain
A big part of pain management is often related to a myriad of other variables going on in your life.
Something I see a lot in clinic and with my online clients is a common misunderstanding when it comes to pain and injury. Once this misconception is clearly understood I find things start to drastically improve when it comes to variables like strength, function and, of course...pain!
I firmly believe if more and more people were educated on these mechanisms we would have a lot less people struggling to the same extent with pain and injury.
As a physiotherapist, education plays a large role in what I do day-to-day. Whether this is my own education or educating patients, it is a continuum of constantly evolving guidelines, theories and approaches we take as we aim to better understand pain and injury with a wider array of individuals.
If you are still reading, you are probably wondering what I am telling my patients and clients that has been so helpful in achieving more favourable outcomes.
First things first, I like to educate patients on the relationship between damage and pain. This works in many ways but simply put - if it hurts to do a certain task, it doesn’t necessarily mean we are doing damage. In the same sense, if your scan highlights some age-related changes, such as arthritis for example, this does not always correlate to pain.
In many cases if we were all to get a scan in the morning there would be a high enough probability that there would be some form of arthritis or age-related change somewhere in our body. However, the vast majority of us would be unlikely to present with symptoms that would correlate with the findings from the scan.
A big part of pain management is often related to a myriad of other variables going on in your life. What I have often found with people struggling with pain is that there are many other variables at play in their life, which are, in my view, an optimal environment for pain to manifest and become more problematic. Things like poor sleep, high stress levels and inactivity. This often means we aren’t moving as much as we should, we are sleep deprived and are in a high stress environment, which can, in many ways, make us more sensitive to pain and create a negative feedback loop.
One of the best things we can do in my experience is to get these other variables in our life under control, make more of an effort to get an hour or so extra sleep where possible, focus on stress management and try to move your body more by finding ways of moving and exercising in a way where pain levels do not exceed 2-3 out of 10.
Another important consideration is to get an early assessment where possible as this gives you a better understanding of what you’re dealing with, how to manage it, and it also helps to ensure there are no sinister underlying causes.
Most people will often start to improve with some reassurance, increasing their physical activity and placing some special emphasis on their sleep hygiene and stress management!
If you are on the fence about online coaching and want to know a little bit more about the process, just email me the word “ready” and I will be in touch. Please get in touch through the contact information below to check availability and avoid disappointment as spaces are limited. Visit my new website www.coachedbycashel.com for more information.
Lastly, I would also like to clarify that I am not a registered dietician. All advice disclosed here is simply advisory based on my qualifications as a fitness professional and personal experience and knowledge gained working with individuals and helping them reach their goals. The advice given is not designed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.
I hope someone out there found some of this information useful here, just some food for thought.
For any questions in relation to this topic or training, nutrition, etc. or for coaching inquiries simply message me on my business page on Instagram @coachedbycashel_ or by email - contact@coachedbycashel.com
