March 2024 |

Pain Management & Getting Nerdy with Neuroscience…

 

Pain….A complex and very individualised topic but one that I work with on a daily basis and one that I find completely fascinating (I’ve become very nerdy and listen to a lot of neuroscientists speaking about pain on podcasts!)

 

Whilst pain is a physical feeling its actually an output of the central nervous system responding to perception of threat. You fall over and land awkwardly on your ankle, your brain sends a signal to the body to say ‘oh something not quite right is going on here you need to stop and take notice’, hence it sends you a physical pain signal to get your attention. Simple right? Well, not quite because we all know that yes we feel pain when we get a clear cut injury, broken bone, tissue or muscle damage, cuts, bruises and burns…but… what about all those other times when we have pain without an injury? Persistent/chronic on and off back, hip, knee and neck pain, headaches, stomach inflammation, diagnosed medical conditions and auto immune disorders.

 

Pain can be a viscous cycle, you struggle with daily tasks so you don’t do them or do them awkwardly this equals losing muscle strength and putting pressure on joints in an unbalanced way affecting posture….you can’t sleep properly so your body isn’t able to rest, digest and recover during sleep….you are cranky during the day from the pain and lack of sleep which makes you more hypersensitive to pain. Guess what? This is all controlled from your nervous system!! The more these consistent negative cycles are happening the more your brain and body are learning the wrong things and neuro pathways are becoming sensitised to these bad habitual patterns.

 

If consistency of bad habits centered around pain can generate unwanted neuro pathways, can we practice new healthy good habits to rewire nerve circuits and take back control with better habits….YES absolutely! Well new science says we can but remember we are all different so one approach that works for one may not work for another, but hey surely this is worth giving a go right?

 

My personal experience working with people in pain is primarily in movement and I commonly see clients that have a past or current injury or have suffered with chronic pain for many years and their natural instinct is to fear movement and create a belief that they aren’t able to do things. I get it! But I’m here to tell you that you are stronger than you think. Our bodies are clever and robust and we must not let pain inhibit movement but let it inform movement. There’s no one size fits all but commit yourself to learning how to move efficiently and effectively and you will find a way that works for you. I love working with clients and seeing their progress out of pain into a better more sustainable pain free way of living daily life. That’s not to say pain won’t return or come back somewhere else, but once we have the confidence and awareness of our bodies we can use the movements and tools in our toolkit to help us manage these issues as they arise.

 

Whilst complex what they do know is that pain is influenced from the nervous system down to the body by a number of factors including stress, sleep, diet, general health, systematic inflammation, fitness levels and other lifestyle factors, so it’s important not just to look at the source of the pain itself but you as a whole person.

 

The truth is we are all going to have to deal with pain at some point in our lives and as we get older (not ‘old’ because I don’t believe in getting old) our body naturally will start to change and degenerate in areas (no matter what we do) so we have to start to understand when and how we can make changes to help manage the effects of this #knowledgeispower

 

So let’s look at some practical pointers that may help you on a path to self awareness and pain management…

 

Firstly take a check in with all lifestyle factors…What are your stress levels like? Do you sleep well? What is your diet like? Do you exercise/move regularly? What is your posture like? When do you feel the most pain? (time of day, when you’re more stressed, when you’re hormonal, when you haven’t slept well?) Question all of these areas and NOTICE! The more knowledge we have to start with the better equip we are to move forward effectively and learning about ourselves is often our downfall.

 

Once you have identified your triggers and areas where improvements can be made start to build a toolkit of techniques to help with this. Again this is going to be very individualised.

 

For example…If stress is your issue, have you considered breathing techniques? It will help you out of your sympathetic nervous system (fight & flight) and put you into your parasympathetic system (rest & digest) Refer to my previous blog on Breathing for more info…

 

If movement, posture or a physical injury is your issue find a way to move more and add some strengthening into your daily life, whether this is an exercise class (I highly recommend pilates!) or going for a walk or jog during your lunch break, joining a gym or following an online workout in your living room. For specialist help find an instructor like myself that can guide you but if doing it alone learn to start listening to and understanding your body. Don’t just throw yourself into it full steam ahead, listen, learn and take it one step at a time. Notice how you move in general life… What is your gait like? How do you carry shopping bags? What shoulder do you carry your bag on? Do your feet naturally turn in or out?

 

If sleep is your issue, workout a consistent bedtime routine… things like lighting levels, when and what you eat and drink before bed, your sleep position and room temperature can all have an impact on this (watch this space for a blog on sleep, I will get there with this one!)

 

If your diet could be better, inflammation in the body could be an issue, have a read of my January blog on ingredients and ultra processed foods, it will give you some interesting things to think about and a few things to try…

 

And lastly be confident in your ability! Don’t see pain as a threat, it’s just normality and your bodies way of trying to protect you. Have a positive mindset that’s adaptable to change! Learn what you can do yourself and don’t be afraid to reach out to a suitable practitioner (like myself) or a medical professional if you need more specialist help. It’s always recommended to start with a medical professional when experiencing pain to rule out or diagnose any medical conditions. My sharing of knowledge here are ways to get you thinking once anything else has been ruled out. If your pain is from a current injury and you have been given rehabilitation exercises to do to aid recovery please please do them, you’re body is made to move and recovery from an injury requires you to build strength, stability and range of motion back as tissue is going through the healing process.