Do you suffer from chronic pain, or know anyone close to you else who does? Chances are, the answer is YES, sadly.
Do you know why you or they have pain?
We live in a society that tends to like clear labels and quick solutions. So the answer to this question is often “yes, because I have a disc bulge, or degeneration in the spine, or an old rotator cuff injury”. We often have an MRI image or a report from a physiotherapist to back it up. And often there is a prescriptive advice “do Pilates to help manage your condition”.
Great. A simple, clear-cut picture (and thanks for the recommend of Pilates). Right? And it is great that Pilates helps a lot of us.
But not everyone, straightaway.
I am going to be controversial (for some of you) and say - it is not a straightforward answer as to “WHY” we have pain in the first place. And it is not always following that core exercises help aleviate it, either.
Did I just shoot myself in the foot and you will consider cancelling your enrolment with me?
Don’t rush, as we are going to look into the issue of PAIN a bit more now.
There are a few things to look into.
The “pain equals tissue damage” equation really only works in some cases, which is typically new acute pain - and sometimes not even that.
Read about a builder who thought he put a nail through his foot and was in agonizing pain, only to discover it only went through his boot … and about another builder who, after working with a nailgun, thought he had a mild toothache and went to the dentist, only to find a 4-inch nail imbedded deep in his skull. Real stories, different tissue impact, dramatically different pain perception stories.
Pain always has lots to do with your thoughts and emotions. It is about story telling - both in new acute pain, but even more so with chronic pain when any tissue damage had long since healed.
Truth be told, the pathways of pain - which don't actually physically exist, as they are actually the “pathways of danger perception” in our brain - are all about perception of risk and the measure of how much protection is needed. All guessed at by our complex brain. But at the end of the day, we don’t actually know WHY things hurt, and how much it is going to hurt. It is all about predisposition but it is not 100% guaranteed - pain is THAT complex.
High risk, much protection needs guessed at by the brain - we tend to get a lot of pain.
Low risk… you got it. Not much pain, or none, even.
This applies to disc bulges, or spinal degenerative conditions picked up on MRI, or ancient rotator cuff injuries.
Yes, for sure, there can be a mechanical component to it too. If we ALWAYS get discomfort at this type of spinal twist, this particular stage in our running, after the 10th squat… chances are, this has a bit more to do with the mechanics of how we do these movements. But it is always at least a little bit, and maybe a lot, about emotions attached to this.
Have you noticed that these discomforts might flare up more when you are unhappy, under pressure, ”out of sorts”? Maybe we are always quite stressed without realising it… just consider this a possibility?… with a greater chance of general system sensitisation to danger, risk, and therefore PAIN.
Maybe we don't even realise that we are under a lot of pressure all the time. We got used to it. But the body is feeling the strain.
So pain has lots and lots to do with our internal stories, and our mindset. It therefore follows that this is something that you can take control of.
And things like visits to physiotherapists or chiropractors can be just that - not just addressing the obvious structural matters, but also taking control of our health and creating a more positive, more proactive mindset of healing.
There is definitely a bit of a placebo effect at play here!
Pain always erodes the sense of control over our lives, eats away at our inner sense of happiness. Doing something about this reverses the trend and starts tipping the scales towards positivity.
Taking regular movement classes that incorporate mind-body awareness - so moving more slowly, monitoring, relaxing as we go, as well as getting stronger - is a fantastic way to increase the positives in our lives.
So Pilates, yoga, or any other disciplines, when approached with the right frame of mind, creates greater opportunities to really listen and tune into our body and tap into the healing mindset.
And get a stronger core to boot. Win-win.
To sign up for the next term of Pilates therapy classes, or inquire about a 1-1 consultation, please reach out to me on 07768 135481.
To your health, Kaye
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