Well hello again!
So, it’s quite exciting that you’re coming along for the Vitality Method get out of pain party. I’m thrilled you’re here!
(If you missed part 1 of the blog last week, grab it here)
And in this blog right here, I’m bringing you the cutting edge research on how the brain is intricately involved in the pain cycle. And, more importantly, what we can do about it to help heal.
But ‘til you read to the end, I wanted to pass along a word to the wise 1st:
If you’re not getting a consistent method, managing pain can be a lot like whack-a-mole, except way less fun.
You’re likely to be unsure of what is helping & what isn’t.
Because whether you realize it or not—yet!—there’s a lot that goes into the incredibly sophisticated system that is your body.
BUT …
That’s where I come in—and, honestly, as much as I love the opportunity to assess & create personalized treatments & exercise therapy for clients…
… one of my favorite things to do is share far and wide what has worked for clients in my (nearly) 18 Years & see how many people I can serve in a positive way across the power of the internet.
Like how to self-manage, for example.
In a nutshell, the tiniest CONSISTENT actions you take on a daily basis make the BIGGEST IMPACT LONGTERM.
Why? Because 1% of positive action every day, adds up to radical change.
If you need proven strategies >>> check out last weeks blog, & then right here I’ve dedicated a whole post on how our BRAIN has a HUGE impact on the RESULTS you can get.
So, what has the brain got to do with pain?
The feeling of PAIN is a construct of the brain. It is not just about the tissues in the body.
And you? You’re a rock star with cutting edge information at your finger-tips today!
And I’m ready today to hand over some of this highly complex information, in a “Jana explained way”, in a hope that it will break science down into something you can take action on IMMEDIATELY.
My research is mainly from looking at Neuroscientist Lorimer Moseleys work (please do watch his ted talk of ‘why things hurt’)
PLEASE do share this blog with as many people as you can >>> as over 70% of us have had back-pain as an adult, so I’m sure most of your friends will find this useful!
Let’s delve in:
Pain is a feeling that has profound advantages on keeping our body safe. The receptors in our tissues deliver information up to the brain, and the brain will interpret it based on:
- Your Biology (physiological pathology)
- Your Psychology (thoughts emotions and behaviours such as psychological distress, fear/avoidance beliefs, current coping methods and attribution)
- Your Social circumstance (socio-economical, socio-environmental, and cultural factors such as work issues, family circumstances and benefits/economics)
>>> The tissues/cells in the muscles/joint do not have the capacity to produce pain <<<
Nociceptors are the receptors that send the signals from the tissue up to the brain, and the brain scrutinizes it, before deciding on an output. It is the brains interpretation of pain that gives us the feeling of pain.
Figure 2: Mature Organism Model. Adapted from Gifford (1998).
The feeling of pain is 100% real, but it is not an accurate indication of the state of the tissues currently.
Wow. Mind-blown.
So in other words, the brain gives us a protective buffer or protective feeling that urges us to keep our body safe. If we believe that the feeling is a marker of the health of our tissues, we may choose to stop activity through fear. When we do less, the tissues themselves get less healthy. They need to be gently moving in order to clear metabolic waste, strengthen & heal.
The big question is “what should I do then?”
This is very individual & is still ongoing in the research of the field of pain perception – however, these are 2 factors that I know have helped my clients:
- Little & often
The “Little & often” mentality transformed so many of my clients health in lockdown, when they physically couldn’t come to their hands-on appointments. Lower backs got better, shoulders got freedom!!
How is this possible?
Doing little & often, with key technique cues & support in positions where the brain can register safety, is where the magic lays.
When we do just enough to stimulate a positive response, and the brain registers all is ok, we move into a position of safe & sound in our nervous system, and can repeat the next day, challenging just 1% more…and so on.
We moved together daily in short pilates-based workouts online where I asked them to listen to their body, keep good technique, & challenge themselves only 1% more each workout.
The consistency paid off for so many of them (I really wish we could have been in a research study with this, as I think the results were phenomenal)
This is why we have kept online pilates, so clients can touch base daily with what feels good for their bodies, and it has simply grown from there!!
If you know a couple of moves that feel good for you, I invite you to do those daily, gently progressing them & notice the radical difference over time.
- Get educated
Just by reading this blog here, your mind has (hopefully) been opened to new ways of thinking, and therefore, perhaps your brain will have a calmer response next time you feel an old pain flare up. I am not saying don’t do all the physical things to help yourself. But, your mental response to the stimuli may be less heightened, less catastrophic, and feel more manageable, by knowing now about the brains perception. This in itself is conducive to a healing environment.
And now? I want to hear your story. Are there new insights here that you can take into your day? Something you can take action on? I’d love to hear from you. Seriously, pop me an email & let’s have a chat
Leaving you with this lovely image of what can happen in your system next time you feel the scale of your discomfort is heightened (I do love a visual!)
Lots of love,
Jana xx
