Three things that might surprise you about persistent pain management.

Number 1

Chasing "feel good first" can sometimes backfire. When life gets organised around avoiding and escaping pain, the day slowly fills up with the things you won't do. Each reasonable decision to skip something brings instant relief, which makes skipping it easier next time. The life narrows one sensible step at a time, often without anyone noticing it happening. The body does not always tell you what you really need. What brings instant relief in the moment is not always what helps you most over time.

Number 2

Not all of the suffering is the pain itself. There is the pain of a flare, and then there is the extra layer that can pile on top: the worry, the cancelled plans, the frustration and the self blame. It is not your fault, and none of this means the pain is in your head.

Number 3

Avoiding things is not a character flaw. The mind is built to steer you away from anything it has learned to link with harm. That is normal wiring doing its job (going back to early human days), not weakness or laziness. And much of what people slowly cut out was recommended to them at some point along the way.

Written by

Samuel Bulten

Exercise Physiologist | Masters in Medicine (Pain Management)

Director, Adapt Movement

Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. These blogs are written by Sam Bulten and represent his opinions and insights and are based on his experience and interpretation of the research. As Sam is a human, these opinions and insights are not absolute truths.