Pain, we will all eventually feel it at some point throughout our life, but the question is usually, why? What is the cause of pain and does it always mean there is damage? How exactly can you tell and what are the next steps to take? In this article, I will provide a large overview answering these questions.
Although unpleasant, pain is extremely necessary for human survival. Pain signals that there needs to be change. Think of pain as the ‘check engine’ light in the body. The check engine light in a car doesn’t usually mean the car isn’t working. I’ve had a car drive with the check engine light on for months before. While it doesn’t mean the car isn’t working, it does mean that we need to find the cause of why the light is on, otherwise it can be fatal.
In order to do this, we take our car to the mechanic. They run some tests on it and tell us exactly what the problem is, how much it will cost to fix, and how long it will take. Well, the body is no different. Or is it?
The one big problem with pain and our healthcare system today is that you can’t see pain. It’s impossible to see pain. Please realize this simple fact. No X-ray, MRI, CT scan or any other test can see pain. Pain is a sensation and a subjective response to the individual who is feeling it.
So what does that mean? Well…like our cars, our bodies do wear down over time. Our bones start to get a little weaker, our muscles can have small tears in them, our cartilage breaks down as we age. However, does this always equate to pain? The short answer is, no. The long answer is, no, not usually.
As a society, we demand answers for why we are in pain. We want the doctor to find the diagnosis and fix us — and that’s where the problem lies. Again, we can’t see pain. And our bodies wear down as we age, but that doesn’t usually mean there is pain associated with this. So what happens? We receive an Xray, MRI, etc… and what do we see? Arthritis, degenerative disc disease, torn rotator cuffs, a torn meniscus, spinal stenosis, cartilage loss, among other things. And because we can’t see pain, this is the reason we’re told we’re in pain.
Are there times when these diagnoses can be the reason for pain? Sure. The best way to tell is if there was a traumatic event which occurred prior to the onset of pain. Was there a car accident, a fall, did something hit you, did you break something? Is there a specific moment in time that you can point to which you are sure of causing the pain? If you answered no to this then read on.
Again, like the check engine light in your car, pain in the body means we need to change something. It can mean we need the tires rotated, an oil change, or something as simple as the gas cap isn’t screwed on tight. How do we know what the problem truly is?
The majority of the time it comes down to movement. If I were to sit for 10 hours straight, my back is most likely going to be bothering me at some point, but that doesn’t mean there is damage causing it. It means that I need to change what I’m doing because if I don’t my body will begin to break down. If I stand in one spot for 10 hours straight the same is likely to occur. However, what if that isn’t the reason for your pain? What if you sit with good posture, you don’t slouch, you get up every hour and walk around, and you regularly exercise, yet you’re still in pain? Read on.
Looking at movement will give us the answer. Often times, the area that is having to work the hardest is the area that becomes painful. This happens with sitting (i.e. the low back), looking down at your phone (i.e. the neck), etc… When we move throughout the day we don’t just move one joint at the time. Almost every movement takes multiple joints working together to perform any one task.
For example, squatting down requires the ankles, knees, hips, and the back all working together. If one area isn’t doing its job properly then another area has to do more work. Again, the area which has to work harder is often the area which becomes painful and this is regardless of if someone has been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, etc…
For most, the solution to getting out of pain is through looking at full-body movement. What movements are painful? What areas aren’t participating like they should? What areas are being overworked? Working to get the entire body acting like it is meant to be is the long-term solution to pain. The focus of this is often not the area of pain. Because the area of pain is usually the area which is overworked. The focus is on getting the areas which aren’t working like they should to pull their own weight again. This way the overworked areas can take a break and pain suddenly disappears.
If you would like to find out if your body is working as a unit, like it should, it's as simple as a free total body diagnostic movement assessment. Just call (757)-529-0276 or email elizabeth@drbrewerpt.com to schedule yours today!
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