Why "Protecting" Your Pain Actually Makes It Worse
I did this for a long time, I was very careful about what I did, always worried I would further damage my back. This mentality is as debilitating as the actual pain itself!
One of the biggest things is that you live life in a very tense state, always worried about hurting your back more, which creates more tension and results in more pain from an area which already has tension and tight muscles - so the problem is exacerbated.
This then has a knock on affect on other areas, for example being tense due to lower back pain could cause tension in the upper back, neck and shoulders, resulting in pain in this area too.
You also stop being active, avoiding movement and activity, this further weakens your body and restricts your movement which of course in turn makes the pain worse and causes a lot more problems, including weight gain, weaker bones and limited mobility.
Gone are the days when the doctor would tell you to rest for 6 weeks if you had certain injuries or pain. Nowadays it is almost always about keeping moving, sometimes with care depending on the injury, but movement and optimal loading (specific exercise) is a very common approach.
At the point that every day activities cause you to think "Not with my back" or similar, then it is time to address the issues you are facing.
Every day activities are very unlikely, in most cases, to cause further damage or worsen your pain in the long term. You should be able to get on with life pretty much as normal unless you have an actual disability.
The words medical professionals use, such as "degenerative disc disease", "arthritis", "spondylosis" or "prolapsed or bulging disc" can cause fear of damage and further damage in to your mind, which in turn causes the pain to worsen for many of the reasons above.
It is as much a mental battle as a physical one to overcome pain, one I have been through. When I first had my MRI at 27 stating my L5:S1 disc was in the condition of a 50 year old lifetime manual labourer, I was not in a good place and things worsened quickly.
Building your confidence through gentle exercise, regular movement, sensible lifestyle choices and a change in your understanding of your pain (pain management therapy) can free you from debilitating pain and enable you to get on with your life.
Often it can sound as if no one believes the level of pain you are in, I remember feeling like this. It is certainly not the case. There are usually several contributing factors to chronic pain, it is not just a physical issue that someone needs to fix, and understanding this is key.
So try to relax, allow your body to move as it should, build your confidence - things will get better!
This video outlines how my pain protection mentality worsened my back pain exponentially, and how I overcame this with Pilates.
Keep moving!
If you do have symptoms or pain, please consult a doctor or health professional before exercising.
Music Credit: Bensound.com ----------------------------------------------- In this video I explain why I became an instructor, how I beat back pain and walked away from a 14 year career in financial services to coach instead:
I provide 12 week 121 coaching programmes designed and tailored for you to get RESULTS! Whether that be to beat back pain, improve sports performance or generally feel and move better. You can book a free consultation call here:
