Beware! #3 Dangerous Myths About Pain

Here are 3 of the most common, and dangerous, myths about pain that could actually be stopping you from feeling better:

• Pain is caused by arthritis, wear & tear, and weak muscles
• As you get older you'll inevitably get more aches and pains
• A joint replacement will totally fix your pain 

Why are these myths dangerous?

• They're misleading
• They disempower you
• They imply that you either have to live with pain or that surgery is the only option to relieve pain

Conventional treatments focus on trying to fix the structural aspects of pain, often with limited success. That's because chronic pain is most heavily influenced by how you hold, use and move your body.

Many diagnoses like arthritis, bursitis, muscle tears and tendon strains are actually just symptoms, and NOT the root driver behind the pain. If you're not addressing the root triggers of your pain, it won't get better..

Let's dive into these 3 misleading myths:

1)  Pain is caused by arthritis, wear & tear, and weak muscles

FACT: Chronic musculoskeletal pain comes from habitual, unconscious muscle tension and bracing

If you consult Dr Google as many people do you'll probably see a list of chronic pain conditions - arthritis, bursitis, wear and tear. Most of these are classed as 'overuse' or repetitive stress conditions. They're usually symptoms but NOT the root cause of your pain.

As you go about your life you'll meet many different types of stress every day which affect your physical body and mind, such as:

• Getting stuck in traffic
• Arguing with a loved one
• Worrying about finances or your job
• Carrying a bag or baby on 1 side of your body
• Sitting at a desk and working at a computer
• Surgery

Your nervous system responds by contracting your muscles and moving your body into 1 of 3 different stress reflexes:

1. Green Light Reflex = Sympathetic Fight or Flight response
2. Red Light Reflex = Freeze response
3. Side Trauma Reflex = The pattern of compensation

One side of your body becomes tighter than the other, leading to a cascade effect of muscle imbalances, joint misalignment, tension and pain.

If you habitually contract the same muscles, the brain stops registering their tension. This is called Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA).

If SMA isn't addressed, your body gets continually pulled out of alignment, putting more pressure and strain on your joints and muscles. This increases the risk of you getting diagnosed with an overuse condition, like arthritis, bursitis, cartilage damage and good old wear and tear.

What To Do To Get Relief: Understand your SMA pattern and restore conscious awareness and control of your muscles 

2) As you get older you'll inevitably get more aches and pains

FACT: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a result of altered movement patterns, not just age

Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) can start at any age.

For example, you fall and sprain your ankle as a teenager. You limp for a while and then it heals. Many years later, in your 50's your hip starts hurting and you get diagnosed with hip bursitis and osteoarthritis. "It's just your age, you'll have to live with the pain until you need a new hip".

But the SMA started when you were recovering from injuring your ankle in your teens. Whilst you were limping, the muscles on 1 side of your body contracted as a protective mechanism. This started pulling your pelvis out of alignment, putting uneven pressure through 1 hip and the muscles around that joint. After a few weeks, you stopped noticing that your body wasn't straight any more. 

This unchecked SMA leads to a gradual build of muscle tension, until one day you wonder why your gait is stiffer and your hip is aching. 

Remember too that your brain manages your body as a whole system. When you injure 1 part of the body, the brain will reorganise other areas to compensate. This leads to unnatural muscle tension and loading in those muscles and joints, causing damage to the cartilage, strain injuries and pain.

What To Do To Get Relief: Understand your SMA pattern and restore conscious awareness and control of your muscles .

3) A joint replacement will totally fix your pain 

FACT: A replacement fixes the structural issues with that joint, but doesn't address muscle and postural imbalances or movement compensation patterns.

Having a replacement joint can be like getting a new lease of life! The surgery fixes the structural damage to the joint, and the pain will often disappear. 

But even though you have a shiny new and stronger joint, whatever muscle imbalances or movement compensations you had before the surgery are still there.

Out of habit you may still be tilting forward or putting more weight on 1 side of your body as if the pain was still present.

If left unchecked, these old dysfunctions and compensations will eventually lead to muscle tension and pain returning. 

What To Do To Get Relief: Understand your SMA pattern and restore conscious awareness and control of your muscles.

Takeaway

• There are injuries and structural changes that can (but not always) cause pain, such as hip dysplasia, ligament tear and hypermobility conditions.
• Chronic musculoskeletal pain, such as arthritis, bursitis and wear & tear, is usually a functional problem caused by sensory motor amnesia (SMA), unconscious muscle bracing and persistent tension leading to stiff, painful movements.
• You can take reduce this type of chronic pain by understanding your SMA pattern and recognising where you hold unconscious muscle tension in your body to find long-term relief.

WAYS TO WORK WITH ME

1) Unlock Your Body breakthrough session

This is a powerful 1:1 session designed to help you find the root drivers behind a persistent pain or injury. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of what's triggering pain in your body, and a clear action plan to get lasting relief. 

I also have very limited availability for 3 and 6 month 1:1 coaching programmes.

Apply HERE  and I'll be in touch to arrange an initial complementary consultation to discuss which option will be a good fit for you.

2) Mindful Movement for Hip and Knee Pain Relief Workshop

Next date: Sunday 15th September, 1.15pm to 2.45pm (only 3x spaces left). **Bookings open now**

Angmering Village Hall  (The Kings Suite)

A friendly and inclusive small group workshop where you'll discover the common causes of hip and knee pain, why you're not getting the results you desire even if you've tried the usual treatments, and how to find lasting relief.

The session will be a blend of informal group discussion and movement practice, where you'll experience gentle exercises that effectively release muscle tension and show you new ways to move without pain.

After the workshop, you'll get a simple home programme to relieve hip and knee pain in just 10 minutes a day. You'll have lifetime access to this routine through your exclusive members area.

Read more information and reserve your place on the workshop HERE

Other ways you can find help with managing pain or an injury are:

• Book into a Stretch or Pilates class with me - these are a good introduction to the movement explorations of The Befriend Your Body (BYB) Method  for pain relief and relaxation.
• Get your copy of my free E-guide "How to Get Relief From Back Pain and Muscle Tension in just 10 mins a Day". This introduces the 3x universal stress responses that can keep you stuck in pain, and explains the 4x pillars of The BYB Method. There's also 2x 10 mins video tutorials showing you how to release muscle tension from the front and back of your body in the comfort of your without expensive equipment. Download for instant access HERE
• Subscribe HERE to receive "The Movement Chronicle", a weekly e-newsletter delivering mobility and pain reduction tips directly into your inbox every Monday morning,

You can connect with me through any of these channels:

• Email at norma@unicornhealthandfitness.com
• Follow me on Facebook and DM me on Messenger https://www.facebook.com/norma.pearsonfitness
• WhatsApp message to 07801 867361.