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PAIN - It hurts!

The mind and body work together, they can’t be separated. The way your mind controls thoughts and attitudes affects the way your body controls pain.

Pain itself, and the fear of pain, can cause you to avoid physical and social activities. Over time this leads to bad physical health and weaker social relationships.

From your digestive system to your muscles your body is continually responding to stimuli – what you eat and drink, how you exercise and the consistent the thoughts you hold in your mind and the company you keep.

FOOD and PAIN

If you have digestive issues then analyse what you are putting into your stomach every day. Is it foods that your body no longer likes? If it reacts with bloating, gas and pain then it’s the wrong food for you. Are you rushing when you eat? This changes the function of your hormones and digestive enzymes and usually creates ongoing digestive problems.

Digestive enzymes break down the food you eat into smaller particles, so that your body can digest and absorb nutrients. Eg: People who are lactose intolerant lack the digestive enzyme lactase. So when they eat a milk product, they get gas, bloating, diarrhea, and other stomach issues and inflammation, which can then lead to different ailments including depression and anxiety.

Many people with depression anxiety have low levels of important vitamins and minerals. This is due to either a poor diet, and or, the inability of the intestines to absorb vitamins and minerals from their diet and supplements.

Seeing a nutritionist or naturopath can help with assessing what the problem is, why it has arisen and help you find a solution. Assuring you are relaxed and calm when you eat can be a great start to reducing food related discomfort.

EXERCISE and PAIN

If your body hurts when you exercise then you need to find a different type of exercise that will condition your body rather than injure it. I’m talking about actual pain not that slow burn or muscle fatigue, that type of pain changes and strengthens your body.

Exercise Pain

WHAT IS PAIN?

Pain in is the body’s warning signal that alerts us to a problem. It is sharp, pointed, shooting, aching or irritating. It is often located in a joint or deep in the bones. It tends to quickly catch your attention precisely because we are meant to listen and act on any feelings of pain. The odds of developing a serious or chronic injury increase as you exercise with pain.

WHAT IS DISCOMFORT?

Discomfort is often a part of exercising and is an indication that your workouts are pushing you to improve. Muscle fatigue is common after lifting weights or after a hard run. It is felt in the muscles and is a slow burning sensation. Occasionally, you might experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which occurs 1-2 days after a session. DOMS lasts 2 or 3 days and is felt in the muscles; not the joints or tendons.

It’s important to learn to recognise the difference between pain and discomfort when training. Coaches and trainers can help you learn how to know this difference with daily check-ins, and a bit of education about anatomy and physiology.

STRESS and PAIN

Stress has physical and emotional effects on our bodies. It can raise our blood pressure, increase our breathing and heart rate, cause muscle tension and change the way our hormones work. These things are hard on the body and can lead to fatigue, sleeping problems, changes in appetite, fat storage.

If you feel tired but find it difficult to fall asleep, you may have stress-related fatigue. Or you may fall asleep easily, but have a hard time staying asleep. These are all reasons to look into the physical effects stress is having on your body. Stress can also lead to anxiety, depression, a dependence on others, or an unhealthy dependence on medications.

DEPRESSION and PAIN

Depression is common among people who have chronic pain, dealing with pain on a continual basis can be exhausting and mentally challenging for the strongest of people. Pain can also make existing depression worse and vice versa. Even mild depression can affect how well you can manage your pain.

Depression

Signs of depression include:

  • Frequent feelings of sadness, anger, worthlessness, or hopelessness

  • Less energy

  • Less interest in activities, or less pleasure from your activities

  • Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

  • Decreased or increased appetite that causes major weight loss or weight gain

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Thoughts about death, suicide, or hurting yourself

THE SOLUTION

You can reach for pills, powder and potions to placate your pain or you can investigate what is causing it and learn how to alter your lifestyle. A common therapy for people with chronic pain is cognitive behavioural therapy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy comes in many forms. The Motive8 Lifestyle method is our 12 Week Mind Overhaul which will improve the way you think, feel and act quickly, so that you can focus on leading a happy and fulfilled life.

Cognitive Therapy can help you:

  • Improve self esteem

  • Change negative thoughts into positive actions

  • Reduce your fear of pain

  • Improve relationships

  • Develop a sense of freedom from your pain

  • Enjoy your life without fear or guilt

If your pain is the result of an accident or emotional trauma, your doctor can assess you for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many people with PTSD aren’t able to deal with their back pain until they deal with the emotional stress that their accidents or traumas caused.

Maddy at BBetter Coaching x

References: Bruce Davis, Ph.D. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. David Zieve, MD, MHA, Bethanne Black.

References: Bruce Davis, Ph.D. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. David Zieve, MD, MHA, Bethanne Black.

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