The Path Of Chronic Pain
The path of pain is rarely a straight and narrow course. We’ll take Sam as a classic example. Sam is a marathon runner and competes in at least 5 or 6 marathons every year. She does great until about the 10th mile, and then like clockwork her knee starts acting up. By mile 20 it’s all she can think about, and by the finish line she’s practically hobbling to make to through.
After each race it’s not just her knee that is in pain, however, it’s her whole body. Because of the stress that her knee problem puts on her hip, which in turn makes her back out of whack. It’s a domino effect that has serious consequences.
Sam knows if she can’t figure out what’s causing this to happen, she’ll have to stop running.
Sam’s case is a common one. The human body was designed to work as a seamless machine, and if there is a problem or lack of movement in one part the body will make up for it somewhere else so it can keep functioning. What starts out as a small injury can quickly turn into muscle imbalances that affect movement and stability in many other parts of the body, increasing pain in places you’d never expect.
When most people seek out treatment for chronic pain, they often look at the immediate “source” of their pain, the knee, the back, or whatever it is that is hurting. That one part is the focus of their treatment, and nothing else is really looked at.
What most people don’t realize, however, is that pain very often is the result of stress from a completely different source. In Sam’s case, it wasn’t until she sought out the advice of a corrective exercise specialist that she discovered that her knee wasn’t really the problem. The root cause began with her posture, of all things. Once she began teaching her body how to stand and move properly, over time her pain disappeared completely and she continued competing.
By focusing on her body’s function and not her pain, the root cause was addressed and Sam’s problem was solved. This technique could by applied to anyone, and with the help of a corrective exercise specialist the true cause of your own pain can be located and treated.
Anthony Carey is the author of
“The Pain-Free Program” and the founder and CEO of Function First. Function First helps those with back pain,
joint pain and chronic pain eliminate it using a method called
target="_blank">corrective exercise. To learn more about this simple, effective, non-invasive approach to pain relief and receive a free chapter from
Carey’s book
www.FunctionFirst.com
Tags: corrective exercise, lower back pain relief, natural pain relief, pain relief, posture exercise
