Discover expert chiropractic care for neuro-musculoskeletal pain in Sainte-Julie. Learn about diagnosis, treatment, and prevention techniques for back, neck, and joint pain.
Imagine this: you burn your hand on a hot stove. 🔥 Your brain immediately registers that pain, and instinctively, you avoid touching that stove again. It’s a highly effective survival mechanism because, let’s be honest, who would want to burn themselves twice?
Now, let’s imagine another scenario: you’re at the gym, running, and… you get injured. Maybe it’s a wrong move, it doesn’t matter. What’s interesting here is that for some people, the visceral reaction felt is often the same as a burn. And that’s where the problem begins.
Understanding Negative Thoughts Surrounding Pain 🧠
At our clinic, Dr. Boisvert, a canadien 🍁 chiropractor, addresses a crucial element in maximizing the autonomy of the population regarding fitness: the negative thoughts surrounding movement or physical activity. Are you familiar with yellow flags?
A yellow flag is a term used in health to denote psychological or psychosocial factors that can influence a patient’s pain and recovery. However, unlike red flags, which indicate serious medical signs requiring urgent attention, yellow flags suggest concerns that can slow down the symptom cessation process or worsen pain over months.
Key Points to Understand Yellow Flags
Catastrophic Beliefs: This includes thoughts like, “This pain will never go away” or “I’ll never be able to return to my normal activities.” These beliefs exaggerate the situation’s severity and can heighten anxiety. 😟
Excessive Fear of Pain: Many people fear that pain signifies something very serious, like a permanent injury. This can lead to avoidance of movement or engaging in activities for fear of worsening their condition.
Self-Criticism: Negative thoughts may include harsh judgments about oneself, such as “I’m weak” or “I shouldn’t be feeling this.” This can diminish self-esteem and make pain harder to manage. 😔
Helplessness: Some people may feel they have no control over their pain, thinking nothing can help them get better. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness.
However, for many, it’s the last concept that affects them the most. These are individuals who, after getting hurt at the gym, start to avoid certain movements altogether, or worse, they may never dare to return to training. They think that if they feel a bit of pain or discomfort, it’s like touching that hot stove again. 🤯 They are teaching their brain to avoid what hurt them.
What they don’t realize is that by acting this way, they program their brain to stay in “danger” mode. In the long term, this can lead to a cycle of chronic pain, not because of the initial injury’s severity, but due to the fear and restraint they have instilled in their bodies over time.
The Role of Brain Plasticity in Pain Perception 🧩
This type of brain conditioning adversely contributes to its plasticity, gradually distorting our unique perception of pain. In neuroscience, plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt positively, but also negatively in today’s context, in response to experiences, learning, injuries, or environmental changes. This means the brain is not a fixed structure; it can change over the years.
That’s exactly why it’s crucial not to confuse these two scenarios! When you burn yourself, pain is an immediate alert signal that prevents you from doing more harm. But when you get injured during training, it doesn’t mean you’re doomed to avoid that activity forever. What you need is to re-educate your body gradually and intelligently.
Strategies for Managing Pain 💪
You can decrease the load, the number of repetitions, or the range of motion related to the exercise. If it’s related to a running injury, you can regress the duration of physical activity. In both cases, it’s about testing your limits while minimizing regression to stay in your comfort-discomfort zone. This will ultimately teach your brain that these movements are not dangerous, strengthen your capabilities, and help you avoid falling into the chronic pain trap.
Remember, pain is not always an enemy, and just because it hurts doesn’t mean it’s harming you. Speaking of that, are you familiar with the phrase “no pain, no gain” in relation to persistent pain? Because we have an entire segment dedicated to the 5 worst mistakes to make with chronic pain, and the link should pop up live now.
Connect With Us! 🗨️
Chiropractic care in Sainte-Julie is here to help you overcome these obstacles. With a focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neuro-musculoskeletal disorders such as lumbar herniation, our team can guide you on your path to recovery.
In the meantime, share your story, comments, suggestions, or simply if you still have questions! 📩 Because an informed person is one who is still in control of their health! 💖
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