up:: Chronic Pain MOC tags:: #output/youtube☑️#pain rank:: 3
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Pain and injury is a social experience.
Imagine a little kid at the playground running around. They’re chasing after some birds and suddenly they trip and fall flat. Do you what most kids will do before reacting? They’ll look for the mom or dad and try to read their face.
It’s so interesting! Instead of reacting to the pain, they look for their parents for information.
If their parents look worried and afraid, and rush over to the kid saying “OMG, are you okay? That was so bad!” Then the kid will start crying, and they’ll link the falling down to something bad and negative.
But if their parents look calm, and say “Hey buddy, that’s okay- you’re alright.” The pain is still there, but it’s not something scary and worrying. That kid might even get up and keep playing.
The parents’ response to their child’s fall affects how the child will understand pain.
That means pain is also learned in a contextual kind of way.
We think of pain as an isolated physical experience. It’s about how it feels in my body. But pain is also a social experience. How we interact with people when we’re in pain affects our recovery.
This might sound weird but pain is something that we learn.
We learn how to respond to pain, both emotionally and physically, from the people around us.
When we’re young, we learn about pain from our parents. We see how they react to our injuries, and we learn how to react to pain from their example.
Pain is a social experience, and it’s one that we learn from the people around us.
And we continue to learn about pain throughout our lives.
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Let me tell you a story about two different doctors.
It was 2010 when I tore my ACL playing basketball. I was so afraid that was it for me. I had hurt myself, and I would never be as strong again. I went in to see a doctor, who told me that I needed surgery. So I agreed, I went into it. When I woke up from surgery the doctor told me:
“Hey you’re up- The surgery was great, your knee is now better than new.”
I was so relieved and grateful. And I went on to get back to my sports and hobbies.
It’s been 10 years since my injury, and I’m still playing sports and enjoying my activities.
I’m so grateful to the doctor who helped me get better and gave me the confidence to move again.
Now for Doctor #2,
At the start of 2020, the year of covid, I started having some nerve pain going down my arm. This was a new and unfamiliar injury, so I wanted to make sure it was nothing serious.
Like last time, I went to see a doctor. She did some tests and then told me:
“You’ve got a pinched nerve. We can treat it, but it’s also going to keep coming back again and again and again.”
That was not reassuring, and actually quite scary. I didn’t know what I could do.
And it turned out to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I got more worried, more stressed, and more anxious. That made my body more tense and tight. Which made my nerve pain worse!
Today, in 2022, I’ve learned a lot about pain since then. And while I know I can work on my mindset to deal with it- I had to suffer a lot of fear, worry, and anxiety- which made my pain worse
The doctor’s words put in my mind a broken and irreparable body- and that has sunk into my subconscious.
It’s only in the last year that I’m learning that I can deal with it well.
And that’s what I’m doing now. I’m still living with some nerve pain, but I’m also practicing the right mindset.
I’m doing things that make me happy, and I’m surrounded by people who support me in that journey.
If you’re stuck in an injury, I hope these stories give you something to think about.
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A key factor in successful recovery from injury is having someone you can trust. It may be a doctor, coach, spouse, or friend.
In simple words, it is having someone in your corner who understands your challenges. You feel comfortable sharing about your recovery. You trust that they will help you through it.
It’s someone who will be there for you when you need support and who will help you stay on track when things get tough.
There’s a term in recovery called the “therapeutic alliance”
This is a special bond that forms between a coach, or a doctor and client. It’s based on trust, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to your recovery.
Research has shown that the quality of the therapeutic alliance is one of the most important predictors of successful treatment outcomes.
In other words, finding a doctor or coach that you can trust and who has a strong therapeutic alliance with you is a big part of the recovery process.
So if you’re looking for someone to help you on your journey to recovery, make sure to find someone who meets these criteria.
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Remember, pain is a social experience. That means the people around you do have a big impact on your health.
If your family and friends are always worried for your injury- and they keep telling you to take it easy and to not move around. This can reinforce the subconscious belief that you’re not supposed to move at all.
That can keep you stuck in an injury mindset and make it harder for you to recover.
But if the people around you are supportive and don’t act worried, it can make a big difference. They help you believe that your recovery is on track, and that you can trust your body again.
They can help you stay positive and motivated. It reminds you that you’re capable of overcoming this hurdle.
So if you’re stuck in an injury, don’t isolate yourself.
Make sure you’re surrounded by people who understand what you’re going through and who can offer you the right environment to get through it.
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Give this time, and start to explore.
Trust is not something that comes right away.
You’re always looking for someone who knows what you’ve been through. They may have seen many patients. They may have gone through an injury themselves.
Finding someone who understands can be a challenge.
But it’s not impossible.
You might already have people in mind when it comes to trust. They might not be doctors or physical therapists, but remember! It is just as important to feel safe, calm, and trusting. There may already be people in your life like that.
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