Unsurprisingly, as I work in a pre/rehab space I speak to a lot of people who are in pain. Sometimes it is really easy to understand why, for example if you fall over your knee might hurt. However, it becomes a lot harder to understand when it has been going on for so long that you've probably forgot the cause or have to guess. You know, the back niggle which has been present for the last 15 years when attempting a park run? Or the shooting pain in your shoulder if you push a weight over your head on and off for the last 4 years?
The greater your understanding, the easier it becomes to escape your pain cycle
You're in pain because your body can't cope with what you're asking it to do
Obvious right? That doesn't mean that it shouldn't be said. Regardless on your history, your goals or the specific triggers - it all comes down to putting too much load through your body/joint. It is important to understand that 'load' doesn't just relate to exercise or weights - it can be anything from how you sleep, stress and what you did in a given day. Just because you always do it, doesn't mean that it doesn't increase your load. A common example of this is office workers who sit at a desk all day. You may not be sweating or 'working your body', but you are training your muscles a certain way to hold a certain position for over 30h per week.
The size of a load is unique to you, 10k steps will have a different impact on my body than on yours. Another important load is your joint mobility and muscle balance.
That is why working with me, especially if you're in pain, starts with a long chat and 1 - 3 different assessments. It's pretty full on, but I am working out your loads. From there the idea is to tackle the loads we can and then manage those we can't.
If you have bad mobility, we focus on fixing that. If you sleep badly and don't follow any recovery plans, we discuss and build new routines to follow. The better we can manage and reduce your loads, the more you will be able to do pain free.
I dare you not to overcomplicate your pain
Spend some time writing down what 'loads' you believe you have. Circle the ones that you have control over and can manage. Some examples are:
- Sleep schedule
- Workload
- Stress
- Nutrition
- Exercise Plan
Set boundaries, make your workflow efficient, create a nighttime routine. You will already start to feel better.