Pain free movement heals!

Pain free motion heals!

Your body was made to move. Joints, nerves, and muscle tissue acquire nutrients through movement.

Pain is the body’s signal that something is wrong. At the point of injury, a signal is sent to the brain where pain is interpreted. The body adapts, behavior is changed, and movement is altered which decreases function to avoid further damage of tissue. Think limping, guarding, and/or stopping movement all together.

If pain continues you decide make a doctor’s appointment. Doctors can give pain medication, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, order tests (expensive), or refer to another provider such as a surgeon or physical therapist.

So now you have been in pain for weeks and your entire life has been changed as you can’t sleep, your mood changes, and you are unable to work and do your day to day activities due to your injury. You find yourself in a physical therapy office wondering why your doctor prescribed therapy. You have also heard terrifying stories of how your friend’s physical therapist was a mean torturer who delighted in others pain. Sound familiar?

The therapist comes in and explains tons of information and is talking at the speed of light, but this concept of pain free movement is so important that they wanted you to read this.

Pain free motion heals. Pain free motion heals. Pain free motion heals.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, when you move your affected body part without increasing pain, nutrition is stimulated which facilitates the natural process of healing.

If you continue to push through the pain (“no pain no gain” theory) you are increasing the inflammatory response at the cellular level. This will keep you in a vicious cycle and constant state of pain and frustration. The “no pain no gain” theory is an age old homage that belongs in the garbage as it has hurt many more people than it has helped. “No pain no gain” is not an appropriate way to handle your injury. In fact, painful motion causes more inflammation while pain free motion heals.

You must move your affected part of your body without increasing pain or symptoms. At this point your therapist has instructed you in two to three movements to perform daily. Do the movements. Move your body without increasing pain and then your therapy will become much more fun. A goal of therapy is to get you better and keep you better. If movement increases your pain and symptoms, please talk to your therapist because painful motion causes more inflammation. There are other movements that your therapist can prescribe.

You have a wonderful opportunity to change your life and the concept of pain free motion will truly help you if you stick with it.