Pain. What drives the experience of pain?

Over the years I’ve learnt a lot about the concepts of biomechanics and movement, neurology and kinesiology, touch therapies and hypnotherapy. I understand that we are multi faceted and nuanced in our individual experiences of life. In pain science the biopsychosocial model asks us to consider the individual influences of upbringing, prior experience, trauma and environment to give one a greater understanding of pain as an individual experience.

We are made up of systems: your nervous system, musculoskeletal system, digestive, lymphatic to name a few. Until I threw myself into the functional medicine protocols I just hadn’t realised the possible effects of background inflammation on the body.

Chronic pain is not normal. My own journey with pain has led me through my career in my search for answers. I had two bad injuries when I was younger, one in gymnastics and a road traffic accident.

As a result of these I formed many ideas and beliefs about my body; ‘My back is weak’, ‘there’s something wrong with me’ I would have trouble standing for long periods of time or sitting for too long. My back would ‘go’ unexpectedly at times.

I have learnt many musculoskeletal explanations about tissue injury and healing. I learnt about somatic and how trauma can be ‘held in the body’. Kinesiology and neurology bought the power of the nervous system to the fore.

I studied pilates and movement and have found some pretty good strategies to help support myself. I finally understand how stress hijacks the body totally. Now, more than ever, we need tools to self regulate.

Then I finally got to learning about the immune system and functional medicine I was not prepared for the dramatic results and difference in how I experienced my body. The you are stressed out and ‘stuck’ in an inflammatory response in your body nothing will stick.

What you are sensitive to indicates where the problems lie for your immune system and your history will hold the answers to your own journey.

Learning about the connection between histamine and pain (and what drives it) has turned my world upside down. Long term pain isn’t normal, repeated injuries are not normal, pain at night is not normal, exercise that exhausts you is not normal, the unrelenting feeling of muscle tension that just won’t let go is not normal, feeling wired all the time is not normal.

So the pain in your back from the injury you had 20 years ago has an neural/energetic imprint, a limbic (emotional) element and physiological influences. Most tissue heals in 4-6 weeks. Nerves can take longer. But when they don’t heal and you’re told you have a tendonitis (which you’ve had for years) is not about the tissue itself - it’s about the environment of your body not supporting its healing.

This is such good news - there is still something you can do! you are not broken!