Oh, the Agony!

Chronic pain has very much been a part of my life. It has pushed me into changing careers, which is absolutely a great thing, but it can undoubtedly change the way we move and limit activity. At its worst, pain can keep you from doing the things we most enjoy.

In David Bultler's "Explain Pain," he explores the idea that pain is "all in your head." Not to say that everyone in pain is considered a head case, but our brain does react when it believes that we are hurting ourselves. Once we injure ourselves, our brain will always remember what happened and continue to protect that part of the body throughout our lives. The brain then sends chemicals to the so-called "injured" site, and these chemicals cause inflammation. This response is initially triggered by an over-sensitive nervous system. Pain is good because it protects us from further injury and forces us to take care of ourselves (if we want to listen). But, in the case of non-injury pain that comes back again and again, the theory that Butler suggests is that the brain can be retrained so that it will not associate certain movements with a pain response.

This would explain aqua-therapy. Certain movements that we do in every day life may bother us, but we may carry out these same movements in water with ease. The same can be applied to brain injury therapy. I remember observing OTs ask their patients to perform tasks in front of a mirror. Not only are these patients getting visual cues, they are also retraining the brain that certain movements are possible.

I feel that I have applied this theory to my own situation while doing yoga without realizing. I'm excited about my healing process and my ability to apply these ideas for patients in the future.