Have you heard yourself, or someone you know, say “Well, it must be because I am getting old”, or “It is to be expected if I am going to continue to be as active as I want”, or “I guess it will go away eventually if I just leave it alone”, or “I can’t do (insert desired activity here) anymore because of my pain”, or something along those lines? I am constantly amazed by the number of people I talk to in and out of the clinic who assume that pain is a part of life that cannot be changed! I am especially amazed when these people don’t take ANY measures to try to address their pain!
I have been working with people in pain for more than seven years now, and one thing I can say for sure is that it is worth a try to make one’s pain go away. Pain is one of the main causes of stress in our lives, and it is incredible how much a person’s life can change for the better when that pain subsides or disappears. Moods, work, relationships, appetite are just a few things that improve when pain is not a factor.
I think it is important for people to realize that there are countless ways to address pain, and some of them pretty simple! Admittedly, I am not an advocate for medication (which often simply disguises the pain rather than fixing the root of the problem), but it is necessary for some people. Beyond that, diet, exercise, relaxation techniques, physical therapy, manual therapy, massage, acupuncture are just a few other things that can provide help. Rarely do any of these interventions make things worse…they can only help! Even in those cases when a person believes that “it is inevitable” perhaps because they are getting older, or because they were very active as a child and sustained many injuries. In my book this is no excuse not to seek help. It is definitely worth it to get help. Consult with someone who is a professional in this realm and let them tell you what your options are! You will thank yourself for it!
Danielle Emhof, MPT
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