You may have already noticed that the longer you stay in your bed in the morning, the more difficult it is to get out of it, whereas on the contrary, if you get up suddenly at the sound of the alarm, it is much easier to move on to the next step in the morning routine. Where am I going with this? Keep reading, you will understand better.
With evolution, one of the main tendencies that humans have developed when they have pain is to wait until they are no longer in pain before returning to their activities. This reaction may seem logical in the case of an acute injury such as a fracture or a large laceration for example, but it is much less useful when it comes to persistent pain or non-specific musculoskeletal pain. . For these last conditions, it is often necessary to think in reverse. Although it may seem counter-intuitive and uncomfortable, it often takes action first, so you can reduce the pain later. This requires patience, since the return on investment is often not immediate. Many people with persistent pain leave out the things they love to prevent it from making their pain worse. This can bring frustrations that cause your body to protect itself even more. Avoidance can therefore fuel a vicious circle leading to even more pain and disability, therefore even more frustration and so on. Do you recognize yourself?
Do you remember Newton’s Laws learned in high school/CEGEP? If you haven’t found a use for it yet, here’s your chance 😉 Newton’s first law, inertia, states that a static object (at rest) will tend to remain static and that a moving object will tend to stay in motion. You will not be surprised that this law also applies to humans! Just go back to the example at the beginning of the text to see it. Thus, the longer we wait before taking action to address our pain, the more difficult it will become to mobilize a little later. Conversely, the less we wait before gradually exposing ourselves to the movements and activities that are important to us, the easier it will be to continue. The most difficult step is often to commit and know how and where to start.
If you have set aside many things that are valuable to you because of your pain, our team could help you overcome inertia and regain control over your pain.
If you don’t know where to start, that’s okay! One of the first very helpful steps in taking action to break the inertia is to find a team of professionals you trust and who will help you establish a game plan to regain control over your pain.
Do not hesitate to take this first step and consult one of our chiropractors for an initial examination. He will be able to help you and guide you within our interdisciplinary team! You hesitate to make an appointment? Not sure if we can help you? Ask for a free 10-minute exploratory consultation with one of our chiropractors by calling the clinic. This consultation can be done in virtual format, so you can stay in the comfort of your living room for a few more minutes if you wish before taking action!
Looking forward to helping you very soon.
Dr. Charles Bélanger, chiropractor.
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Dr Charles Bélanger
Chiropractor