Kate thought back surgery would be the end of her back pain which she had experienced throughout her day to day life for quite some time. Over the last few months though, Kate had become increasingly frustrated with her pain. She didn’t want to rely on medication for pain relief, she wanted a way to reset.
When coming in to Kinetic Medicine Kate was grateful to be heard out as she reflected on her experiences with her pain. It was comforting to know that it’s not uncommon for pain to persist after an initial injury and the natural healing process, and even after surgical intervention. Pain serves as our body’s own protection mechanism, a little like a car alarm. This car alarm can sometimes become really sensitive to even the slightest of bumps from a passerby, which doesn’t cause damage to the car but can trigger the alarm mechanism to tell the owner to take note and rectify the issue.
Pain humans experience is very similar, it’s threat detection system that is tells us to be careful. It can become increasing sensitive following a previous injury, even after our bodies have healed. Peoples thoughts, beliefs and emotions such as stress and anger along with lifestyle factors such as poor sleep and inactivity can all increase the sensitivity of our alarm system which can fire off when we aren’t doing anything outside of ordinary body movements.
Treatment for Kate included finding an exercise activity which is enjoyable to perform such as walking in a park and tailoring the activity so that it is enjoyable and comfortable for Kate so that the car alarm doesn’t activate. Performing an enjoyable exercise activity that doesn’t cause pain can help improve the way we think and feel, along with reducing stress and improving sleep. Two weeks later, Kate presented with significant improvements in the way she felt about her pain, even after having a difficult past week regarding stress, anxiety and physical stress. She could find a connection between her difficult last few days with an increase in the frequency and intensity of her car alarm. She was able to find relief with pain free exercise and developed her own plan to incorporate exercise into her busy predicament for relief. For the first time since she first became burdened with back pain she was able to take control and improve her day to day life.