How to manage and get rid of Chronic pain

Chronic pain is frustrating to live with, especially for athletes and runners. Unlike the healing process of an acute injury, chronic pain last long after your body has restored itself. It’s kind of like a car alarm that goes off for no reason; but fortunately you can learn how to properly manage it and start running again. You feel pain when the accumulation of stress exceeds your brain’s perceived ability to cope.  Situations that cause chronic pain include: Lifestyle factors such as job stress, relationship stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, lack of exercise. Coping strategies like avoiding running out of fear, which drives you deeper into despair and further sensitization. Emotions: catastrophizing, fear, anxiety, anger, rumination. Tissue stress: This can definitely contribute to pain, but damage is typically a minor contributor to sensitization. There are two ways to tackle pain: one way is to decrease the stress that contributes to it, the other is to increase your resilience and get stronger. You may not know it, but your bones, connective tissue, joints and muscles are very strong and respond well to loading. If you’ve been guarding and resting part of your body, then it gets weaker. Structures like the Achilles and patellar tendons need strength, not more rest. Physiotherapist, chiropractor and pain expert Greg Lehman considers gradual strengthening as one of the best ways to reduce chronic pain.

posted Friday June 8th