Pain & the brain
Injury with no pain (e.g. spine degeneration on a scan)
Pain with no injury (e.g. migraines)
Pain with no limb (e.g. amputees / birth deformities / prosthetic)
Our sensory receptors do no pick up or signal pain (temperature, pressure, chemicals, touch, stretch) – imply danger but it is the brain that decides whether it should be painful & is dangerous or not
Pain = output from brain not input from body
Pts need to be reassured that their experience of pain is valid, yet the driver is not. Use language to empower pts to feel strong and able not fragile, vulnerable or weak
We are fundamentally strong. Don’t fear movements (stay active & stay in work). You are going to get better – it might just take some time.
“Movement builds bodies, it doesn’t break them”
Some really interesting thoughts & descriptions of pain. I do now feel as though I understand how pain comes about & what it would be like to be in chronic pain.
My main takeaways from this research (that I can apply to my practice) are:
Pain is in the brain – explaining this concept & that pain doesn’t = tissues damage or injury is the first step to getting pts to understand their pain and not fear it / avoid doing things.
Chronic pain is worse because of neural plasticity
What drives pain – think about emotional, experiential and stress factors
Language I use to talk to pts – strong, take control, movement, stick with it – this is going to take some time but I am here to support you through this journey
