Pain Part 1

Over the next few posts, we are going to discuss pain. Why we feel it, how it works, and what we can do to address it.

Why Do we Feel Pain?

Pain can be good for us, it is our alarm system. It tells us when something is wrong. Pain keeps us safe, and to take care of any issues or damage in the body. Like the other systems in our body, sometimes the pain system can get funky and malfunction too. Sometimes this can be by not producing enough pain, which can lead to injuries very easily. It can also produce too much pain. This can look like gentle touch and normal movement hurting, or even pain coming out of nowhere!

What Causes Too Much Pain?

Too much pain happens when our nerves are too sensitive. These nerves are living cells, and can change. They can become hypersensitive and turn on too easily. After injury, or other damage, the body protects itself by producing chemicals that make our nerves more sensitive. It's a protective mechanism. This should disappear. But sometimes...it doesn't. Sometimes it even spreads to the non injured areas. Good news...we can make changes to help the nerves become less sensitive!

Pain is Like a Car Alarm A car alarm will go off to warn you if someone is trying to break in. But what would happen if the alarm malfunctioned? Got too sensitive? Even the lightest wind gust would set it off. Like this sensitive car alarm, nerves that are too sensitive turn on too often and too easily, causing pain.Treating this kind of pain is like fixing the car alarm.We work on helping the nerves be less sensitive.