Are you SENSITIVE? We are not talking emotions here we are talking pain. Did you know that your pain has a memory? After injuries how you treat yourself has a big impact on how quick you return to action and a pain free lifestyle. An easy way to picture what happens to your body after injury is a sunburn, we’ve all had one and they’re no fun. What if you got sunburned today, went out the next morning sunbathed all day and the next and the next. You would never heal and think of how sensitive your skin would be.
When we hurt our back or neck or any body part I want you to think of the sunburn. Pain is a warning to change what you are doing, pushing through pain in most situations will often lead to more pain, slower healing and nerves that become much more sensitive to further injury and more limiting pain. How many times have you been out for a run or lifted a box or even vacuumed a room and pushed through pain? How many times have you thought I can push through it. When we push through the pain it gets worse AND you are SENSITIZING the injury, making your brain more aware of it so you have pain easier(for YOUR own protection). This push through it mentality risks further injury but in many situations you start the path of chronic pain.
There are many steps to reducing nerve pain and sensitivity. First, if you are moving in ways that hurt you have to stop and modify what you are doing. Watch our hip hinge video to learn more about how to bend to protect your back, you can find it here on our Facebook Page. Learning how to spare an injured area is a key for healing and recovery. The old saying is right. If it hurts when you do it stop doing it and get it checked out.
Dietary and nutritional support for controlling inflammation is another part of the big picture. Did you know that the foods you eat can really slow down your progress and make your pain worse? Avoid the sugars, pops, alcohol, processed grains and foods. Focus on healthy fats, colorful veggies and fruits. We use some powerful natural anti inflammatory supplements in our office. We like to use combinations of anti inflammatory herbs, high dose omega fatty acids, proteolytic enzymes, and collagen just to name a few. We are happy to walk you through the specifics at our office any time.
When you have an injury it is crucial that you take the time to heal, don’t rush to return to painful activity and listen to your body. If you have questions about your pain, tired of having to avoid the activities you love or have been changing your life to suit your pain give us a call there are answers!
Have a great day,
Dr. Seth Nelson