Pain is complex and multifactorial. A very simple way to understand pain is with the cup metaphor. We all have a cup that is filled with various biopsychosocial stressors. Apart from the obvious stressors of tissue damage and joint degeneration there are added factors such as stress, poor sleep, anxiety and fear and poor nutrition. So the cup metaphor suggests that when all the stressors fill the capacity of our cup and more where it overflows we experience pain. As a therapist of pain I have found explaining this to my clients useful in pain management so that they can decrease the stressors as well as helping them build a bigger cup. Using positive language and imagery around the non physical stressors in our life gives more space to the cup and these stressors can be linked to depression, fear and past history. Our pain threshold can be improved with gradual exposure to these stressors improving our coping skills and building resilience in the long term.
Finding time for self care to benefit you when managing pain is a necessity and I recommend to patients to use planners beginning with small segments of time increasing slowly as symptoms calm. Some ways to help calm stressors are:
Moving slowly and gently with Pilates starting 5 minutes a day increasing slowly. Seeking support and reassurance. Getting educated about stressors. Meditating daily to feel grounded and function. Receive manual therapy. Modifying activities / pacing. Trying new recipes with healthier food choices. Finding time to be creative, rejuvenate and reset.
Building a bigger cup can be instrumental to resolving function in the body without pain and gradual physical loading is key to this journey. Exercise daily and find a practice that you can build slowly and mindfully. Pilates Wins !