Pain is the alarm system of the body

Did you know that pain is actually good for us? It won’t be an exaggeration to say that pain is in fact our friend! Yes, that’s true. We know how we all treat pain as our enemy. So much so, that many phrases have been coined to describe a person as a pain, when they’re annoying. But you know what, pain is the expression of the body to draw our attention to a certain physical issue that needs to be addressed without further delay. It’s the body’s way of screaming out loud, “Look at me. Pay attention to what’s going on! NOW!” To put it simply, pain is the alarm, protecting us and keeping our bodies safe from damage. And what do we do? Pop a pill, a pain killer, to silence that alarm! And put the pain to sleep. Or that’s what we think we’re doing. But the truth is, we’re actually stifling the voice of the body, asking it to shut up. It’s akin to slapping a crying child who’s hurt! That’s kind of physical violence, isn’t it? Not too different from popping the pill to numb that voice of the body that’s trying to get your attention. So, the question is – how should we react to the alarm & respond to the pain? To begin with, we need to understand the different ways in which pain expresses itself.
Sometimes the body becomes “over” protective and throws up the pain intensely. This over reaction of the body can be altered when we get a thorough understanding of the process. Like other aspects of life, pain also depends a lot on how we feel and think. Every individual’s interpretation and experience is different. Understanding more about our body can help in reducing it significantly. There are many factors like painful previous injury, beliefs about your body, mood and stress levels that impact how we experience the pain. Persistent or chronic pain is sometimes a cellular memory, and not an accurate reflection of your physical state.
Pain is complex, multi-dimensional and individual. For people who’re constantly under stress or pressure at work, financial duress or face adverse life events, the pain is amplified and is experienced far more intensely. The systems involved in stress and pain are similar. When there is mental stress for long periods of time, the hormones released by the body are harmful for the body. Once you understand the effects of stress on your body, you can learn methods that help you to relax, and connect your mind and body in a positive way. As a mind-body coach, Chandana Mannedi doesn’t treat just the problem, she treats the person.

Mon Feb 28, 2022