Outside of an acute injury, an impact, a fall or similar, pain in a particular place in the body often isn't the in the same place as the problem.
Pain is highly complex, the Pain Science folk I interact with are only getting a handle on it.
What we're sure about is that pain is an output from the brain in response to an input that is being construed as a threat.
This makes the treatment of pain more like an investigation.
It's looking for clues and following the breadcrumbs.
In many cases the evidence does show in movement, specifically in the gait cycle.
Following the Anatomy in Motion principles, it is possible to watch and feel a body in motion and get an idea of which joints move, don't move, move too much or too fast, move too little or two slow. This leads us to get an idea of the muscle fibres that are being , lets call it, misloaded. Or the potential reason why that nerve is getting trapped. Or the circulation isn't flowing cleanly through that area.
If we can allow those joints to experience the motion they are avoiding, we can maybe load the tissues better, in a less problematic manner. The central nervous system may just look at that and realise that it's a better way.
May.
It also may not.
But that also serves as a clue, there's a reason it didn't hold. Maybe it's something we missed, so we review. And we continue to review as long as it takes.
It's why we also educate. No secrets are kept, although the delivery of the education is carefully considered, we want you to feel safer, ready to take full responsibility for your body, not scared and under even more threat than you already are.
If you're stressed and under threat, the central nervous system is going to be very reluctant to let go, to allow for movement, to release tension in the muscles.
Healing and recovery come with parasympathetic nervous system activity, the so called "rest & digest" side of the nervous system. The low arousal state
The more you understand why you may be in pain, or at least have a good enough reason for it, and you have the tools to unravel that pain, then you feel in control. You can take responsibility for your movement, your recovery, for your relationship with that pain. And this is when you heal. this is when you regain your power
Regards
Dave Hedges