Simply said, pain steals joy.

When you are living with pain on a daily basis, it can wear you down and cause a loss of exuberance for life. It is very easy to slip into the trap of negative self-deprecating and self-punishing thinking and eventually depression. The problem with that is that you get caught in a downward spiral and it can make the physical pain worse.

One of the strangest secrets is that you get what you think about most of the time. If you are totally focused on pain, energetically you may be drawing in more of the same. Sure, you may think, that’s easy to say – when you feel fine. We are not in any way downplaying what you are going through. It is very real and very difficult to manage. Especially with a smile.

Here is the thing. Your cells react to your mind’s commands. Having hope and being able to see a light at the end of the tunnel may actually help speed recovery. This theory has been scientifically put to the test by Dr. Markus Melloh who is the director of the University of Otago’s Center for Musculoskeletal Outcome Research in Otago, New Zeland.

In his study, 315 patients were interviewed when they first reported back pain. They evaluated those patients physical symptoms as well as their feelings about it and overall attitude. They were monitored over a 6-month time frame. 64% of participants developed chronic pain, many of those patients had feelings of hopelessness and avoided moving normally out of fear – this magnified the pain.

Researchers found that the negative attitude participants were the ones who developed chronic pain magnifying the importance of addressing the physiological effects of pain.

If you are in pain and experiencing fear, dread, or hopelessness around your injury talk to your chiropractor about your options of receiving both physical help as well as psychological help during this time.

Realizing that your current state is temporary and that even this shall pass on a level of belief is vital to healing. Your natural state IS health. Believe it!

Source: “Attitudes to back pain significant”. Mclean, Elspeth. Otago Daily Times, October 11, 2011.

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