Common mistakes about pain – and how to avoid them with mindfulness: part two

Pain is sometimes caused by tissue damage – but not always. You can have a lot of pain with a relatively minor injury, and no pain with something that may be life-threatening. These were two of the common misunderstandings about pain that I explored in my January blog. Along with the notion that we are all the same, and therefore treatments and therapies that worked for someone else, will work for you. In this second article, I look at two other common mistakes about pain, and how mindfulness can help you avoid them.

If you can get a diagnosis, you will know what to do

Your brain is great at analysing, problem solving. And like any strength, it can also be a weakness.

It is easy to go down the rabbit hole of testing and searching for a diagnosis. Building up a library of results and reports, all of which may amount to not very much. Apart from time, expense and frustration for you.

In some of the most common persistent pain syndromes there is no pathology. More than 90 per cent of back pain, for example, is non-specific. And even if you arrive at a diagnosis – fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain – that does not necessarily tell you what to do next.

The mindful attitude of Letting Go or Letting Be can help you be at peace with not knowing.

The desire for a diagnosis can give you have hope, a sense of control, even certainty. But it can also increase your stress and anxiety, affect your sleep, and increase depression. All of which can make pain worse.

One way to practice letting go is to devote some time to be creative. Whatever is meaningful for you. Whether you like to bake, stitch, write, paint, or garden. Take a break from your normal routine. Get outside, look up. Changing your gaze and your focus, literally and figuratively, can help engage your brain in more productive ways.

All you need is the right movement

Review some of the commentary on social media, and you could be forgiven for thinking movement (note I don’t call it exercise) is the be all and end all for managing pain.

Lots of you may have been given specific exercises to do, or told to walk/swim/cycle/do yoga. And most forms of activity will have their advocates.

Truth is, movement does seem to help, although the impact on duration and intensity of pain can be limited.  And it does not always help over the long term, or necessarily help you do more day to day. 

And most people find regular programmes of exercises hard to stick to.

In mindfulness, there’s an attitude of Beginner’s Mind that can help you find movement practices that work for you. With beginner’s mind, you try to see each situation as though it is occurring for the first time.

In the case of movement for pain, instead of buying into generic advice, ask yourself some questions.

• What do you enjoy doing? Start here, with low intensity, and build up. It is easier to stick with something you enjoy.
• What would fit with your lifestyle? Some people are great with regular classes, but if you travel a lot, you might be better with an approach you can do in your own time, take with you, when it suits you.
• Would you prefer a group exercise or something you can do on your own? What appeals to you most?
• What about accessibility? Price, location and essential equipment can all influence what will be easiest for you to do.
• What outcome do you want? It is often easier to find the right movement and stick with it if you have a clear goal in mind.

And do not forget to have fun. Reducing pain with movement is more about consistency and what works or you rather than specific activities and exercises.

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