It doesn't matter who we are or at what level we are running, the thing we have in common is that we've all experienced some form of pain during training or competition. Some of you may be in pain right now which is impacting your training. I've been in this sport and in the healing field for a very long time and so I understand exactly what that feels like and how frustrating it is.
With my anatomy hat on, let's start at the very bottom of your body and work upwards. Chances are, you have experienced one or more of the problems outlined below.
As you can see, there are a lot of different problems there and for most runners, there is an association between these problems and their running. That's because, we've been told that if we keep on running we might get pain in these areas or if we have had pain, it's been due to our running. In other words, we're conditioned to believe there is a relationship between running and pain.
Why am I in pain?
Have you ever asked yourself why you're in pain. Did these pains or symptoms just start or did you injure yourself? You may not know this but our bodies don't get injured through running, unless of course we have an accident such as falling over or spraining our ankle. Running is a repetitive movement but despite what we might have been told or what we believe, there is no such thing as repetitive strain injuries. So, the good news is, running for longer isn't going to do you damage.
It's also worth remembering that all injuries heal within six to twelve weeks with a good rehabilitation programme. So, beyond that, if you feel pain in that area it's unlikely to be because of the injury but more likely the result of your belief system relating back to the damage. That causes a stress response which the brain predicts as danger.
Where does pain come from?
Pain happens through hormonal changes in our body. Certain actions, such as a thought or something you hear or see, release the stress hormones of the Sympathetic Nervous System (our stress system), such as Cortisol or Adrenalin. When that happens the brain has to analyse what it just thought, heard or saw and if it determines that it's danger, it then sends out the message of pain, even though there is nothing physically wrong. This pain message is the brain's way of protecting us.
Is my pain even real?
All pain is real BUT what if I tell you there is nothing wrong with you physically and that there is nothing to fear. If you can believe that (as it's true!) and you can tell yourself, and your brain, that you are strong and perfect, your brain will listen to that positive message and will no longer need to protect you. I promise you, by changing your thought process (neural pathways) your pain will disappear for good.
What I'm explaining here is one element of a longer process, all of which is covered in my Pain Programme.
How my Pain Programme will keep you running, pain free
My programme is designed to find out what's triggering your Sympathetic Nervous System or your stress. If you know what your triggers are then when you start to feel stress through running, you will be equipped with tools to eliminate the pain you feel in your body, allowing you to continue running.
Pain is a camouflage for emotions
Pain symptoms we feel in our body are a camouflage for a cascade of emotions going on in our mind and brain. So, for example, you are running but are really stressed about a work issue you haven't yet dealt with. You try to put it out of your mind but it's active within your subconscious. All that stress creates a trigger and the brain sends a pain message to your back, as a camouflage for that stress. You then focus on your back pain rather than on the issue you have with work. The problem with that is you then believe your running is causing you some form of physical damage and so the pain encourages you to give up.
There's a lot of information here and so if you have questions, please book in for a free consultation.
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