When I chose to work in soft tissue therapy, I knew that I would be meeting a lot of people who were experiencing pain. I expected that clients would come to me with pain following an injury, surgery, or general imbalances in their body. From here, there would be several treatments and carefully curated exercises to ultimately ease the pain that sent clients searching for help.

For many people that I see in the clinic this is exactly what happens - we identify the physical imbalance or muscular weakness and work together to change it. With time and attention to detail the problem gets resolved. 

So, what happens when we’ve achieved balance and stability, but the pain persists? What do you do when a pain that arrived one day with no obvious cause or injury manifests into an unruly & unwelcome bodily house guest?

Persistent pain became a recurring experience for me as a practitioner, which inspired my investigation into what I could really do to help make positive and permanent change.

Firstly, I had to understand what pain is. In school we are taught that holding a hand to a flame prompts nerves in the hand to signal to our brain. Our brain responds by telling us to move our hand away. As this pattern repeats, we come to recognise that pain means damage. Through repetition we begin to accept a fundamental truth: the presence of long-term pain means that the body is slowly getting more broken.
I am here to tell you that this is simply not true! Nearly everybody that I treat describes their body as “broken” but I can assure you this is never the case. 

Pain recognition is a primal, instinctual response to protect ourselves against damage. What becomes challenging is altering the interpretation of pain’s origin. A flame hurts to touch, it is true, but the pain does not derive from our hand itself; the pain loop is triggered deep in our subconscious. This is because our nervous systems are a mechanism for survival. It is easy to forget that although we live in a complicated and fast paced world, we haven’t evolved any further than this need for safety.

The good news is that our brains are wonderfully malleable. We are constantly reorganising neural circuits and reinforcing these circuits through repetition. The way we talk to ourselves, handle our emotions, and perform our daily patterns all contribute equally. 
 
 Recent studies have shown that emotional trauma can trigger the very same pain loops as physical injury. Stressful life events can reactivate old neural circuits, also known as pain loops, and cause physical pain to appear in the body. 

 In a body functioning with high amounts of stress including unprocessed emotional trauma, the nervous system is more susceptible to becoming fearful and hyper-vigilant of pain. When the frequency of stress increases in our lives, we are slowly reinforcing those fearful neural circuits into well-trodden paths. 

Once pain is established, someone might then become avoidant of certain movements in order to avoid physical discomfort. Repeated aversion of specific actions most certainly activates those pain loops. Eventually the brain begins to predict and recreate the expected pain even when there is no physical damage. Unfortunately, the pain almost always feels identical to real physical injury (you know what they say: the body keeps the score!)

Hopefully now you’ll understand that when people come to me and proclaim that they are “broken” I can often assess quickly whether musculoskeletal issues are present or they are actually stuck in a cycle of control and limitation due to their relationship with pain.

A big identifier for pain loops being triggered in this way is intermittent symptoms that come and go on different days. It is only natural that when pain is not consistent, we are more likely to be on the look out for its return. This very quickly becomes a stressful and isolating experience.

With this understanding, how can we change our relationship to this pain? From my ongoing research into pain and neuroplasticity, I always return to the following guidance:

• Making changes to the way we interrogate ourselves and the pain we feel

When we alter our perspective of pain, there is an opportunity to become curious about exactly what we are experiencing. Take the time to assess where stress shows up in your life, pay attention to the associated patterns and triggers, and do so as honestly as you can. Next, you can work towards changing your habits but also the tone of your internal monologue. Instead of ruminating with fear or frustration, aim for indifference. This is a slow process and uncomfortable to start. Imagine you are blazing a trail through a wild and uncharted landscape; the more you walk the path the clearer it becomes. Be kind to yourself! Encouraging a new thought process is the first step in rewiring those neural loops.

• Our bodies need to feel safe

Our nervous systems are crying out to feel safe, but have you ever considered what safety looks like for you? It could be as simple as telling yourself you are safe and that you are not in danger (changing the tone of your internal voice, as we explored above.) Affirming statements like this work to reroute the signals that are habitually bracing your body and causing tension. Remember, safety looks different for everybody. I recommend taking time to think about this and noticing the small signs in your body of both stress and calm.

• A steady breath creates a steady mind

The loudest sign that a client is frequently existing in a dysregulated state is a fast and shallow breathing pattern. The ideal resting breath is slow and low with the rib cage gently expanding in 360 degrees.
The unescapable digital landscape of the 21st century has led to a growing pattern of poor respiratory habits where we are often holding our breath unintentionally throughout the day. The most effective way to remedy this dysregulation is to first try and notice those moments. Give yourself five minutes a day to focus completely on slowing down your breath and imagining the air moving deep into your belly on each inhale using only your nose.

This technique is called resonant breathing. Resonant breathing is scientifically proven to provide us with so many physical benefits including the production of nitric oxide, which lowers blood pressure, improved levels of CO2 in the body, increased lung function, and so much more!

• Visualise pain-free movement

It has been proven that taking the time to calmly visualise movement that is completely free of pain is incredibly effective in rerouting pain loops in the brain. Like everything I have mentioned This will take time and practice. Starting with the visualisation of pain free movement, you can slowly build to following this with real movement. Step by step.

• Caring for your fascia

Fascia is the name given to the connective tissue that wraps around and connects everything within the human body. This connective tissue responds to stress, trauma, movement (or lack thereof), postural patterns, hydration, and diet. Seek out professional help to release and re-inform fascial chains through massage and soft tissue therapy.
It would be remiss at this stage to neglect the importance of seeking appropriate medical advice to first rule out nerve damage or contributing medical conditions. The work I do focuses on musculoskeletal disorders and disfunction; it is vital to identify the cause of pain, when possible, to find the most effective route to relief. 
It is a long journey and perhaps to some a daunting one, but I truly believe that is entirely possible to free yourself from those unhelpful neural circuits that convince you that your body is broken. Small changes that focus on increasing movement, getting curious about your discomfort, calming your nervous system, slowing your breathing, and improving the condition of your fascia are vital. Consider these the neuroplasticity pillars to support you towards a reality with less muscle tightness, improved functionality, less pain, and a whole new way of caring for yourself. 

We are thrilled to welcome Becky to the WNT folds this year and excited for her to build her base with us. She is qualified with a level 5 sports massage diploma and has quickly become a popular practitioner with rave reviews. Becky is working at WNT on a Sunday morning from 9am-1.45pm and we are happy to offer these Sports Massage Sundays as a convenient time for many to get your regular massage outside of work or training hours. 

Becky says:
I'm very proud to be part of the team at West Norwood Therapies! Having received excellent and effective treatment from Tessa, I knew the standard of treatment was very high! I’m excited to work alongside highly experienced specialists who are dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of the local community in such a warm, inviting, and comfortable space.
I am passionate about treating those with chronic pain and long-term musculoskeletal issues; I aim to instill confidence, provide comfort, and lessen the strain on daily life. I strive to empower every client with a little more understanding of what is happening in their body and why things feel the way they do.
Each session is completely personalised to the individual in order to achieve the greatest results when targetting specific areas of discomfort or concern. No two bodies are the same and neither are their treatment plans. Specificity is key in finding the most effective improvements in each session and realistic results that last beyond. I'm looking forward to seeing and treating everyone bright and early on Sunday mornings before they enjoy the rest of the weekend!