When the Place You Feel Pain Isn't the Whole Story

Say your shoulder hurts. The natural question is: "What's wrong with my shoulder?"

Sometimes there really is a local problem that needs treating. But sometimes the symptom is only one part of a bigger picture.

The pain is real

I want to be clear about this first. When I say the place you feel pain isn't the whole story, I'm not saying it's all in your head. I'm not saying every physical symptom has an emotional cause. And I'm not saying your physio or doctor is wrong.

The pain is real. It's just that the experience of pain is complex.

What shapes the experience of pain

The International Association for the Study of Pain describes pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. It isn't only a signal from damaged tissue. Research and clinical work in pain science have shown that the experience of pain can be influenced by many things at once:

• Stress

• Sleep

• Previous experiences

• Emotion

• Attention

• Beliefs about pain

• Context

• The state of your nervous system

A painful shoulder can involve the shoulder. It can also exist alongside all of these.

Think of a warning light

When a warning light comes on in your car, you don't assume the light itself is broken. You get curious about what it might be telling you.

The body is more complicated than a car. But the principle is useful: a symptom can be a signal that deserves curiosity, not just something to silence.

Getting curious

Somatic work starts by asking different questions. Not "what's wrong with you?" but:

• What are you noticing?

• Where do you feel it?

• What happens when you slow down?

• Does it change when you breathe, or feel supported?

• What else is happening in your body?

Slowing down can reveal information that was impossible to notice while rushing to fix the symptom.

Where TRE® fits

TRE® isn't about finding a hidden trauma to explain every ache. It's a way to build awareness of your body and more capacity to respond to what's happening in it. Sometimes people notice tension they hadn't felt for years. Sometimes they just find they can rest a little more easily.

Sometimes the body needs physical treatment. Sometimes it needs rest. Sometimes it needs psychological support. And sometimes we need to slow down enough to see the bigger picture.

The body is part of the story. It isn't necessarily the whole story.

A complement, not a replacement

If you have pain, please get it checked by your GP or a physiotherapist, especially if it's new, severe or getting worse. TRE® and other somatic practices sit alongside medical care, not in place of it.

I'm running Nervous System Reset with Yin & TRE® at MoreYoga on Saturday 21 November (Canary Wharf). I also integrate TRE® into my one-to-one sessions and retreats. Find out more at whoislikemike.com.

Sources

• Raja, S. N., et al. (2020). The revised International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain. Pain, 161(9), 1976–1982.

• Moseley, G. L., & Butler, D. S. (2017). Explain Pain Supercharged. NOI Group.

• NHS: Chronic pain (nhs.uk)