Pain is something most people never think about until it affects them directly. For instance, if you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’re experiencing some sort of pain right now. And when you were younger, the idea of pain holding you back may have never crossed your mind. That’s because you can’t really fully understand something until you experience it.

Before we get into some of the important points about how to think about and address pain and what you may or may not be able to do about it, we have to mention something important.

Your beliefs about pain and how it impacts your life can greatly affect your outcomes and recovery process.

This isn’t to say that everything is fixable. Sometimes we experience injuries that have long-lasting effects and require us to shift our approach. We’re realists, but also optimists. Everyone can improve if they want to. Sometimes, you just need a little nudge in the right direction and to believe that it’s possible.

Of course, we have to make that disclaimer. But for the majority of cases (especially if you’ve already seen a doctor or physical therapist and have been dealing with your issues for awhile), you aren’t going to make things worse by trying our suggestions.

We aren’t saying you’ll cure your ails. But we can say that thousands of clients have benefitted from this information and we want to make it accessible to you.

If you go through these ideas and applications with patience and a bit of optimism, don’t be surprised if you see the benefits and start to get some relief.

Pain is complicated.

Sometimes people get injured and don’t realize it until a few hours later. And some injuries are immediately felt as soon as they happen. But that same injury can be mildly uncomfortable for one person and excruciating for another.

Our brains process pain differently from person to person. But it’s not all in the injured region. And it’s not all in our head, either.

Pain is also emotional.

When an injury occurs, it usually elicits an emotional response.

“Is it serious? Will I need to visit the ER? Can I walk it off? Is this life-threatening?”

It’ll make you question if you’re hurt for life. If it’s a severe injury, you might begin to doubt that you’ll ever be capable again.

Pain is something we cannot avoid. Even if we try to be as immobile as possible, never risking a fall or injury from training, our joints and muscles will get stiff, causing pain from lack of movement.

Pain is a useful sensation because it’s a survival signal—warning you of potential danger.

For example, if you touch a hot pan on the stove with your bare hand, you pull away immediately.

Or if you sprain your ankle, you’ll likely feel a sharp pain, followed by some swelling. This gets you to stop moving that joint to prevent more damage from occurring.

Both of these scenarios offer insight into why pain is actually helpful. It’s protective. In both cases, the pain is short-lived and won’t last forever as long as you take the next steps to recover from the injury.

For a more in-depth explanation, see our guide about what pain is.

👉 What we want to point out again is the belief aspect and how you view recovery. If you don’t believe you can improve, the chances of getting better aren’t in your favor.

The stress of getting injured can play into how you react and how you feel about making progress. We want to point this out because you may not be aware of your attitude toward your injury.

You may have seen people get injured very badly, only to come back stronger than ever. And then there are others with seemingly less severe injuries who don’t ever fully rcover and always have a bad back or bad knees.

So what gives?

A lot of your experience lies within your perspective. If you believe that you’re doomed and your ability to move well is over, that just might happen.

But if you believe that recovery is possible and you will do your best to get better, then you have a really great shot at coming back stronger.

A great example of this is when Ryan broke his ankle in 3 places while skateboarding. It took him a year to recover, but he came back 100% and resumed all of his training.

Our programs take a whole-body approach that gets you moving in a way that can encourage healing from nagging pains and injuries. Russ was able to get rid of his aches and pains by the time he finished Elements. 👇

Oftentimes we’re told that our bodies are broken or that age has caught up to us. And while there are cases where things could actually be broken, sometimes we just need to move in the right ways and allow our bodies to free up some of the restrictions our daily lives create.

Chris was having hip pain and decided to do something about it. He made use of our Mobility program and can now hike without very little pain. 👇

Lots of times, if you’re experiencing annoying aches and pains, it’s a sign that you’ve gotten into some rigid patterns. Think about your daily life. What are you doing most of your waking hours?

You might be sitting at a desk, driving in your car, or standing for long periods. What most people need is to actively get out of these patterns and explore movement that challenges their bodies to become stronger and more flexible. But this can seem counterintuitive if you’re currently in pain.

We’re often told to ‘rest’ so as not to aggravate the area that is bothering you.

So what can you start doing differently to address any pains you have? First, you’ll just want to be aware of what’s causing you problems. Do your hips hurt? Do you avoid squatting down because it hurts your knees?

What about your shoulders? Does sitting for long periods make your neck and back tight?

The best ways to decrease and prevent pain issues are to work on them gently and progressively, increasing your strength and flexibility in all motions, by exploring your active movement in new and creative ways, and understanding that pain doesn’t necessarily mean damage from one causative factor.

We want to address the underlying issues that are responsible for many pain conditions, so you can stabilize your body, move with ease, and use the relationship between pain and the nervous system to your advantage.

Now… let’s get into some practical applications for dealing with pain throughout the body.

Upper body stiffness and pain doesn’t have to be a forever thing. One of our clients, Justin, was able to use our programs to overcome many limitations from gnarly injuries he’s experienced over the years. 👇