Pain is not purely mechanical. Pain does not occur in your body by itself. Pain is not all in your head either. Pain is an interaction between your brain and your body. You can reduce pain by working on your brain or your body but will get the best results by working on both.
Modern pain science
This website was created by one of the leading pain researchers in the world in collaboration with the physical therapist he refers patients to. Good short video about the basic concept that is the foundation of a more accurate understanding of pain.
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This app was created by people working with some of the leading pain researchers in the US. I wasn't going to list it at first because I wanted this to be a collection of free resources, however when I downloaded and used the free version myself, I was impressed with the education available without paying a fee. The first link goes to a site with info about the app, the second is a pdf that will give you an idea of their content and educational style.
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Body awareness
Proprioception is the real sixth sense - it is how you know what position your arm is in without looking at it, it is how you adjust your entire body to step over an object without thinking about it. Inaccurate proprioception can be both a cause and effect of pain but there are things you can do to improve it! The links below are a few tools that are good for almost everyone - email me if you want more specific strategies
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20 minute body scan meditation
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Somatic exercise
This concept has been around for milennia but it's become a buzz word recently. No one person owns somatic exercise or has a specific routine that is guaranteed to be the best for you. Somatic exercise is really about how you do it, not what you do. Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong are all examples of ancient forms of somatic exercise. I personally am most familiar with yoga so that is the resource I am listing here but any practice that teaches you to focus on how your body feels while you move is probably good for you.
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Breath Control and Mindfulness
Mindfulness is choosing where you place your attention instead of having it pulled from one thing to another without getting a chance to make an active decision. When practiced over time, it gives you space between noticing a thing and reacting to a thing. It can help you feel more like a pilot than a passenger in your own head/body/life. If you're looking for something short and sweet, try any of the breathing exercises on the first link. Try to have an attitude of being curious about how you feel instead of hoping for a specific feeling. If you want to dig deeper, check out Jon Kabat-Zinn's website or app
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Beginner level breathing exercises
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