What is Pain?
Pain, this may be one of the very first words that we learn when we come into the world as children. We use the word and associate it with physical as well as mental feelings. But, have we ever really identified the true meaning of this word, and the reasons why we experience it physically?
There is probably a lot to say about this subject, more then what I can even fit into this article. But, as someone who practices a holistic lifestyle I feel it’s important to teach ourselves how to identify this feeling, and bring awareness to the reasoning for it so that we can fix the root of the problem, not just cover it.
According to Wikipedia : “Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.” In medical diagnosis, pain is regarded as a symptom of an underlying condition”. There is a very important part to this definition that I want to point out and that is “pain is a symptom of an underlying condition”. As humans we experience discomfort probably every single day of our lives. It could be extreme or as subtle as getting acid reflux, or having a paper cut. When we feel pain we try to identify the root cause to be able to stop the feeling, and sometimes this cause can be obvious or not so much so.
It’s so important to take the time to evaluate deeply why we feel pain, this way we can better understand how to avoid or heal the problem. For example, let’s go back to the pain of acid reflux. Acid reflux pain happens when we eat certain foods, and instead of identifying the real problem (which is actually an imbalance of stomach acids not food), we simply take chemical meds to cover the pain short term. We have to look at the bigger picture of our pain, and identify the true problem so that it can actually be fixed and not just covered up.
Here is another example, years ago I had a bad fall out on the river and I injured my knee pretty badly. There were times when I had trouble walking on it and I felt this intense shooting pain through it. But, after identifying this pain and trial and error of different herbal remedies and some research on holistic websites, I realized that it happens because the tissues are inflamed around the knee joint. So, instead of taking Advil or Tylenol, I take a Turmeric capsule everyday to combat inflammation, and I no longer experience this pain. The turmeric eases the inflammation so the tissues around my joint aren’t rubbing together causing the discomfort.
To sum all of this up, I want you to remember these evaluation thoughts when you’re experiencing mild to moderate physical pain. Instead of covering a problem take into consideration that the discomfort could be caused by inflammation, an allergy to a food you’re eating, a toxic chemical that you’re exposed to daily, an injured muscle, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, lack of a vitamin, imbalance of acid in the stomach, and the list goes on. Start thinking out of the box at what your body is trying to tell you. Once you can identify the cause, find a natural solution (if needed) that will aid the body in healing itself. Let’s dive deeper into the root of our physical issues so that we are able to heal and rid of pain not just cover our symptoms.
*Disclaimer : This article is an opinion and not intended to give medical advice. If you are experiencing pain that is intense or cannot be treated at home, see your doctor immediately. Again, this article is just an opinion, seek medical help if needed.
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