3 Things I Learned About The Body As A Result Of Pain

Photo by George T @_geotheo

There’s one thing common to all people. In life, we all face pain. Not a cheery way to start an article, but very few of us go through life untouched by some kind of physical or mental pain. 

I never thought I would get mugged and beaten up, or live through two motor accidents, before I turned 30. I also never thought I would experience childbirth without pain relief (I now have two kids!). Pain was something life decided to give regularly to me.

Here are 3 things I learnt about the body as a result of pain.

1. Our body is powerful. Our body can withstand most types of pain, even the most extreme types of pain. From the prolonged agony of childbirth, to the momentary sting of stubbing our toe, we can see that while pain stops us in our tracks, it doesn't stop our ability to survive. Our body will do everything to protect itself, and if it is intact when the pain passes, we find that we can recover, we can return to our normal reality, and we can carry on living. 

2. Our body protects us. Pain is our body's way of saying that something isn't right. Most of us fear this, but it's our body’s way of telling us that something needs to change. While pain can temporarily disrupt our functioning, it’s not the pain itself that harms us but whether the cause of the pain damages our well-being.  If we address and alleviate the cause before lasting damage occurs, we protect ourselves and our body.

3. Our body preserves us. As someone who has come in close contact with physical pain, I know that our body can numb pain at point of impact. This is an automatic response caused by shock and adrenaline, where our brain screams at our body to fight or flee to protect itself. I’ve felt more pain stubbing my toe or touching a hot pan, than I did when muggers beat me up or when I slid across a road wedged under a scooter. My body required medical intervention after the mugging and motor accident, but in terms of pain levels at point of impact, touching the hot pan was more painful than either experience.

Our body is equipped and able to go through more than we think it can. This means that you are able to go through more than you think you can.

Does that empower you? If you are in pain right now, whether you are physically struggling with an illness, mentally struggling because of lockdown, or emotionally impacted because of a relationship, remember that your body is, and therefore, you are, more powerful than you think. Let that knowledge empower and embolden you to take action to find out what you’re truly capable of.