A different perspective on PAIN and YOUR unique body!

Welcome to this week’s newsletter!

Many people often think of their physical body as a collection of separate muscles and joints, but the truth is, EVERYTHING is connected.

Everything is related and it’s interacting all the time.

Our bodies literally start out as a single cell and everything grows out from there as we develop in the womb.

The human body is not a car that is built and put together piece by piece…

Why is this important to know?

Getting back to training and exercise now, here’s some examples to illustrate this point:

• The hips causing low back pain:- If your hips lack strength or mobility (or one side does), your low back often compensates during movement, leading to pain issues.

• A weakness in the ankle causing hip pain:- Old ankle injuries that have led to instability can mean more impact on the hips or one hip when we walk or run.

• Foot health affecting EVERYTHING above it:- If your foot mechanics are off—whether due to poor footwear or past injuries, this can lead to issues all the way up to the shoulders.

Why the source of pain isn’t always the cause…

Just because you feel pain in a certain area doesn’t mean that’s where the problem started.

This is called the "pain site vs. pain source" issue.

Here’s why that often happens:

• Compensation patterns: If one part of your body is weak or not moving properly, other muscles or joints will pick up the slack. This extra work leads to irritation and pain in an area that is often not the root problem.

• Referred pain: Some nerves travel long distances in the body. For example, a nerve issue in your neck could be causing issues in your shoulder, elbow or wrist.

• Tension chains: Your muscles and fascia (the connective tissue around muscles) are linked in long chains. If one part of that chain is restricted, it may cause issues somewhere else.

Getting to the bottom of any injury often requires a more global view rather than just zoning in on the “painful shoulder”.

As a personal trainer I always zoom out and assess the entire body when a client has a pain issue or injury to an area.

The information you collect is very often helpful and reveals the BIGGER picture.

What else causes pain?

Understand there’s a very real connection between our emotions & mental health and the physical body.

Have you ever experienced more pain or “tightness” in a particular area during periods of higher stress?

OR had lingering pains that didn’t seem to go away and were seemingly “undiagnosed”?

This is actually not uncommon.

There’s a couple of ways our mental health impacts the physical body potentially leading to pain or injuries:

Increased muscular tension & faulty movement patterns:

• Stress, anxiety, and depression can cause chronic muscle tension, especially in areas like the neck, shoulders, and low back.

• This constant “tightness” can lead to faulty movement, increasing the risk of strains, sprains, and overuse injuries.

• People under stress may also adopt poor posture or compensate for discomfort, which can create imbalances and movement dysfunctions over time.

Increased inflammation & slower recovery:

• Chronic stress and negative emotions elevate cortisol and other stress hormones, which can increase systemic inflammation.

• Higher inflammation weakens the body's ability to repair muscles, tendons, and joints, making injuries more likely and slowing recovery from existing ones.

• Poor mental health is also linked to increased perception of pain, making minor injuries feel more severe and prolonging discomfort.

I have said many times before that stress has a HUGE impact on our ability to recover from sessions

What can we do about it?

Firstly finding a knowledgeable and well qualified personal trainer or physical therapist to give you a FULL and thorough assessment is a good start.

Our bodies can store up years of tension and you’ll be surprised how many old injuries might be the cause of your pain today, even if seemingly unrelated.

Also take stock of the amount of stress you are currently experiencing?

As previously mentioned, chronic stress, poor sleep, poor nutrition, hydration etc all can plays a part in how our body feels.

Our total allostatic load (stressors) directly impacts our strength levels and muscle output.

Useful to know if you’re pushing yourself too hard or too often in the gym and on course to pick up an injury.

Know when to back off, rest, and reduce your training volume or intensity.

Find ways to manage stress to including the following:

• Meditation

• Breath work

• Massage

• Time in nature

• Fixing sleep patterns

• A planned break from work

To wrap up…

Understanding that your body is an integrated system changes the way you think about training, exercise, movement and pain.

Instead of chasing symptoms, zoom out, and start looking AND thinking about the bigger picture.

A well balanced body and mind is the key to staying active and pain free for life.

If you are interested to find out more about working with me then reach out to me on LinkedIn, OR email me personally at [email protected].

Everything starts with a full body assessment and understanding of your allostatic load and stress levels.

This is the best way to plan the most effective AND safe training program for you moving forwards.

For now thanks for reading today, and stay tuned for the next edition of Train For Life next Saturday!

Daryl