Pain vs. Function
Pain is the body’s alarm system. Pain nerves are triggered by mechanical pressure and chemicals released from tissue damage (i.e. inflammation). The absence of pain does not mean that there is wellness or normal function. Pain killers, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatory drugs are medicines that inhibit the problem, not fix it. They mask the symptoms, like pulling the batteries out of the smoke alarm because it annoys you. Proper function, balance, and management of internal and external stresses are the key to good health.
10%…only 10% of the nervous system is dedicated to the pain nerves.
Most people base their quality or level of health on the presence or absence of pain. Pain is typically the last symptom to arrive and the first to leave in the wellness continuum. The big “killers,” like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, have no pain in the early phases. So, you shouldn’t base your level of wellness strictly on the absence of pain. Would you base your level of financial security on just ten percent of the available information?
