Some things to remember when your pain seems stuck.

According to Wikipedia, the word, patient originally meant “one who suffers.” Well, I’m sure anyone who has paced the floor at 4am with sciatica or had their arm locked to their side with frozen shoulder would agree they are most definitely a patient. Look at the word patient another way and it describes being able to accept problems or suffering without being annoyed or anxious. Easier said than done right?

The reality is that despite living in this world of instant messaging, instant results and super-duper fast broadband speeds, the human body still needs time to respond and heal to injury even when helped along the way with some treatment.

So how can you be a more patient patient? Here are a few thoughts which may help.

Remember that most often, this pain is temporary and will get better. It may not seem it in the middle of the night, but most aches and pains ease up eventually. This too shall pass.

Remember that common things are common and rare things are rare. Again, in those dark moments you can start thinking your pain must be something more sinister or serious. If you have sought the advice of a qualified and registered osteopath, you can rest easy that they are highly trained to screen for these things. However, if you are worried talk it through. Step away from Google and bring your fears to the next session or get on the phone! There are no silly questions.

Remember your body is always trying to be the very healthiest it can be. Again, this may seem hard to believe as you wince every time you move, your stomach hurts from the big pink painkillers and you’re in a mental fog from the little white painkillers, but your body is hardwired to seek health and your osteopath is very skilled at finding it. Your body is on your side in all of this.

Remember how far you’ve come. Think back to when you first started your journey to get pain free. Maybe you couldn’t sleep at all at first and now you get 4 hours straight. Maybe, you couldn’t sit down at all but now can get through a short meeting. You perhaps still can’t run for a bus but can at least walk. Sometimes the wins can seem small but add them all together and you realise that you are indeed heading in the right direction.

Remember you are not alone! Pain can be a lonely place and it can feel like the rest of the world is carrying on while your life is on hold. A couple of years ago it was estimated that about 28 million people in the UK alone suffer from chronic pain. Share the load with friends and family and ask for emotional and practical help getting through this phase. Chances are they’ve been there at some point too.

Remember to follow the advice you were given. If you are honest, are you doing the cold packs and doing the exercises? Are you really refraining from those optional activities you were told would aggravate things? Pain seems to have a way of scrambling the mind, so if you can’t remember the advice, ask again!

Lastly, remember to be kind to yourself. Pain is exhausting and upsetting. Rest when you can, eat as well as you can and tend to yourself as a nurse would tend to a patient. The body sheds the tears the eyes refuse to, so have a good old sob now and again too. It your osteopath’s true wish to work with you until you are back to the life you want to be living again. Hang in there!