Understand Your Pain To Fix It

Most of my clients come to Pilates because they are suffering from some kind of pain. While some of them are recovering after an accident or surgery, the majority of the pain I see is a result of some kind of imbalance or misalignment in the body. Once you understand your pain and what’s causing it, treating it becomes so much easier! These imbalances can be caused by both overdoing an activity or from a lack of activity. The answer?  Rebuild your strength, flexibility, and mobility with the right movement. 

Work-Related Pain

Thinking about what you do all day can help you understand your pain and what’s causing it. Thanks to technology, many people spend the day sitting. They sit during their commute to work, sit at a desk most of the day, then sit on their way home. Jobs like this likely involve typing or using a mouse, keeping your hands in the same position making repetitive movements. It’s no wonder that these people have tight hip flexors, sore backs, tightness in their upper traps, and poor posture that contributes to a sore neck. They often also have wrist and elbow pain. 

Some jobs have more variety in the way we move our bodies but many do not; even if your job has you on your feet more often (or all day!), I bet there are still repetitive movements that could be affecting how your body feels. Some I’ve seen are:

• Hair stylists who have shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain.  
• An ultrasound tech who had shoulder and neck pain.
• A geoduck fisherman who had a few back surgeries and still dealt with a lot of back pain.

I once worked as a bank teller and spent most of my days standing in high heels (it was a thing that was expected at the time). I always had aching legs and feet, plus a very sore and tender wrist from many of the tasks that I did on repeat.  In my interior design job, I had a nice mix of sitting and standing, but when it came to searching through our tile room and tidying up the large heavy sample boards with the tiles on them, I would again have “flare ups” of pain in my wrists. 

Pain From Your Hobbies

While it’s easy to complain that your sore back is from work, it may not be so obvious that your hobbies are playing a part, too. You may not even notice because when you’re doing things for pleasure you can easily lose track of the amount of time you’re doing those things. Here are just a few examples; as you read through the list, think about what the person’s posture would be like while doing the activity. Also consider what movement pattern they would be doing, likely over a long period of time. 

1. Running
2. Cycling
3. Drawing, painting, or crafting
4. Gardening
5. Golfing
6. Cookie or cake decorating
7. Playing an instrument
8. Video game playing
9. Woodworking 

I could go on forever! Whether it’s bending over a table, swinging a golf club, or running several kilometres, these repetitive motions can take their toll. 

Keep Moving With Pilates

Now that you understand your pain… What can you do? In extreme cases you may require the extra help of a chiropractor, massage therapist, physiotherapist, or even get medical imaging to see what’s going on. Even if that is your first step, strengthening and improving your mobility, flexibility, and stability is going to be a huge part of the solution. 

To correct the imbalances caused by repetitive movements or lack of movement, you need to move your body in all the ways it was designed to… and then keep moving. Remember, motion is lotion! 
Pilates is a wonderful way to do exactly what you need. It will not only help improve your strength, mobility, and flexibility, but also will help you to become more aware of how you hold yourself or are moving throughout your day. Many clients have told me how they now catch themselves slouching at their desk and will correct their posture. You’ll also start to recognize when your body feels tight and when you need to stretch or incorporate a small Pilates workout. (Here are 5 Pilates exercises you can do anywhere.) Your body was designed to move, and Pilates is a great way to help it keep moving pain-free.