The irrationality of pain.

I was driving my son to nursery this morning when I started to feel an intense burning pain in my lower back area.

That’s weird I thought why has that just started? I could not really pin point what or where the sensation was and it seemed to be spreading rapidly.

I went for a run yesterday did I irritate it then?

I also did a fair amount of sitting at the computer, did I hurt it doing that?

Then I thought about what that might mean.

I hope it does not last all day?

Will it stop me from running or working?

The burning seemed to actually intensify.

When I got out of the car I felt around my back area and there was a big scratch there. I don’t recall doing it or where I could have done it. The burning of course was just an immune system response to minor tissue damage and I had a bunch of inflammatory chemicals floating around down there going to work and fixing my tissues.

Immediately I was relieved. I could put a meaning to the sensation. I could pin point the pain to exactly where the scratch was. It felt like lots of other scratches I have had before. I knew that the scratch was just an irritation not anything to be worried about.

I class myself as being reasonably well informed about the ins and outs of the pain experience. Still without reasoning, logic and experience to put a context to the pain it caused my brain to go into irrational overdrive about why it had happened and what that was going to mean for me.

It really helped me consider and empathise with what maybe happening in the brains of people that have no understanding of the mechanisms.

How about if their brain is full up of other peoples experiences with pain and the negative impact it has had on their lives?

What if it is filled up with internet logic about crumbling discs etc or they go and fill it with internet logic searching for answers to why they have got the pain and the prognosis? Perhaps even what they are told by their therapist or trainer?

This reminded me about how much all the other stuff associated with pain must affect people and the experiences that they go through when in pain. How this is probably heightened if our previous pain experiences have been disabling and the meaning and impact that has on someone’s life.

My back is still hurting as I am writing this but I am not worried.