3. What Reinforces Pain?

1. Fear – This intensifies pain, allowing it to persist.
2. Constant Focus on Pain – Paying excessive attention to pain areas, such as your back or burning feet, can amplify the sensation.
3. Worry – Concerns about how to move, like not stretching your back to avoid triggering pain, or avoiding sitting in certain ways to prevent discomfort can exacerbate the problem. Being overly cautious about physical activities can also perpetuate pain.
4. Constant Scanning – Continually monitoring how you feel and assessing your pain level can make pain feel more intense.
5. Misbelief – Always thinking there’s something physically broken in your body can be detrimental.

Eliminate the fear of pain. Recognize that pain is natural, normal, and serves a protective purpose. Educate yourself about pain. Understand that pain, in many cases, is not a sign of imminent danger. Change how your brain perceives pain.

Understand that what you might be experiencing is emotional pain, not necessarily due to any structural damage. Continue with your physical routine and stay active.

Acknowledge that your alert system might be overactive, receiving incorrect signals.

To counteract these false pain messages, create a list of factual reassurances. Calm your brain by reviewing these truths, dialoguing with your mind, and shifting from a state of high alert to one of safety.

Some examples of affirmations or rationalizations include:

• “My medical tests came back negative.”
• “When did this pain start? Was it during an especially stressful time or shortly afterward?”
• “Do I experience pain only at specific times of the day? Consistent pain from a serious illness wouldn’t have such patterns.”
• “Does my pain come and go?”
• “Do I experience pain when I’m under pressure?”
• “Am I juggling multiple symptoms simultaneously?”
• “Do certain triggers, like a specific smell or passing by the school I attended as a child, cause my pain?”

Using these methods, you can reframe your understanding of pain and its causes, leading to a more balanced and informed approach to your well-being.