pain as opportunity
A few months ago, I wrote about a hip imbalance that brought me to physical therapy. I used the metaphor of the hip imbalance - and the running pain it was causing - to address the importance of strength, balance, and when necessary, working with an ally who can see what’s going on with you. Not just in running, but in life.
I’m happy to report that I’m back to running pain-free. After a couple of months of regular physical therapy, I am feeling stronger and more balanced than ever. I still see my PT periodically to continue working on my strength and range of motion.
Back when my upper hamstring tendon was causing me discomfort, my PT was explaining how in the physiotherapy world, the word tendonitis is out of vogue. The word tendinopathy is used more frequently. If you’re not familiar with these terms, anything ending in the suffix ‘itis’ means there’s inflammation…in this case, in the tendon. However, as he explained, what’s happening is not exactly inflammation. When a tendon feels sore, it’s actually due to a breakdown in the collagen fibers in the tendon (hence the word tendinopathy). That tendon is cranky because it’s not equipped to do its job. The appropriate remedy is to rebuild tendon fibers. You do this by strengthening the surrounding muscles and working on mobility.
And get this…in the process of building up new tendon fibers, there will be some pain.
Not horrible pain…at most, a 4 on a scale of 1-10. Still, building strength where there was weakness will not be comfortable much of the time.
To be honest, this surprised me. When I feel physical pain, my instinct is often to back off and rest. For some kinds of pain, that’s not a bad idea. But in the case of my left hamstring tendon, more rest was NOT needed. More fibers for a stronger tendon WAS needed. And according to my PT, as long as I approached my exercises with proper form and didn’t experience a pain level higher than 4 out of 10, I was not doing any damage.
In fact, I was actively participating in the healing process.
Isn’t this a lot like life? It’s uncomfortable when a part of us wants to grow beyond our current capability. Maybe you want to take on more responsibility in your job but will first need to sharpen skills and expand your mental and emotional capacities. Maybe you haven’t been completely truthful in a close friendship, and in order to express yourself honestly, you’ll have to say some hard things.
Either of these situations could feel uncomfortable - even painful, right? You could avoid the discomfort by shutting yourself down and hiding. But hiding in an effort to avoid pain means turning away from growth and opportunity.
What would happen if you could embrace discomfort in order to build new fibers of strength and self-expression? Could you tolerate a level 4 on the pain scale in order to grow beyond your limitations and discomfort?
Who would you be as a result?
I’m leaving this idea with you today as food for thought. Whatever in your life is causing you nagging pain right now might just be an opportunity to grow, to become stronger, and to get better at something.
When you’re willing to tolerate some discomfort to grow beyond the pain, it opens up brand new possibilities for your life.
Pain can be an opportunity.
Want to explore working with me 1:1? Click here to schedule a free connection call. And for more juicy life stuff, tune into my podcast, coming home (to yourself). As always, may your week be filled with self-love and rich insights. With love, Amy ♡♡♡