The problem of chronic pain affects millions of people, impacting every aspect of their lives and preventing them from living as fully as possible. Unfortunately, billions of dollars are spent on treatments that are often ineffective. Many of us suffer needlessly from pain diagnosed as migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, or chronic neck, back, abdominal, and pelvic pain. Our guest, Dr. Howard Schubiner, author of Unlearn Your Pain: A 28 Day Process to Reprogram Your Brain, says the real cause for many of these types of pain is Mind Body Syndrome. Using cutting-edge research, Dr. Schubiner has discovered that the underlying reason for much chronic pain is nerve sensitization and learned nerve pathways, rather than actual tissue destruction. He has used this new understanding to develop a unique program to actually reverse pain and research studies support the effectiveness of the program.
We discuss various types of pain and why sometimes it remains after an injury or illness has healed. For example, sometimes pain is manifesting unresolved stress, possibly from childhood, or from traumatic events in adulthood. Certain personality traits (which affects how you respond to stress and how much pressure you tend to put upon yourself) and gender also affect pain levels. According to a self-diagnosis assessment developed by Dr. Schubiner, the first step of treating pain is understanding it, including how negative emotions (fear, anger, bitterness, etc.) are often barriers to recovering from pain. Believing that you can recover is another important aspect of the healing process, as are various integrative techniques including meditation, mindfulness and acupuncture. For more information, please visit www.unlearnyourpain.com.
NOTE: Dr. Schubiner will be giving a free presentation on Unlearn Your Chronic Pain on Wednesday, September 21, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m at The Marsh in Minnetonka, MN.