Overcoming the Fear of Pain

Overcoming.... that's a Strong word.

Fear.... well Fear speaks for itself.

Pain.... Something we all have to deal with at one time or another but would rather avoid.

But what if you can't avoid it?

What if you have to live with it?

And overcome it.

What if you Awaken every day and your first step out of bed brings you face to face with Mr. Pain?

Then maybe I can help.

And speaking of help.... I once commented to BJ Monger - owner of Praxis - where I work out that Heavy Metal music distracts me from the pain I'm in.

Take a little taste of what is known as "Southern Fried Metal" and see what you think....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_iHKlWq7a8

Let me tell you a little story.... and there's no pity or self loathing involved here.... it is what it is and I present the information because I think there's people out there that could benefit from it.

With my left knee in a bone-to-bone, no cartilage condition, every step or movement of load on that leg is an exercise in pain.

Some orthopedic doctors I've seen believe that it's time for a knee replacement.

I have one dissent - one lone good ole Country Boy from Lake Jackson Tx - Thank you Dr. Hudson!

http://www.boneandjointlj.com/about_us/dr_hudson.aspx

But what's almost worse than the pain itself is....

The fear of pain....

Not knowing if the knee is going to hold together while I'm going down the stairs, while I'm starting a steep descent on a hiking trail.... or how much it's gonna hurt when I go down for that squat or explode off the floor with a heavy deadlift.

You see, I've been running my own little Exercise in Pain experiment for the past several years.

As Dr Woods, the renowned orthopedic surgeon that founded the Fondren Orthopedic Group in Houston Texas, told me on my post operative visit last August.....

"Go back to doing whatever it was you were doing..... cause you can't mess that knee up anymore than it already is".

So I guess I got nothing to lose...

What my little lab experiment hypothesizes is that, as long as I can make that arthritically degenerated cartilege free zone I call a left knee, function as a knee, then I will continue to use it and load it and force it to get stronger and better.

Stronger and Better? How is that possible?

Well.... the Human Body is an amazing thing.... It is the ultimate MacGyver.... it adapts, it overcomes, it modifies....

It wants to Survive and Thrive.

It doesn't want to Die....

It doesn't want to be Cut out and Replaced with a Man Made facsimile of what God made.

Put the body under load.... under stress... and it will develop new ways of dealing with its problem - new muscles will be created.... new blood supplies will be routed to compromised, injured, degenerated areas... new life and new movement will occur and with it...

Less Pain.

The trick is.... my thesis is....

You have to Overcome the Fear of Pain.... and the Pain itself....

And make the Body adapt....

That is not the only way to deal with the Pain.

That is My Way of Dealing with the Pain.

So how do I do that?

Through the most intense physical workouts I can stand.

One approach for that is a CrossFit style workout which I practice at Praxis in Santa Fe -

www.thepraxislab.com

I couldn't muster the 155# Rx on the Power Clean Push Jerks but did the 4 sets of 8 at 135#.

You pull 135# off the floor and put it over your head 32 times and you'll learn a little bit about overcoming the fear of pain..... even if your body is pain free!

"37 Stitches"

Do you see me, sitting here?
I'm waiting for you to say anything
Head hung low, kicking stones down
Kicking stones down the road to hell now
I'm waiting for you to say anything, anything yeah

I know you are the only one, my little taste of heaven
And you know I am the only one, your bitter taste of hell
Your eyes scream the end is creeping in on me
I'll need thirty-seven stitches, to keep the pain in
I know you are the only one, on the darkest side of the sun

Ooh yeah

Followed the piper's sweet whistling
Guided down the path by the wrong hand
Close my eyes for the chance of a better view
Plug my ears so I couldn't hear you

And I know you are the one
And you know I am the one
Your bitter taste of hell

I know you are the only one, a little taste of heaven
And you know I am the only one, your bitter taste of hell
Your eyes scream the end is creeping in on me
I'll need thirty-seven stitches, to keep the pain in
I know you are the only one, on the darkest side of the sun

Do you see me sitting here?
Still waiting for you to say anything
Head hung low kicking stones down
Kicking stones down the road to hell now
I'm waiting for you, I'm waiting for you, just say anything yeah

I know you are the only one, a little taste of heaven
And you know I am the only one, your bitter taste of hell
Your eyes scream the end is creeping in on me
I'll need thirty-seven stitches, thirty-seven stitches, yeah
I know you are the only one, on the darkest side of the sun
I know, I know (the darkest side of the sun)
You are the one. . . on the darkest side of the sun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sJvYpK0kfI

So... you can sit there with your head hung low....

And let the pain creep in and take you over....

Or you can get up and look Mr Pain straight in the eye....

and Stick 2 middle fingers in his face...

And start your own Exercise in Pain...

You gonna lay there?

And Cry Like a Bitch?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eXIOK2vOhM

Or you gonna go to War with Pain?

I choose to fight!

It works for me.