Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Jennifer Nwankwo, co-founder of Nuvo Physio | Elle Santé, physiotherapist, massage therapist, exercise scientist and personal trainer.
I’m not trying to flaunt my professional skill set but merely attempting to show that I am someone who some may consider to be an enthusiast for the science of human anatomy and biomechanics. Or, in other words, a person with a keen interest in how the body is supposed to function physically.
So to go back to addressing the title of this blog: “Why do I have pain when I did not injure myself?”
Well, if you have not been subjected to a traumatic event like a broken wrist upon a slip and fall on your hands, a twist in your ankle as you hurried down the stairs, or neck pain during a car accident, you may be experiencing pain due to the way you use your body on a day to day basis.
You go about your mundane activities without any thought of how you perform these activities. Overtime, your body develops various tensions and muscular imbalances that gradually build up until eventually you feel pain and tension that seem to come from nowhere. In my practice, I have found that those pains commonly occur in the lower back and shoulder.
Indeed the feeling of pain is not a good symptom, however you should know that it is handy because it warns you that something in your body is not quite right.
Thus, pain is bringing your attention to it so you can rectify the issue.
That being said, the real problem with pain is not the fact that it is present. Rather, the issue is when the pain lingers more than it has to. This type of lingering pain is what you should be attempting to avoid in the first place!
Though most of you don’t think you have a problem until the pain strikes.
The good news is that in most cases you have control over what your body does. If you are aware of the muscular imbalances that you have (which will be brought to your attention by a physiotherapist), then you can get your musculoskeletal system to work efficiently.
In turn, this control will allow you to prevent “random” pain from suddenly appearing.
Prevention is certainly better than cure because sometimes the cure can be complex and more invasive. That being said, annual check-ups with your physiotherapist is the way to go!
