When we hear terms like “pain management” or “pain management specialist,” the focus seems clear: managing pain. But managing pain doesn’t mean solving it. It doesn’t address the root cause of your discomfort or the intensity you’re experiencing. And that’s where things can get dangerous.
Here’s why:
1. It reduces your ability to handle stress. When you’re only managing pain, you’re not building resilience to the stressors that caused it. Instead, you’re becoming less equipped to handle future challenges.
2. It creates a false sense of safety in your body. By masking the pain, these methods trick your system into thinking it’s okay—when, in reality, the underlying problem still exists.
3. It shifts the experience of pain from physical to mental. What starts as a physical signal of intensity transforms into mental anxiety about that pain.
The result is a cycle of dependency on passive solutions: medications, topical treatments, or even therapies like massage or chiropractic adjustments. While these approaches can provide temporary relief, they often fail to address the structural, behavioral, or environmental issues causing the pain in the first place.
Why Passive Pain Management Fails
Passive pain management strategies, whether chemical (like painkillers or ointments) or therapeutic (massage, chiropractic, or physical therapy), often lack a plan for long-term change. They offer short-term relief but don’t alter the behaviors, movement patterns, or stress responses that cause the pain.
Here’s the problem: if you don’t change how your body holds tension or stress, the triggers that caused the pain remain. And when nothing changes, your body has to send louder and louder signals to get your attention. Over time, this can lead to a diminished capacity to adapt to stress and a lack of resilience.
A Personal Story: Tackling CRPS
I recently started working with a client who has CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). What struck me immediately was how every specialist she had seen focused on helping her handle less stress in an attempt to manage her pain. This approach, while well-intentioned, was only making things worse. Anytime she feels discomfort in her feet, it escalated into significant pain and discomfort.
Instead of continuing down that path, I decided to take the opposite approach. First, I’m working to create safety in her body. But then, in every session, I’m showing her that she can handle more stress than she believes possible. This involves connecting her psoas major, glutes, and pecs, allowing her body to feel safe and strong during both downregulation and moments of physical intensity.
Her brain currently interprets any physical intensity as pain, but through this work, we’re rewriting that prediction. By building blood flow, connection, and physical strength, her body will learn to positively adapt to stress. Over time, this will lower her daily neurological pain and help her regain confidence in what her body can handle.
My Journey with Chronic Pain
I understand this process because I’ve lived it. After a rock climbing accident, I spent five months in bed, recovering from a hip shattered into 35 pieces, an ulnar replacement, and a completely shattered hand. Doctors told me I’d be in crippling pain for the rest of my life.
But I refused to accept that. I rebuilt my body—not just to manage stress and pain but to perform at a high level. I went from being bedridden to deadlifting heavy, training hard, and living a pain-free life. This wasn’t just about physical strength. It was about teaching my body and mind to handle stress and build resilience.
A Simple Starting Point
One of the most effective ways to start this journey is through SWAMI sessions. These sessions create awareness, downregulate the nervous system, and ease the intensity and panic associated with pain. From there, it’s about taking action.
I recommend beginning with low-skill, high-intensity exercises like sled sprints, sandbag carries, or drags. These movements get blood flowing to the larger muscles, quiet the mind, and reduce inflammation or overuse in smaller, pain-prone muscles. This builds strength and confidence while allowing the body to adapt positively to stress.
Stress: The Key to Growth
I know this might sound counterintuitive—adding proper stress (weight and intensity training) instead of removing it—but life isn’t meant to be lived inside a box. We are built to handle stress. Pain management alone, especially when it’s passive, conditions us to retreat from discomfort. However, as long as we focus on proper movement and incremental growth, we can build resilience and strength to thrive.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re tired of managing pain and ready to solve it, reach out to me. Whether it’s through one-on-one sessions, SWAMI training, or actionable movement strategies, we’ll find a path that works for you.
You can also sign up for my Fix Your Lower Back Pain for Good course at richardaceves.com. This course is designed to help you understand the root cause of pain and build the strength and confidence you need to move freely and pain-free.
Have questions? Send me an e-mail me, and let’s get to work
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