HEAFNER HEALTH
  • Home
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • In the Community
    • Wrinkles Book
  • Request an Appointment
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Mobility Sessions
  • Home
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • In the Community
    • Wrinkles Book
  • Request an Appointment
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Mobility Sessions

Practicing Pain is Like Shooting Free Throws

8/2/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
After being fouled in a basketball game, players find themselves at the free-throw line to take a shot. Overall, the shooting motion looks relatively similar among players, but there are small differences that make each player’s technique unique to them. If you watch closely, you may notice that each player has their own stance, pre-shot routine and shooting mechanics. 

A professional basketball player spends countless hours practicing this shot and developing a routine that makes them feel comfortable and confident.
There’s a saying in neuroscience that’s applicable here: “Nerves that fire together, wire together.” With practice, their brain creates a crisp and fine-tuned program for shooting the free throw, and repetition makes approaching their shot second nature. The less thinking required for the actual shot mechanics, the less they’ll try to make small adjustments in response to stress, pressure, fatigue and fear that could interfere with making the shot. This ability of the brain to adapt, change, rewire and refine is referred to as neuroplasticity. ​
The repeated experience of pain is fired and wired together similarly to practicing free throws. The more you experience, think about and focus on pain, the more you can improve your brain’s ability to activate that pain program. Just like the way practice refines the shooter’s skills, the more you expect and believe pain will occur, the more likely pain will actually occur.
Luckily, neuroplasticity is a two-way street. Through physical activity and mental rehearsal, you can literally “practice pain away.” The repetition of practicing pain away allows you to have a greater capacity to better respond to work stress, lack of sleep and other daily stressors. Focusing on new and different ways to think and move can create a stronger program in the brain that better understands the experience of pain. Remember, nerves firing and wiring together can be good or bad, depending on what you practice. ​
Picture

Learn how pain is like an alarm system!
Pain is Like an Alarm System

Picture

Want More Analogies Similar to This One?

For this analogy and 50+ others, I highly recommend checking out my new book with co-author Jarod Hall. The book is titled Sticks and Stones. It is a collection of analogies & stories to help people gain a deeper understanding of the complex nature of pain. With each analogy and metaphor covered throughout this text, you’ll find multiple stories that help relate the complex topics of pain, tissue breakdown, posture and more. Through each story, you’ll notice a strong focus on the power of language. 
Learn more!
Jim Heafner PT, DPT, OCS
Heafner Health Physical Therapy
Boulder, Colorado
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Heafner Health 

    Physical Therapy
    Manual Therapy
    Movement Specialists
    ​Pain Management

    Archives

    April 2022
    October 2019
    February 2019
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    Clamshell
    Glutes
    Hiking
    IT Band
    Knee
    Running

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from imma-ty-grr, colros, WODshop, Rev Stan, -Jeffrey-, North Carolina National Guard, NeighborLink Fort Wayne, Artur Tomaz Photography, wwward0, Akuppa, Stewart Black, eccampbell, ArkansasOutside.com, ton.schulten