The most widely
accepted definition of pain goes like this:
“Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is
associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in such
terms.” This very long-winded definition
goes on to say that “pain is always subjective”. Look at the definition. Read it again. Did you see the phrase “pain is
inflammation?” Yeah, neither did I. Yet, when you walk down the pain relief
aisle of any drugstore, you see acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen….all NSAIDs
(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
What if the pain you feel doesn’t have anything to do with
inflammation? Did you realize that you
can have pain without inflammation?
If that is the case – pain without inflammation - how exactly would any of these
anti-inflammatory products help you? The
fact is that while inflammation can be associated with certain types of pain,
such as pain from a traumatic injury or pain associated with the wear and tear
of the joints, it isn’t the only reason why people experience
pain. The single compound, single action theory of anti-inflammatories in the
Western approach falls short for so many people struggling with pain. It is time to recognize that there are other
factors involved. There are other
pathways and channels in play.
There are two key factors in that definition
of pain that should be pointed out:
“pain is sensory and emotional” and “pain is always
subjective”. The Traditional Chinese
approach to pain not only recognizes, but appreciates and uses these factors in
its approach to pain. In TCM, pain is
defined as an imbalance between Qi (energy) and Blood. This can happen when energy or Blood is
deficient, or it can happen when energy and Blood get stuck in a certain area
of the body. Whenever the flow of energy
and blood is obstructed and not free flowing, the organs of the body begin to
malfunction and so pain develops. TCM
also recognizes that pain is either made worse or alleviated by the emotional
health of the person and is quite often caused by stress itself. In TCM, there is no distinction between
physical pain and emotional pain; they are one and the same and they are treated
in the same ways. “Pain is always
subjective.” This means that an
individual’s level of pain is influenced by his or her own feelings, emotions
and opinions. Each individual has his or
her own perception of pain. Because TCM
does not view the mind as separate from the physical body, if the potential for
higher thresholds for pain is present in one person, then the potential is
there for all. If strength is reinforced
and the mind is quieted, the threshold can be altered. In the Western medicine approach, pain is
seen as a simple nerve impulse – an electrical message sent from the brain
initiating the pain we feel. It is viewed
as mechanical; thus the symptomatic approach of anti-inflammatories or pain
killing substances. The Western approach
does not recognize the emotional component of pain; it does not view pain as
the dynamic physical and emotional response that it really is.
Elements of TCM
blended with the symptomatic approach of Western theory can have a dramatic
impact on pain. Looking at pain through
a TCM lens and recognizing the following:
1) pain comes in all shapes and sizes; 2) there are multiple channels or
pathways for pain; 3) stress contributes to pain; and 4) pain is subjective;
will go beyond any benefit that an anti-inflammatory focused approach can
offer. Human beings are dynamic and
fluid. Our minds are not detached from
our physical bodies. They are one and
the same. You cannot support one without
affecting the other. You cannot aim to
truly restore one without aiming to restore both.
