How can exercise and my brain transform my chronic pain?

“My back hurts,” “I got stuck yesterday,” “My knee hurts when it rains.”

These phrases will surely sound familiar to you.

🙅‍♀️Chronic pain affects millions of people around the world and affects both the body and the mind.

For many, it becomes a barrier that makes daily activities difficult and generates fear of movement (kinesiophobia).

Traditionally, the focus has been on a model in which the analysis and explanation of pain is almost exclusively on the idea that pain is a reflection of direct damage, or tissue injury.

This approach assumes, roughly, the following meanings:

👉 The pain is proportional to the damage.

👉 This pain is due to a local and specific cause.

👉 The damage determines the treatment.

👉 The nervous system is simply a passive channel for transmitting signals.

Faced with this situation, people who suffer from it tend to seek physical solutions, such as medications, manual therapies, or surgeries, but the results are temporary or insufficient.

However, in recent years, science is shifting to a more transformative and “open” approach : ⭐ understanding how pain works from neuroscience , from understanding how the nervous system works, and using exercise as a very powerful tool for its management.

This science of pain, pioneered by researchers like Spanish neurologist Arturo Goicoechea, is transforming our understanding of pain. His work, in fact, inspires these words, and I encourage you to read it thoroughly after finishing this article.

And if you're here, it's because you feel like pain is currently part of your life; or you feel stuck because you can't get rid of that "damn" pain.

From this point, you'll begin to explore how the brain interprets pain, how we can be constantly on edge, and how movement can retrain the nervous system to "free ourselves from these chains."

🧠 The Brain and Pain: Beyond Physical Damage.

Did you know that pain doesn't always mean harm?

Our brain is our body's largest processor, assessing us and our environment for signs of danger. If it detects something potentially threatening, it triggers the alarm: pain.

In the case of an acute injury, this alarm makes perfect sense. It alerts us to that damage or potential damage.

However, when it comes to chronic pain, as is often the case with people with knee pain or lower back pain, the alarm bells can continue to ring long after the tissues have healed.

In this sense, the brain is able to learn and associate certain movements , postures, sensations or activities with danger, even if there is no real damage.

It is a “pain memory” that, together with this “hypersensitivity,” can maintain the problem over time, generating the sensation of persistent pain.

The nervous system, therefore, has several roles in relation to chronic pain :

* Nervous system hypersensitivity. Normal stimuli or simple movements trigger the brain to sound the alarm.

* Pain memory. The brain recalls past painful experiences, both emotional and physical, creating a kind of "danger prediction," generating pain even when there is no harm.

* Emotional and cognitive factors. Stress, anxiety, catastrophizing, and negative beliefs about pain (e.g., thinking something is broken) can amplify the perception of pain.

🏃‍♀️ Exercise as a tool to re-educate the brain.

This is where exercise comes in as a change engine: it's a communication tool with our brain.

It's not just about strengthening our muscles or improving joint mobility, but also about teaching our brains that movement is safe. Through exercise, we can achieve:

☑️ Eliminate that “hypersensitivity” of the nervous system.

☑️ Reduce fear of movement.

☑️ Promote neuroplasticity.

Through controlled and progressive movements, the brain can learn that these situations are not dangerous.

By gradually exposing yourself in a safe environment, that kinesiophobia begins to fade.

The brain has a great capacity to adapt, both positively and negatively. With proper exercise , this unnecessary alarm system will be "turned off."

Furthermore, exercise itself has a series of physiological and emotional effects that put the nervous system into a positive cycle: It reduces stress, releases endorphins, improves blood flow, and increases social health.

🤔 How to start exercising if you suffer from chronic pain?

The million-dollar question! Obviously, the best thing to do is to entrust yourself to a professional who can help you navigate this path.

Frustrations lead precisely to a negative loop that does not interest us in the elimination of chronic pain.

Here are some first steps 🌱.

1. Educate yourself about pain. The first step is to understand that chronic pain isn't permanent and that it doesn't cause harm. Reading and learning about how our pain and brain work, as well as working with professionals who embrace this approach, can completely change your perspective on your situation.

2. Gradual and controlled movement. Choose activities that don't cause spikes of pain, but that allow you to move with confidence, gradually increasing your intensity. It all depends on your starting point.

3. Strength train your entire body, without exception. The body is a machine that doesn't understand isolated movements. Everything works with everything. But start with the simplest and work your way up to the most complex.

4. Progression, not perfection. There is no perfect technique, only efficiency in movement. It doesn't matter if we don't perform the perfect squat. The goal is to overcome pain by building a nervous system with a wealth of movement through consistency.

👉 Make your brain your ally.

Chronic pain doesn't have to define your life. Through exercise and learning how your brain and body work, you can regain that control and improve your well-being.

As a personal trainer specializing in injury rehabilitation, I've seen how this approach transforms lives.

If you feel stuck in this loop of pain and fear of movement, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

The path to change begins with one step: LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE.

If you have questions or need guidance, don't hesitate to write to me! I'm here to help you build a positive relationship with your body and movement.

Your companion on this journey.

Jorge García

Personal Trainer for the María Puntí Team. Graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences and a personal trainer specializing in injury recovery.