What is Pain?
A simple enough question, but somehow still difficult to answer. The best way to explain what pain is is to think of it as an alarm system that will alert us to physical emergencies or issues that need attending to in our bodies. When the nerves in our hand are alerted to the presence of fire, for example, those nerves will send signals back to the brain warning us of a possible painful scenario, then send signals back to our hand telling us to draw it back. It's a process that takes microseconds and keeps us out of immediate danger. It's also your body's way of communicating that something is wrong and needs to be looked at, such as with broken bones or internal bleeding. Since these warning signals are sent from the brain, they're thought of as "output of the brain," but should not be thought of as something that's all in your head. However your body's sensitivity can be altered, alerting you to issues that wouldn't normally require a high level of response. That's where Pain Science comes in!
So, what is Pain Science?
According to Massage & Bodywork, pain science is "science that seeks to understand and explain the process of pain perception." Part of pain science is looking at the different factors that influence pain and how it's felt along with how those individual factors are influenced or altered.
Here's the scientific breakdown:
Nociceptors are sensory receptors in the body. They are responsible for sending chemical, mechanical and thermal stimuli to the brain. This is known as nociception. When a strong signal is registered, the nociceptors may skip the brain entirely and go straight to the motor fibers leaving the spinal cord (i.e., brushing up against a hot object).
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| Here's an example of Nociception at work! |
When a person has extreme tissue damage, their nociceptors will receive fewer pain signals, or none at all. This happens where tissue and nerve damage have occurred so greatly that a person's skin may have little to no feeling.
On the other end of the spectrum is allodynia, or pain felt from stimulus that would normally not be painful. This is caused by an increased sensitivity of the Central Nervous System to the stimulus, or "central sensitization." Something as simple as rubbing your arm could be considered painful.
There are multiple factors to pain response, which is why not everyone will react the same way in similar situations or even feel pain the same way. They include sensory processing, memory, biochemical stress, tissue chemistry, psychological and social factors and other physiological issues.
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| The Biopsychosocial Model (Venn Diagram) |
These findings are relatively recent, with credit going to George L. Engel for creating the Biopsychosocial Model, or "BPS" Model back in 1977. The BPS Model came around due to the lack of science surrounding psychiatry and other aspects of patient care, leading to an inadequate treatment of patients and illnesses. His findings showed us that illnesses were often more than just their physical elements and other factors, such as those mentioned above, could impact a person's health as well. It became a more inclusive way of treating patients, allowing for better care.
How can massage help with Pain?
The BPS Model is often used in massage since we now know that mental factors can often lead to an output of pain. As we've discussed in previous blog posts, during a massage your body releases endorphins and oxytocin, helping you to relax and feel happy. There is also a decrease in cortisol, which causes stress. Massage is not just about "getting the knots out," it's about looking at the body and mind as one and helping to heal on all levels by treating the body as a whole.
Multiple studies have shown that massage can help reduce stress, tension, improve sleep, help with depression, decrease inflammation and increase flexibility. We already know that stress and tension can present themselves as physical illness (stiff shoulders and neck, headaches, upset stomach), which is why the BPS Model comes in so handy. By looking at the body as a whole and learning someone's experiences, attitude and culture, we can begin to understand why that person is feeling pain and what we can do to resolve it.
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Massage is recommended for a number of reasons as it's beneficial for those suffering from mental and physical illness. If these two are so often intertwined, why not treat them both?
We always recommend speaking to your primary care physician first before starting any treatment to ensure that massage is the best option for you.
Do you have something you'd like us to discuss in an upcoming blog post? Comment below or email us at: massagelamesa@gmail.com!
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