It can be helpful to think of pain in terms of the “cup of resilience” metaphor.*
The cup represents your body’s ability to tolerate stress, into which you pour stressors such as a poor night’s sleep, worrying about money, arguing with a loved one, work stress, lack of physical activity and exercise, passive coping strategies, depressive symptoms and so on.
The cup metaphor suggests that pain occurs when all of the stressors in our lives exceed the space in our cup. When the cup overflows, we experience pain.
So how can you stop your cup from overflowing? Well, there are two things you can do:
1. decrease some of the stressors to stop your cup from overflowing
2. build a bigger cup
The stressors in the cup are not all inherently bad when you are gradually exposed to them, as they can help you to tolerate more, improve your coping skills and develop resilience against current and future life stressors.
Ways to calm stressors:
• Seek support and reassurance
• Get educated about your stressors
• Avoid aggravating activities
• Do isometric exercises
• Modify activities
• Utilise medication and relaxation
• Receive manual therapy
• Symptom modification: manipulation, Graston, Kinesio taping, dry needling and/or massage
How to build a bigger cup:
• Get healthier: exercise & get active.
• Build positive beliefs
• Improve your mood
• Improve your coping mechanisms
• Make better food choices
• Improve your sleep habits
• Introduce gradual physical loading
What stressors do you have in your cup?
I help busy people get rid of their back pain through exercising at home. But I don't just get you moving, we address 'lifestyle' factors that can prevent you from beating back pain. Movement and lifestyle adjustments are two of the three pillars we use to successfully beat back pain. If you want to find out more click the '6 Week Beat Back Pain' button above, or fill in this form and I will get in touch https://www.core-pilates.co.uk/beat-back-pain * Thank you Greg Lehman
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