by Erik Ouellet 

I’m in pain because…
Pain is a very complex phenomenon that we are too often inclined to oversimplify with statements like:

• I injured myself
• I think I damaged this or that
• I know I have bad posture
• I have an old injury that didn’t heal well
• I have arthrosis, arthritis or a herniated disc …

 
These common misconceptions of pain contribute to making you feel helpless, when pain just won’t go away. A distorted perception of being fragile and vulnerable triggers an anxiety that can push you to avoid any form of activity.
 
Pain is:

• a complex multi-factorial phenomenon not restricted to the state of health of your bones, your muscles, your heart or your body tissues
• a sophisticated alarm system committed to protecting you from danger, be it real or potential
• a phenomenon that emerges from the depths of the human conscience, that contributes to preserve your physical, mental and social integrity

 
Physical, mental and social integrity?
Pain is highly influenced by your cultural beliefs, your education, your thoughts, your social environment and even the place where you are at the moment an incident contributes to your pain. The severity and duration of your pain will depend on these factors. References confirming this fact are abundant!
 
For example, a person who has been providing care for weeks to a bedridden family member suffering from acute lower-back pain can later have a « severe painful reaction » when he or she hurts her back. Having witnessed acute pain can create a conditioning effect to reproduce the symptoms. Here’s another example: Instead of reassuring a patient, a positive diagnosis for a herniated disc can lead to an unexpected surge of anxiety (deleterious effect) which will increase the intensity of the pain experienced.
 
Multifactorial causes and solutions
Depending on the degree of injury, the healing process will generally take from 6 to 9 months. Beyond that period, pain can become chronic. It will be less and less associated to the original injury. The tissues having healed, pain is no longer considered to be a reliable indication  of  your  health   condition.  And,  if  you
 
 
maintain these protection schemes, they will become maladaptive habits that will encourage overt expression of pain. Realizing, and most importantly understanding that pain is not a reliable indicator, will allow you to:

• move and exercise without worrying about compromising the integrity of your body’s tissues
• understand that the intensity will vary from day to day, depending on how tired or stressed you are
• be confident that you’re not weakened and therefore lead a more active life, despite the pain
• be more self-reliant to manage perceived pain.

 
Arthrosis, arthritis or a herniated disc… are at the source of my pain
Although these conditions can affect people of all ages, they are signs of normal body wear. Sometimes they are asymptomatic. In other cases, they cause pain difficult to avoid. Here are some means (supported by many studies) that have proven to be effective:

• exercising, a restful sleep, a healthy diet and a moderate exposure to stress
• an active and rewarding social life
• the support of resource persons (family, friends, health professionals) during episodes of acute pain
• a contact with nature will contribute to your wellbeing and reduce the perceived pain’s intensity.

 
 
Discover the mechanisms of pain and how to manage your pain. Joins us for:
 
MIEUX COMPRENDRE LA DOULEUR
(TO BETTER UNDERSTAND PAIN)
 
a bilingual conference by
Erik Ouellet, osteopath
 
Wednesday June 1, 2016, at 2 p.m.
(at the Cinema)
 
For more details, and information on our personalized programs, contact Randall Lightbown at 514 585-8892.
 

​1. Melzack, Ronald, and Joel Katz. "Pain." Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science WIREs Cogn Sci 4.1
 
(2012): 1­15. Print.
 
2. Moseley, G. Lorimer. "Reconceptualising Pain According to Modern Pain Science." Physical Therapy
 
Reviews 12.3 (2007): 169­78. Print.
 
3. Flor H, Hermann C. Biopsychosocial models of pain. In: Dworkin RH, Breitbart WS (Eds). Psychosocial Aspects of Pain: A Handbook for
 
Health Care Providers, Progress in Pain Research and Management, Vol. 27. Seattle: IASP Press, 2004, pp 47–76.
 
4. Fillingim RB. Social and environmental influences on pain: implications or pain genetics. In: Mogil JS (Ed). The
 
Genetics of Pain, Progress in Pain Research and Management, Vol. 28. Seattle: IASP Press, 2004, pp 283–304.
 
5. van Ravesteijn H, van Dijk I, Darmon D, van de Laar F, Lucassen P, Hartman TO, van Weel C, & Speckens A (2011).
 
The reassuring value of diagnostic tests: A systematic review. Patient education and counseling PMID:
 
6. Bank PJ, Peper CL, Marinus J, Beek PJ, & van Hilten JJ (2013). Motor dysfunction of complex regional pain syndrome
 
is related to impaired central processing of proprioceptive information. J Pain, 14 (11), 1460­74 PMID: 24064035

Translation Pattricia Cattiaux

Did you know that one plus one are more than two when it comes to diabetes?  It’s true!
 
Scientific studies have firmly concluded that when you add 1) strength (resistance) training and 2) aerobic exercise, you get more benefits to help you prevent and control Type 2 diabetes.
 
A study[1] of men conducted by a team of researchers from Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Southern Denmark found that:

• Even a modest amount of weight training may help reduce type 2 diabetes risk.  And that…
• The combination of weight training and aerobic exercise confers the greatest benefits.

 
Another study[2] team, including researchers from Harvard and the University of Southern Denmark, analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Studies (almost 100,000 women between the ages of 36 and 81) and found that:

• Women who engaged the most in resistance training and lower intensity muscular conditioning (like yoga) had the lowest risk of developing diabetes.

 
Health Professionals Follow-up Study
Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Medicine, and his colleagues studied data on 32,000 men who were followed for almost two decades to determine their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.  Among their findings:  even 10 minutes a day of resistance work—whether at the gym or at home doing push-ups or using resistance bands—is enough to produce a benefit.[3]
 

How it Works
For those with diabetes, strength training helps your body:

• respond better to insulin
• improve the way it uses blood sugar
• control your weight

 
Both Canadian and American Diabetes Associations recommend that those with diabetes do some type of strength/resistance training two to three times a week, for example:

• strength training machines
• free weights
• resistance bands
• body weight
• the use of common objects found at home, like soup cans

 
To learn more about diabetes, nutrition and exercise…

• Come to a casual, interactive workshop—Tuesday, May 10th, 14:00 to 15:00—with Danielle Lévesque in the Bistro
• Danielle is a nutritionist and dietitian and is a member of l’Ordre des diététistes du Québec
• She is also a member of the Diabète Québec’s scientific committee and was a long-time member of the editorial board of the revue Diabète Québec : Plein Soleil

 
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how proper nutrition and exercise can help you better manage your diabetes.
 
And remember…For more information about an exercise program that’s right for you, come to the gym or contact Randall Lightbown at 514-585-8892.


[1] “A Prospective Study of Weight Training and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Men”, Archives of Internal Medicine, online August 6, 2012.

[2] “Muscle-Strengthening and Conditioning Activities and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Study in Two Cohorts of US Women”, PLOS Medicine, January 14, 2014

[3] “Weight training may help to prevent diabetes, a new study shows.”  The New York Times, August 7, 2012