20211231 : what is pain

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My Physiotherapist does a particular stretch everyday.

He holds my right leg on his right shoulder, holds the knee with his left hand ( so that the leg doesn't bend), holds the foot with his right hand and presses the leg down.

Releases it and repeats is few times.

If I had voice, the neighbours would have surely complained!

It stretches the hamstring, calf, achele's tendon and presses the hip down to the bed (it's a bit out of place)

It is not a new routine. From my recollection, he has been doing it for last 1.5 years at least.

For the initial many months, I could feel nothing. I used to be distracted with some other thoughts while he went about it. I used to be watching the process like a mannequin's leg being worked on.

Now, when he gets to that part (yes, there is a complete pattern everyday), I keep telling myself to relax, but the mind goes bonkers.

So what is this pain? 

It is the same leg, same muscles and same stretch.

The reason is straight forward - the neurons were unable to transmit the pain impulses to the brain earlier and it was not paining.

But it is also very telling that the pain only is in the mind. Everything else is the same.

Of course, if there is some sort of external damage - like a bruise, rupture, burn, fracture etc., I am sure the scenario is very different.

Few months back, I had a very unbearable pain under the foot of my right leg in the night. I even thought I stood on some burning embers. I really am not sure if I dreamt it or imagined it while awake.

The next day, there was a red patch where it felt like it burnt. No other damage to the foot, but a distinct red patch like it was subjected to intense heat. This I am sure of because I asked the nurse to take a photo. (I had the thought of photographing it 2 days later - some of it was still there).

In some cases, the body was telling the brain to feel pain and in other cases the mind feeling pain was using the brain to reflect it in the body.

This is not a new revelation, but a very good representation to me about pain and other long term and chronic pain and illness and the mind's role in them. (Other than external caused ones)

The simplest I can think of is headache - I think it might be a reflection of the mind being troubled with something.

I would think it might be the same case for things like recurring back pains, shoulder pains, any other part of the body basically.

What about stuff when we find an underlying cause - not external but some sort of internal degeneration? Well, me thinks it is still the mind causing it on account of some repeated/ ongoing discomfort.

These are physically distinguishable parts. What about whole of body issues/ imbalances like BP, diabetes, hormonal issues etc....?

The mind and what we we subject it to might be the main/ underlying cause...?

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