When experiencing pain or injury, it’s entirely common for one person to react a certain way and for another to react a different way – to the same exact injury. But why? Much of the population feels “some people are just tough.” Does that mean people in more pain are weak? You might think our bodies are more or less receptive to certain feelings than others, or that certain people are just more mentally tough than others and therefore more capable of suppressing physical pain. Mental state has a major influence on pain tolerance — but it’s more than that. It’s actually because our brains perceive threats and pain differently based on a number of factors, including our understanding and ability to normalize pain and the circumstances in which the pain occurs.
The circumstances of pain
If we’re educated on pain, we’ll certainly be more capable of managing our perception of it and lessening its impact on a long-term basis. But the circumstances under which the pain occurs also play a huge role in that perception. No two people have the same pain. Pain is complex, but more importantly, it is subjective. Where on the body did you get hurt? Have you been hurt there before? What is your emotional state? Where are you? Is anyone watching? What was their reaction? These, along with many other factors, heavily influence our pain tolerance. Take the act of stepping on a nail, for example. Anyone who’s done this – and even if you haven’t (which we hope is the case) – knows all too well what a painful experience it is… Or should be. As it turns out, the degree of our pain is influenced by a number of factors. Pain at home vs. pain on the battlefield If you’re calmly strolling through the living room on a Sunday morning to enjoy some coffee and read the paper but you happen to step on a nail, the nail (and the pain it causes) is going to become the sole focus of your brain, and will thus be perceived as a catastrophic event the likes of which you could have never imagined. This will cause you to perceive a great deal of pain. However, if you were in military action and stepped on a nail as you were sprinting across a live battlefield and dodging fire, there’s a chance you might not even notice it. At this moment, the nail is not a major threat. The brain is so good at perceiving threats that it heard the danger signals coming from your foot and in a split second, was able to determine there are much more important threats to focus on. In fact, there is a fair chance you’d completely forget about the nail incident until after the battle is over. This comparison helps illustrate the difference in how our workers respond to pain and in how well they’re able to navigate the healing process. Life or death may seem extreme to compare with our work force, but workers are interpreting threats the same way. Threats to our family, our financial security, our career, and our health all can be perceived similarly to this example. Workers’ pain perceptions Just as you’d react differently to pain in the home versus pain on the battlefield, your workers react differently based on their working conditions, experience, and understanding of pain. No two employees will have the same experience with pain. There are many factors that impact this, including upbringing, history of injury/pain, expectations, education, and experiences. What is important to understand is that all pain is real and that the level to which it is perceived varies. Regardless, what research has shown is that understanding how pain works and doing a few simple things can greatly improve anyone’s experience with pain. For a safety professional, realizing you are in a key position to impact that for those employees that you service is half the battle. Educating yourself and your team with Fit For Work Fit For Work partners with organizations at the safety manager and leadership level to impart knowledge and actionable strategies that those leaders can then share with the rest of the team. This serves to: • Reduce injuries • Improve morale • Set and achieve work- and health-related goals • Remain active during healing periods • Reduce opioid use • Maintain a healthy lifestyle No two workers experience pain in the same way, but all are capable of improving their perception of pain and their ability to heal and lead a better career. Contact Fit For Work today for personalized support in educating your team on the reality of pain science for a happier and more productive work environment. Louw A, Zimney K, O’Hotto C, Hilton S. The clinical application of teaching people about pain . Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. Jul 2016;32(5):385- 395. Louw A, Diener I, Butler DS, Puentedura EJ. The effect of neuroscience education on pain, disability, anxiety, and stress in chronic musculoskeletal pain . Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Dec 2011;92(12):2041-2056. Louw A, Zimney K, Puentedura EJ, Diener I. The efficacy of pain neuroscience education on musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review of the literature. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. Jul 2016;32(5):332-355. Louw A, Podolak J, Zimney K, Schmidt S, Puentedura E. Can Pain Beliefs Change in Middle School Students? A Study of the Effectiveness of Pain Neuroscience Education . Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. 2017-Accepted for publication. 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