The Connection Between Childhood Pain Experiences and Chronic Pain

I attended this webinar recently and it was very eye opening, both as a healthcare professional and a patient. I've been a Registered Massage Therapist since 2007 and my practice has developed along with my own personal experiences with chronic pain. I've had varying levels of pain since I was about 7, when I had my first big injury; a strained SI joint. This resulted in chronic lower back pain for about 8 years. Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts from more than three-six months. Sometimes it was mild, sometimes constant aching and sometimes it would spasm so violently that I would be in bed for days, on pain killers and muscle relaxants. My parents took me for some treatments, but it wasn't really resolved until I started doing Pilates when I was about 15. 

My lower back was pretty good until around 19, when I had a serious whiplash injury, from a knee boarding accident. I'm now 37 and have been dealing with the ups and downs of this injury for a very long time. Fortunately, as and RMT, I have the luxury of a lot of knowledge about biomechanics and therapeutic exercises that I have always used to manage things. 
About 3 years ago, I had a major flare up of my whiplash symptoms and suddenly all the things I had relied upon were not effective anymore, or only gave me very temporary relief. This is when I turned to counselling and pain science. 

Since then, I've taken several courses about pain science through PainBC and other resources. I've read a lot of books about the biopsychosocial model of care. And I've implemented some new strategies to manage pain, that I never would have thought could be so effective. Meditation, mindfulness, body scanning and cognitive behavioral therapy practices are now a big part of my daily self care routine. Though I still rely on other things like self massage, stretching and strengthening exercises, I've come to understand how important nervous system regulation is. 

This webinar explains the importance of communication and positivity around pain experiences with children. I am left to wonder, if my first major injury had been handled differently, if the communication my practitioners and parents had used at the time had been different, would I still struggle with chronic pain as an adult? 

I can't go back in time and I can't blame anybody for what happened because we just didn't understand pain in the same way we do now. I am sharing this webinar with hope that it will reach someone who will use this knowledge to better communicate with their child or children, and prevent setting that child up for a life of pain.

Neither Remedy Wellness Centre Inc or Me take any credit for the production of this webinar. It was offered through PainBC, a wonderful resource for anyone suffering with chronic pain. 

​Kasey Thompson, Registered Massage Therapist