Is the brain making a conclusion that there is really a threat based on complete and accurate information? One of the main strategies of effective pain management is providing the brain with more accurate information about what is happening so that the brain is not constantly producing a threat response.

constant rumination about others’ wrongdoing, which is called bitterness.

When a person has a strong fear of pain, he or she likely learned that fear from previous experiences.

Foam rollers help reduce soreness and speed the recovery of muscles after exercise.

When the body is under chronic stress, two different responses occur throughout the body. First, the normal immune functions of the body are suppressed or kept from working as well as they normally would. With chronic stress, there is an increase in cortisol released by the adrenal glands. When cortisol levels remain high, the immune system is

Her brain made a long list of rules—things she must do to manage pain—and an even longer list of things she should not do in order to avoid pain.

When a person’s thoughts, emotions, and life situation are all negative, it is like turning up the amplifier of the guitar.

This information heads to the spine and then up to the brain, where the brain analyzes that information and makes a determination if there is a threat or not. If the brain determines there is a threat, then the brain does something to get our attention. The brain could create hives on your face, make your back itch, turn your skin red, make your

SAFETY-IN-ME (SIM) Pain does not equal harm. I can be sore but safe. Motion is lotion. Pacing is progress. I can break the brain’s protective rules and still be okay. I am okay, and I am getting better. My back is strong. I can be active even with pain. I can rewire my brain. Medications and surgeries are not effective for everyone. Medical testing