explain
pain
6
section
121
page
Bending forwards
We are aiming here to re-learn themovement of bending
forwardswithout the orchestra snapping into the pain tune.
1. Imaginedmovements – activate the brain
neurotags but don’tmove the actual body
Imaginedmovements activatemany of the same brain
areas as actual movements. If you think about the
movement you know to be painful, or watch someone else
perform that movement, movement neurotags in the brain
will be activated but the pain neurotag probably won’t.
Sometimes, if your pain is very chronic and severe, even
imaginedmovements can be painful,
eg.6
inwhich case you
could initially imagine performing part of themovement.
What you are doing here is helping the orchestra to play a
gentlemovement melody without playing its
accompanying pain tune.
2. Alter gravitational influences
Sitting on the floorwith your legs straight out in front of
you is the same body formation as lying on the floor, face
up, with your legs in the air, or standing bent over at the
waist, leaning on a table – it’s the gravitational force that’s
different in each case. Changing gravitational influences
allows you to run brain representations of themovement
in similar but slightly different and novel ways.
If you lie on your back and pull your knees to your chest
(one knee, if it’s too sensitive to do both) – the back has
been bent in the real and virtual body. You could try it
lying on different surfaces too (eg. cold floor, warm rug),
just for some different inputs into the brain. Brains love
variety. If this is painful, perhaps just lying flat on your
back on the floor and flattening your backwith your
knees bent is your appropriate level of activity. You can
flex forwardwhile sitting on a chair. Performing
movements inwater is another way to alter gravitational
influences. Altering gravity also alters levels of movement
security. There is greater security leaning on a wall and
bending than bending without support.
