It's Never "One Thing"

When you're in pain, discomfort, or are suffering in some way, it's natural to look for the reason or cause of the pain. I see this with my clients all the time.

For example, someone has a mysterious neck pain. It started a few days or weeks ago and there was no identifiable injury or cause for the pain. So they'll often say something like, "Maybe I need a new pillow," or "It must be how I sit at my desk" or "I've been painting my living room -- that must be it."

All of those examples can often be contributing factors, perhaps even significant ones, but I like to always remind my clients that no one lives in a vacuum. It's more likely all of those things and more, rather than just because of one thing.

Even if there was a specific accident or activity that we can trace the pain back to, there’s still the state that their body was in as a result of all the other living they've done the entire time they've been on earth. Sure, injuries do dramatically effect the way we feel in our bodies, but how our bodies respond to the injury is dependent upon everything else we've done, are doing, and will do.

I do completely understand the urge to find the "one thing" that causing us to hurt. I do this all the time as well. But when I find myself focusing in on a main cause, I try to also remember all the other smaller causes all around it.

If we miss the smaller causes then we can likely prolong healing or potentially re-injure ourselves. When we heal, we're healing the whole body within the context of our whole lives.

So next time you find yourself looking for the "one thing" keep going and look for the two, three, or ten things that also contribute. That's how you'll fast-track your healing.