Your Secret Ability To Feel Less Pain

Listen to my podcast, The Checkup with Doctor Mike, here:

Help us continue the fight against medical misinformation and change the world through charity by becoming a Doctor Mike Resident on Patreon where every month I donate 100% of the proceeds to the charity, organization, or cause of your choice! Residents get access to bonus content, an exclusive discord community, and many other perks for just $10 a month. Become a Resident today:

Let’s connect:

Executive Producer: Doctor Mike
Production Director and Editor: Dan Owens
Managing Editor and Producer: Sam Bowers
Editor and Designer: Caroline Weigum
Editor: Juan Carlos Zuniga

* Select photos/videos provided by Getty Images *

** The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional **

[ellenparker]

We should listen to our bodies. Pain is its way to tell us that something is wrong, pushing the body's limits or damaging it. It's our alert system. But once the alert has been received, it's nice to be able to quiet the alarm. 😊

[sunshine]

Thankful to have learned this over 30 years ago with a very patient dentist. It has served me well on so many occasions.

[theheartofthestone]

I get migraines and they're bad enough I get to the point of vomiting and for me visualizing the pain seems to help. Sometimes it's thick thorny vines that I have to wrestle down and burn in a trashcan, sometimes it's nasty slimy sludge I have to squeegee away. This buys me some time, about five minutes, and I have to keep doing it while I'm in a dark room with a frozen gel mask on until I'm able to fall asleep. It doesn't sound like much but relief is priceless

[poppyw]

It’s crazy, and beautiful how the body works

[EasterEdwards]

It's crazy how awesome this turned out!

[poppyw]

“Why the heck where you the last doctor I got sent to instead of the first”

[charlotte]

Having joint laxity my whole life means i have pain my whole life. Every day, every minute i am awake. But i dont feel it that much anymore, only with moments i do. I talked about it with a few doctors and they told me that my brain is used to the the pain and the older i get, the higher pain level my brain can handle. I have always pain in the usual places but when something is a new pain, my brain notices it way more. But after a few weeks that pain is also the new normal. Which is ok but also scary coz thats how you get long term problems. Thats how beautyfull a brain works 💪

[dxncemomslver]

yeah when i used to get hurt i would always say things like, pain isn’t real, this doesn’t hurt, it made me feel better😊

[craigwolfe]

It really doesn't work for most people, same with hypnosis.
You have to be very "compliant" mentally and most people aren't.

[muskanrathore]

That's so wonderful how our brain works

[yensteel]

Laughing gas, or even helium can be used as an alternative to anesthetics in some cases. Its because it made people laugh.

In one story, a guy broke his arm and it needed to be aligned. He breathed in helium and laughed from hearing his own voice. Then the doctors did a surprise pull and he made a chipmunk-like "gya!". The sound made him laugh even harder and he didnt notice the pain.

[contentjersey]

I've been waiting, a new one from you!

[babyblu]

Oi, I tried 'imaginative therapy' and it didn't work for me. I couldn't picture myself or imagine feeling things I am realistically not feeling. I can visualize with my minds eye but that's about it.

[mkqowdg]

The brain is really complex yet amazing 😍

[samanthahughes]

I use pregnancy breathing when my pain is bad, or focus it down to my lower leg or hand, which then does all the moving about and writhing that my whole body wants to do.
I had an argument with a very bad orthopaedic nurse, when I told her my pain level, and that I usually run at about a three. She tried to say that I should ‘re-set’ my three to now be my zero, and couldn’t /wouldn’t see that me running at a three meant that’s where my pain usually is, and a zero is zero pain.
She just would not be told, even though other nurses and physios tried to explain.

[Czarro]

The human body will do amazing things like this yet still stop functioning entirely when you fall down in the wrong way

[Sunflowersarepretty]

I guess it has to do with 'placebos' and using your imagination like if im in pain i think about the other parts in me that are pain free. This works well when i period cramps. Ofcourse not always but many times.

[mom.left.me.at.michaels]

Because there's no sign on the door saying "I'm a doctor that actually cares and listens" vs "I'm here for the insurance company and I'm just going to gaslight you and ignore your problem"

[brianrussell]

"Pain don't hurt" - James Dalton

[allstrongfitness]

Physical therapy 101 is to provide enough load to the joint to feel a tolerable amount of pain, and slowly increase over time to desensitize the nerves in the area