Imagine you’re driving and approach an intersection where you’ve encountered a red light. Your brain has learned that red lights mean “stop” because moving forward could lead to danger. This is a helpful and protective mechanism—it keeps you safe from harm. But now, imagine safely crossing a green light as one naturally would, but this time are you are involved in an accident at no fault of your own.
Now imagine that from then on, your brain starts misinterpreting traffic signals in order to protect you from future accidents. It begins to associate not just red lights but all lights—green and yellow included—as potential danger. Now, every time you approach an intersection, you stop completely or dramatically slow down, even when there’s no risk or reason to pause.
This overprotective response can happen with pain as well. If you lift an object that is far too heavy and hurt your back, your brain learns to associate the act of bending forward and lifting with danger. It’s a natural and useful way for your body to protect itself from further harm. However, the brain is not perfect. Sometimes, it starts to generalize this protective response, so even small, safe movements—like bending forward to tie your shoe or picking up a light bag—are met with pain. Your brain sees all bending and lifting as dangerous, even when your body is fully capable of handling these tasks.
What fuels this pain isn’t the act of bending or lifting itself, but your brain’s prediction that you will hurt yourself again. Every time you experience pain and respond with fear, anger, frustration, or avoidance, you unknowingly strengthen the association. Just like stopping unnecessarily at every light reinforces the brain’s mistaken belief that all lights are dangerous. Responding to pain with fear reinforces the brain’s belief that all bending or lifting is harmful.
Over time, this fear-pain cycle can become deeply ingrained, making it harder to separate real danger from perceived danger. It’s important to realize that the pain you feel isn’t an accurate measure of your body’s condition—it’s your brain’s way of trying to keep you safe. To break this cycle, we must teach the brain that not all bending or lifting is dangerous, just as you’d need to reteach yourself that green lights are safe to proceed through. This requires approaching these movements with calmness and confidence, gradually building trust in your body’s resilience and helping your brain learn that sometimes the danger it fears isn’t real.
Bahram Jam