Pain Management

Last week, quite suddenly and inexplicably, my neck started hurting. It started out as a nagging, muscular thing. By Sunday morning it was downright debilitating. I made it to church, even made it through the worship set. But as soon as we got home I put on my jammies, took some extra strength Excedrin and spent most of the day lying on a heating pad. As I write this post, I am still in pain. I have an appointment with a chiropractor, but until then, all I can do is manage the pain as best I can.

Sometimes that's all we can do, isn't it? Manage the pain. We know (or at least we think we know) how to alleviate it, but sometimes all the other stuff in our lives takes precedent over immediate relief. So we endure and try to compensate.

Here's what I learned over the past few days about compensating -- too often we overcompensate. The pain that began at the base of the right side of my neck soon found a new home at the base of my skull, then radiated up the back of my head and behind my right eye. I didn't stop the pain, I simply chased it to another location. I'm guessing I will continue to chase the pain from one place to another until I can get some relief. Because I've got to feel like I'm doing something other than simply enduring. Right?

Maybe not. Perhaps we're meant to endure some things. Because without enduring the pain we can never truly appreciate the healing.

My observation, anyway.