The Pain Habit

24/08/2026

Pain starting to improve… then suddenly flaring again?

It can feel like you’re right back where you started.

But does a flare-up always mean you’ve gone backwards?

There’s an interesting idea called an extinction burst that might offer another way of looking at it.

I’ve written more about it here:

https://www.thepainhabit.com/blog/extinction

12/08/2026

Sometimes safety isn't found in stillness.

Sometimes it's discovered at the edge.

Breathing, relaxation, understanding pain and calming an overloaded nervous system can all be valuable.

But there can come a point when part of us is still asking:

*“Yes… but what happens when I actually move?”*

Sometimes that question needs more than reassurance.

It needs an experience.

That doesn't mean pushing through pain or forcing yourself beyond your limits.

It might simply mean gently exploring the edge of what currently feels safe — enough for the old prediction to appear, but with enough safety and curiosity to discover that something different can happen.

I sometimes think of a nervous dog.

You can help it feel wonderfully safe in the living room, but eventually it needs to experience the park.

Gently. Gradually. Without being dragged.

Perhaps persistent pain can sometimes be similar.

**The edge isn't somewhere to test whether you've recovered.**

**It's somewhere you can practise discovering safety.**

Practice, not test.

31/07/2026

Pain patterns can give us useful clues.

Sometimes pain changes with stress, rest, movement, fatigue, attention, or a sense of safety.

Sometimes pain feels much more consistent — appearing in the same place, with the same position, pressure, or activity.

Both experiences are real.

And both may tell us something about what the body and nervous system have learned to protect against.

My latest two blogs explore this from two angles:

**When Pain Changes — And When It Doesn’t**
https://www.thepainhabit.com/blog/when-pain-changes-and-when-it-doesnt

**The High Pain Threshold Paradox**
https://www.thepainhabit.com/blog/the-high-pain-threshold-paradox

One looks at the pattern of pain.

The other looks at our relationship with pain.

Together, they ask a gentle question:

What if pain is real — and still worth understanding differently?

27/07/2026

Sometimes pain arrives after the danger has passed.

You hold everything together through the crisis, keep going, stay strong—and then, when the pressure begins to ease, your body hurts.

This five-minute reflection explores why the moment pain appears may not be the moment the overload began.

Listen here:
https://youtu.be/K4WApYx0MIk

The full accompanying article is linked in the YouTube description.

Sometimes pain does not arrive during the most difficult period.I...

20/07/2026

I’m grateful to Nervana for featuring my guest article:

When Symptoms Flare Just as Recovery Begins

A flare during recovery can feel confusing and discouraging, particularly when symptoms seem to intensify just as confidence, movement or hope begins to return.

But an increase in symptoms does not always mean that recovery has failed or that something has been damaged again.

Sometimes the nervous system responds to change, unfamiliarity, and the gradual loosening of an old protective pattern.

The article explores how we might meet that moment with less fear and a little more understanding.

You can read it here:

https://www.trynervana.com/resources/when-symptoms-flare-just-as-recovery-begins

I’ve also created a short guided audio, Teaching Your Body Safety During a Flare, for anyone who might find it helpful to listen rather than read:

https://youtu.be/0obU5y9giR8

Thank you to Nora and the Nervana community for sharing this work.

Why a setback may not mean you are back at the beginning. You notice progress. Perhaps you are moving more freely, thinking about your symptoms less often or...

06/07/2026

The Fish That Never Knew It Was in Water

What if persistent pain doesn't always begin with obvious trauma?

What if, instead, your nervous system simply adapted to an emotional environment that felt completely normal?

You don't have to rewrite a happy childhood.

You don't have to search for darkness where none exists.

Sometimes awareness begins with a much gentler question:

"What became so normal that I never thought to question it?"

That's what this week's blog explores.

If you've ever wondered why pain has persisted despite reassuring scans or no obvious injury, I hope it offers a different perspective.

🔗 Read the full article here: https://www.thepainhabit.com/blog/the-fish-that-never-knew-it-was-in-water

Painbites Blog Mind-Body Recovery, case studies Drew Coverdale 6/22/26 Mind-Body Recovery, case studies Drew Coverdale 6/22/26 The High Pain Threshold Paradox Many people with persistent pain are strong, capable, and used to pushing through. But sometimes recovery asks for a different kind of streng...

30/06/2026

An amazing recovery story. Thank you for sharing.

30/06/2026

Predictive processing and persistent pain.

Understanding predictive coding—a foundational concept in modern pa...

28/06/2026

Have you always had a high pain threshold?

Many people with persistent pain are not weak.

They are often the opposite.

They have spent years coping, carrying on, working, parenting, helping others, exercising through discomfort, and pushing through when stopping did not feel possible.

But sometimes this strength can become part of the pattern.

Not because the person has done anything wrong.

But because the nervous system may have learned that pain, tension, pressure, fatigue, and emotional discomfort are things to override rather than listen to.

This is what I call the high pain threshold paradox.

A person may be able to tolerate physical pain, but struggle deeply with the emotional state that comes with it:

Fear.
Frustration.
Uncertainty.
Helplessness.
Loss of control.
The feeling that their body has let them down.

Recovery may not be about becoming tougher.

It may be about becoming strong enough to pause, listen, soften, and relate to the body differently.

I wrote more about this here:

https://www.thepainhabit.com/blog/the-high-pain-threshold-paradox

Some people cope well with pain but struggle with the fear, frustration, helplessness, or grief that comes with it. This blog explores the high pain threshold paradox and persistent pain recovery.

17/06/2026

When pain changes — and when it doesn't.

Many people assume pain should behave like an injury.

Injury heals.
Symptoms improve.
The pattern makes sense.

Persistent pain often behaves differently.

It may:
✔ Move around the body
✔ Change with stress or emotion
✔ Appear after poor sleep
✔ Ease during enjoyable activities
✔ Flare without obvious tissue damage

These patterns don't mean the pain isn't real.

They simply suggest there may be more influencing the experience than tissues alone.

Understanding patterns can sometimes be the first step toward understanding recovery.

I've explored this further in a new article:

👇 Read here:

Persistent pain can vary, move, flare, or feel consistent. This blog explores what pain patterns may tell us about the body, nervous system, sensitivity, safety, and recovery.