Barbell Psychology

Sending love to all our trans brothers, sisters and non-binary siblings on this international transgender day of visibility. We see you and we stand with you - today and every day
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🔎 Find a pain clinician who will EMPOWER you to self-manage your pain with ACTIVE evidence-based strategies instead of relying on someone else's 'magic hands' for temporary relief...

Don't give your power away! 💪

"Stay active and address psychological barriers"

👆👆👆

New Australian best-practice guidelines for treating low back pain recommend clinicians help patients "self-manage their pain through movement and psychological exercises" instead of prescribing pain medication or rest which are shown to be ineffective.

🏋️🏋️🏋️

https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/it-makes-you-stronger-exercise-the-best-treatment-for-back-pain-not-drugs-or-bed-rest-20220831-p5be69.html

‘It makes you stronger’: Exercise the best treatment for back pain, not drugs or bed rest People with lower back pain should stay active, according to new guidelines that say painkillers and bed rest are inadequate and outdated remedies.

"We refocus — how can we manage pain better, how can we achieve goals so they can engage in living again?"

👏👏👏

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-07/coping-with-chronic-pain-queensland-specialist-physio/101296320

Peta tried everything for chronic pain after her amputation — a specialist pain physio turned out to be the answer The specialist pain physio says a big part of his job is helping patientsfocus away from a "fix" and understand their pain.

How do you know when you're READY to do something new or scary? 👻

Should you wait till you FEEL filled with confidence or totally free of anxiety and self-doubt? 🤔

Is it possible to BE ready even if you don't FEEL ready? YES‼️

Being READY to do something simply means being adequately PREPARED for the task - it has nothing to do with feeling (or not feeling) a certain way. 💁

Indeed, just because you FEEL confident to do something, doesn't mean that you're actually READY - you might lack the skills or resources required to succeed. 🧰

Conversely, even if you lack confidence or self-belief, you might have all the requisite skills to succeed at the task (or at least be safe to fail and have another go). In which case, you are READY. ✅

So, instead of waiting till you FEEL ready to do something new or daunting, focus on PREPARING yourself adequately and making room for the anxiety and self-doubt that naturally come with stepping outside your comfort zone. 💫

What does fear hold you back from that you care about? 🤨

Are you tired of walking up and down the banks of the river, looking for a bridge to cross in vain? 🌉

What if you could swim to the other side right now, but you'd just have to be willing to get wet? 🏊

Fear itself is NOT dangerous - you won't drown and you can always take it slow while you build confidence 👣

Who knows - you might even find you enjoy swimming! Either way, it'll be 100% worth it to get to the other side and live your life to the fullest! 😊

Powerlifting is for y̶o̶u̶n̶g̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶
Powerlifting is for g̶y̶m̶ ̶j̶u̶n̶k̶i̶e̶s̶
Powerlifting is for m̶e̶n
Powerlifting is for 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘
🧑🏼👱🏽‍♀️🧔🏾‍♀️👨🏻‍🦰👩🏽‍🦱🧑🏼‍🦳🧑🏿‍🦲🧓🏻

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/20/experience-79-year-old-world-champion-powerlifter

Experience: I’m a 79-year-old world champion powerlifter People look at me and say, ‘She won’t be able to lift that.’ I like surprising them

When you hear the word 'posture' you probably think about the position of your BODY when sitting, standing or walking. 👣

But another definition of posture refers to the metaphorical stance you take - the ATTITUDE you hold towards something, how you approach it, and how you tend to BEHAVE in relation to it. 👈

THIS definition of posture is extremely important when it comes to dealing with chronic pain (in fact, much more important than whether or not you sit or stand up straight).‼️

Why? Because you DON'T get to choose when, where or how much pain shows up for you in any given moment, but you DO get choose the posture you take towards that experience of pain when it DOES show up. 🔀

A posture of OPENNESS and WILLINGNESS towards your pain allows you focus your limited attention and energy more fully on meaningful goal-directed ACTION that makes your life richer, fuller and more worthwhile, even in the presence of pain. 💫

On the other hand, a posture of RESISTANCE and UNWILLINGNESS towards your pain can get you trapped in an unwinnable struggle with your experience, causing additional suffering and taking you AWAY from the things that truly matter to you in life. 😞

So, next time you hear someone talk about the importance of good posture... remember which kind of posture actually makes a difference. 😊

When you stub your toe, sprain your ankle, or break your arm, it HURTS! 😩

So it makes sense that we tend to associate PAIN with DAMAGE to muscles, bones and other tissues in the body. 🦴

BUT if a viral infection like COVID can also cause intense headaches, and back and joint pain, then clearly pain is NOT just about musculoskeletal damage.

This is especially so when pain persists for more than a few months, as this is more than enough time for broken bones, torn muscles and other tissue injuries to fully heal. ⌚

So what DOES cause chronic pain? The most honest answer is that we often don't know for sure. 🤷

Chronic pain is a COMPLEX experience that is influenced by a wide range of interacting biological, psychological and contextual factors... some of which can be identified (and hopefully modified), and some of which likely cannot.

SO... be very wary of overly-simplistic chronic pain 'cures' that focus on 'fixing' damaged or dysfunctional body parts 🤨

If a viral infection can cause back pain without damaging your spine, then why would the solution to chronic back pain necessarily involve your spine?

The 'miracle cure' for your is a mirage in the distance that distracts you from the things you really care about in your life.

When you focus your time, energy and attention on the things in life that matter deeply to you that you CAN control, life starts to feel bigger and your pain starts to feel smaller.

This isn't easy. Pain DEMANDS your attention and INSISTS on being heard.

Learning to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road, even while pain is distracting you and yelling at you to turn around or pull over, is a skill that takes time to develop.

But the reward is well worth it - a richer, fuller and more meaningful life.

Are you ready to start living again?

📢 "Stop being so lazy!" 🙄

Blaming 'laziness' for not doing something is just plain lazy (see what I did there?)

If you want to change unhelpful patterns of behaviour (including avoidance behaviours), you first need to understand why these patterns of behaviour actually MAKE PERFECT SENSE.

This means honestly and non-judgmentally examining the costs and benefits of the behaviours you wish to change. 🕵️

Here are some questions to help you get started:

1️⃣ WHY do I have this behaviour change goal in the first place? Who am I aiming to please? Does this come from my core values or somewhere else?

2️⃣ WHEN was this pattern of behaviour learnt? What problem did it solve at the time? How did it make sense in that context?

3️⃣ WHAT uncomfortable or unwanted thoughts, feelings, sensations or urges is this behaviour protecting me from? Am I really willing to experience these in order to change this behaviour?

4️⃣ HOW are external factors helping to maintain this unhelpful pattern of behaviour? How is this behaviour being reinforced by my environment and the people around me?

5️⃣ IS my behaviour change goal realistic at this present time? Do I need to develop certain skills first? What would be the smallest, simplest step I could take in the direction of my goal?

Chances are, you might discover you're not as lazy as you first thought!

Proud to be listed in the PainAustralia National Pain Services Directory 😊
https://www.painaustralia.org.au/pain-directory-locations/nsw/sydney-barbell-psychology

SYDNEY-Barbell Psychology If your organisation cares about people in pain and wants to make a difference, please consider becoming a member of Painaustralia.

Think about it... 🤔

The relationship you have with yourself is the first, last and most intimate relationship you'll EVER have.

The quality of this relationship impacts EVERYTHING that's important to you in your life.

⁉️So... what kind of relationship do you want to have with yourself?

⁉️How do you want to treat yourself when you're having a hard time?

⁉️Do you wish you were a little kinder and more encouraging when you're struggling?

⁉️What would it look like if you paid more attention to your needs and feelings?

⁉️How effective is being an as***le to yourself, really?

Ultimately, it's your choice how you treat yourself. Choose wisely! 🫂

Persistent back pain can be incredibly frustrating and scary. 😱

Simple solutions to complex problems are appealing... but the old saying "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" usually applies here. 🙅‍♂️

Exercise is incredibly helpful for dealing with persistent pain, including back pain, however the specific exercises that will be most beneficial for you will depend on a number of factors, including:

1️⃣ your prior training history and experience

2️⃣ your current ability level

3️⃣ what movements cause you pain

4️⃣ what kind of exercise you enjoy and can do regularly

5️⃣ your specific goals

So, next time someone recommends a specific exercise to 'fix' your back pain without knowing any of the above information, just smile, nod... and run away. 🏃

Official activity guidelines recommend strength training all your major muscle groups at least twice a week to prevent disease and maintain healthy function. 💪

Strength training has been shown to have beneficial effects for chronic and persistent pain too. 🤕

But pain can make training unpleasant and scary, so it's important to learn how to train safely and effectively with pain. ⛑️

Follow these simple steps to modify your strength training program to allow you to continue training with pain. 🔢

✅ Fully-vaccinated clients are welcome to attend in-person consultations 😊

If you're not yet fully-vaccinated, telehealth sessions are still available 💻📞

Do you agree? Did we miss any? 🤔

Let's talk about DEFUSION...🗣️

Defusion (i.e. the opposite of fusion) is one of the six core processes of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

The ability to symbolically represent the world around us with language has allowed us humans to develop great civilisations and powerful technologies by sharing information and making sense of our experiences.

Language is the invisible weapon we humans have used to conquer the natural world. But language is a double-edged sword. 🗡️

The same mind that enables you to solve complex problems and navigate tricky social interactions, can also bombard you with stories of failure and rejection - even when those things have yet to occur, or happened long ago in the past (or indeed may never happen at all).

Unfortunately, our brains often make little distinction between our thoughts and reality - having a thought about failure can feel just as emotionally distressing as the actual experience of failing.

This can lead us to act on our thoughts as if they are the thing they represent, rather than simply words, images, and ideas in our mind. This is known as fusion with thoughts.

To counter this problem of language, we can develop DEFUSION skills that help us to see our thoughts for what they are, so we are able to be more present in each moment and live more fully and effectively, according to our values and goals.

Here are a couple of simple defusion techniques you can try the next time your mind offers you an unhelpful thought:

Name the story. Often our minds tell us the same old stories again and again, with the occasional added twist here and there. Give the most common stories your mind tells you a name (e.g. "The Not Good Enough Story") and try to notice when they show up.

Thank your mind. When your mind tells you something that's not particularly helpful or encouraging, silently say "thanks mind" (or "shut up mind" if you prefer) and redirect your attention to the present moment. Try to do this in a light-hearted tone - your mind is just trying to help, after all.

Do you remember the last time you saw something for the first time? 👀

Perhaps it was an impressive building, a magnificent landscape, a bizarre insect, or a work of art... 🏰🏞️🦗🖼️

Do you remember how you showed up to that experience? Open, curious, present, engaged... Not caught up in judgements, analysis, criticisms and other thoughts. 👁️🔎

THAT is what we mean by mindfulness!

Or, as Prof Steven Hayes, founder of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), referred to it in a recent podcast, 'wowfulness'. 😲

Our minds are incredibly powerful problem-solving machines, capable of analysing and evaluating our every experience. Sometimes this is helpful, often it is not.

Learning to cultivate the skill of open, curious, present-moment awareness can help you to get unhooked from unhelpful thoughts, and show up to your life with more vitality and purpose. ❤️

The UK National Institute for health and Care Excellence (Nice) has released their latest guidelines for the treatment of chronic pain... 📑🔍

And it describes EXACTLY what we do at Barbell Psychology! 😁💯

"The plan should include “interventions that have been shown to be effective in managing chronic primary pain. These include exercise programmes and the psychological treatments cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)."

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/07/chronic-pain-sufferers-should-take-exercise-not-analgesics-says-nice

Chronic pain sufferers should take exercise, not analgesics, says Nice Medicines watchdog recommends physical and psychological therapies when treating pain with no known cause

When painful emotions show up, it's natural to want to push them away. ✋

But consider this: within your most painful emotions are your most deeply-held values. 🥺

It only hurts because you care. 💟

By turning towards your emotions, you turn towards your core values. Act on these values and you turn your pain into purpose. ✨

Though pain and suffering are unavoidable, what you stand for in the face of your greatest challenges, is what ultimately gives your life meaning and purpose. 🛤️

This is the premise of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), an evidence-based therapy for chronic pain and many other challenging experiences such as depression, and anxiety disorders, founded by Professor Steven Hayes. 👨‍🏫

The Barbell Psychology approach combines ACT with strength-training to help you self-manage your pain and take back control of your life. 💪

Happy International Women's Day to all the strong women lifting weights and smashing the patriarchy! 💪🔗💥🔨

This is a MUST WATCH! 👀

Prof Nijs on the problem with 'passive' treatments for persistent pain, and the alternative approach that lets patients take back control of their lives 💪

https://youtu.be/dMAIhmXi5Xg

Short-term pain treatments hinder long-term pain outcomes - Jo Nijs - One Thing What is the one thing that Jo Nijs wants people challenged by pain to know about? Explore the current state of pain science research and clinical practice in...

The GOAT 💥

Learning doesn't happen to you - Lorimer Moseley - One Thing S01E01 What is the one thing that Lorimer Moseley wants people challenged by pain to know about?Explore the current state of pain science research and clinical prac...

“This understanding has been crucial for my recovery. Pain does not exist in a purely physical vacuum - it is impacted by beliefs and mental states plus all of the other influences that a person navigates throughout their lives”

Great blog post about how pain is affected by context, featuring some powerful lived experiences of people with persistent pain.

Pain Depends on Context Pain depends on context is one of Pain Revolution’s key Target Concepts – as understanding the nature of persistent pain is essential to controlling one’s pain experience. Pain is influenced by biological, social and psychological factors.

Is chronic or persistent pain making you miserable or stopping you from living life to the fullest? 😞

Have you tried everything you can think of to fix your pain, but still feel stuck? 🤕

Do you want to get stronger, but don’t know how to safely train with pain? 🤔

It’s time to ReFrame your pain! 👀

Once you’ve completed the ReFrame clinic, you will:

✅ Understand how to retrain your pain system to reduce chronic pain 🤯

✅ Be able to safely and effectively perform barbell lifts for total-body strength 🏋️💪

✅ Receive your own customised barbell strength training program 📑

✅ Be better able to cope with episodes of pain as well as difficult thoughts and emotions 💭❤️

✅ Feel empowered and excited about the future 🌟😊

This one blew my mind when I finally got it! 🤯

If you believe that pain equals damage, then it's totally understandable that you would AVOID any movement that increases your pain. 🚫

Often pain and tissue-damage DO occur together, but correlation does NOT imply causation and there are MANY examples of pain occurring without tissue damage (and vice-versa).

Thanks to decades of scientific research, we now know that 'pain receptors' are NOT a thing, and ALL pain is real, whether a scan reveals damage to the body, or not.

Think about pain from an evolutionary perspective - what would be the use of pain if it only occurred AFTER you've already been injured? Wouldn't it be much more helpful if pain could PREVENT you from harming your body?

Well, that's exactly what it does!

Your brain uses signals from your body, as well as CONTEXTUAL information (like what you're doing, and what meaning you give your experience) to decide whether or not your body is in danger. ⚖️

If your brain assesses that there is credible EVIDENCE that your body is in danger, it will use pain to try and protect you from harming yourself.

This is analogous to how your brain uses FEAR to protect you from potential threats. 😧

However, just like with fear, sometimes your brain gets it wrong and mistakenly creates pain when your body isn't ACTUALLY in danger - better to be safe than sorry, right?

If you are experiencing chronic or persistent pain, then movement (even if it hurts) can send your brain powerful safety signals that REDUCE the amount of pain it produces over time.

This process can be a little daunting at first, so if you're not sure how to start, check out evidence-based resources (like tamethebeast.org) or seek assistance from a pain coach. 👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️

Check out Anthony's interview with Dr Jordan Feigenbaum on the podcast about behaviour change 🗣️🎙️

Wishing everyone as restful, healthy and happy a Christmas break as is possible under present circumstances. 🎄🎁🎅

Looking forward to helping you achieve a stronger 2021! 💪