She hurt her back, then said sorry

Liliane wasn’t doing anything heavy.

She was racking a pair of 15 pound dumbbells when she
felt an electric stab in her back.

Her first message to me wasn’t about the pain.

She apologized.

Like a flare-up meant she failed her program. Failed me. Undid all of it.

So I asked her one question.

“Huh??? Why are you sorry?”

Because she wasn’t just hurting.

“It feels very familiar and I’m trying not to catastrophize. Part of my misery is just being so afraid I’ve messed up.”

That fear is the part of pain almost nobody treats.

We didn’t panic. We adjusted her plan that day.

A few movements matched to what her body could tolerate. Sleep set up on her calmer side. A long walk the next day if it felt fine.

Checked in the next morning. No more zaps.

Less than 48 hours after the flare-up, I asked how much better she felt.

​The pain settled in two days. The fear wouldn’t have.

Not without someone helping her make sense of it.

Bodies calm down when you give them a reason to feel safe. The voice saying you broke everything needs a plan too.

You don’t need to be sorry. You need a plan for the bad days, because they come either way.

Gabe

PS. If your flare-ups come with that same fear, book a call and walk me through your last one. If I can’t help, I’ll tell you that too.