Mind your language

Translator in a former career, my linguistic antennae were twitching at the sight of a paper titled: Perspectives on the insidious nature of pain metaphor: we literally need to change our metaphors

Throbbing, gnawing, shooting, blinding, searing, stabbing, torturing, burning, stinging…..

Ever noticed the language we use when talking about pain? Damage and damage control dominate the lexicon of pain. Slipped discs, joints seizing up, wear and tear. We wage war on pain semantically: pain is the enemy, we fight disease, the body’s defences, doctor’s orders, invading pathogens. Pain scientists say we need to literally change our metaphors to improve recovery outcomes and stop promoting the persistence of pain.

Language and, in particular the use of metaphors, is an essential way for humans to relate and share their pain experiences. It elicits an empathetic response. Discussing one’s pain can be liberating. So, it’s crucial that we do talk about it. 

However, we need to recontextualize pain from being an enemy and destructive to “pain is protection”, “pain is an alarm”. You can be “sore but safe”, “hurt does not always equal harm”. Pain as a protective mechanism has become a dominant metaphor used in public health initiatives and by pain education providers to assist people reconceptualise pain, e.g., Live Well With Pain (www.livewellwithpain.co.uk), Pain Revolution (www. painrevolution.org), Flippin’ Pain (www.flippinpain.co.uk), and Neuro Orthopaedic Institute Australasia (Noigroup, https://www. noigroup.com/).

As therapists, we need to be mindful of our use of language when consulting with and treating our clients. We’re often the first channel they come through when muscular skeletal pain begins. What we say could potentially influence the trajectory of their recovery. 

To read the full article, follow this link:: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pain-research/articles/10.3389/fpain.2023.1224139/full