We need less “pain relief medicine” and “band aids” and more of this…Getting to the source of the pain / challenge / problem to start. It’s SO important when it comes to fostering a strong holistic health position in your life to treat the source, not the symptom!
When “Pain Medicine” Doesn’t Work
One of my favorite life lessons that I’ve turned to time and time again over the last 10+ years is to treat the source, not the symptom.
Treat the source, not the symptom
(I learned about this concept from Brendan Brazier in his book Thrive)
For example, if you have a headache, a common solution is to take pain medicine.
However taking pain medicine is only a temporary solution. It doesn’t address the underlying cause of that pain. Which could be attributed to many things. You could be dehydrated. You could be sleep deprived. There could be other causes or even a combination of things leading to a headache.
But if you’re dehydrated, taking medicine isn’t going to solve your problem. Drinking water will.
In some ways the medicine is almost more of a useless “fix”…at least long term.
Getting to the source is getting to real solutions.
Side note: I do think there is a time and place for both pain medicine and band aids. This is more of a general discussion on the importance of looking at the source as part of your overarching plan.
My Real Life Example: My Mom’s Knee Pain (How We Got to Treat the Source, Not the Symptom)
I was reminded about this again this past week when I stepped in to help my mom with some bothersome knee pain.
A “Band-Aid” for My Mom’s Knee Pain
My mom’s knee has been bothering her for a few weeks now, and she’s been hobbling around, worried that she might have to get knee surgery if things keep getting worse.
Not to mention, all that hobbling tends to create additional imbalances in the body. Your body is meant to move in a neutral way. Injuries, pain, etc. can cause us to move out of neutral. Which can sometimes cause further downstream pain and challenges. It’s a slippery slope and one I wanted to take care of asap for my mom.
She saw a doctor in Greenville who tried a couple things including putting gel into her knee. This helped a little, but she still had to overcompensate for the pain with hobbling.
This gel looked like a band aid solution if ever I saw one. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more at the true source of this pain. But I’m not a doctor and therefore not qualified to say if this was true.
Luckily I know someone who is an expert at identifying root source pain when it comes to the body – my sports doctor, Dr. Laura.
Time to treat the source, not the symptom!
A Real (Source) Solution for My Mom’s Knee
So I drove my mom to Charlotte (2 hours for those not familiar with the area) to see my sports doctor because I felt so strongly about getting another opinion and seeing if there was a different cause at the true source.
Dr. Laura was able to quickly identify that whilst her knee may not (as my mom indicated) have a lot of cartilage left, that the true source of her pain was that her hip wasn’t (to simplify things I’ll just say) “doing it’s job” and that her abs could use to be more engaged.
The lack of engagement of these other areas of her body was putting more work and pressure on her knee, thereby causing the pain. The pain was just her body trying to communicate that something was wrong. And while the knee was doing the talking, the true cause was more upstream.
In case you didn’t know, the body is super connected, so this kind of thing is common. It even happened to me before – see below for a quick snippet of my story.
There were also a couple “little” things she did, like how she got up from being seated, that were putting extra strain on her knees.
Once Dr. Laura got my mom into proper form my mom’s pain was either significantly reduced or she felt completely pain free! No gel shots needed! Just good old fashioned form.
Can you imagine if she had gotten surgery when all she basically needed was to have her form corrected?
Real Solutions for My Elbow “Injury”
Funny enough, I first saw Dr. Laura for an “elbow injury” that made doing chaturangas (a common move in vinyasa yoga that basically includes a push-up) impossible for me to the point I actually thought I may have to quit yoga. And may never be able to do a push up ever again.
I decided to try a sports doctor to treat the source, not the symptom. And luckily, a yoga friend (Angela!) knew of a great one – Dr. Laura at Rogan Sports Clinic.
Dr. Laura quickly found that my back muscles weren’t “doing their job”, and way too much pressure went to my elbow. This caused my elbow to basically “talk to me”.
Our bodies are SO smart! Unfortunately, they don’t communicate with words but through physical sensations and symptoms.
After several months of “doing the work” to re-engage my bak muscles, my back started engaging, and I’ve been able to do mini push-ups and even some chaturangas ever since!
Oh, and I didn’t even have to quit yoga – not even a single day! Let me know if you want to hear more about this story too!
Treating the source not the symptom might not just save you money on pain pills. But money, pain, and recovery from surgery. And beyond money and pain lost, it can KEEP you doing things you love like how I got to keep doing yoga after I was worried I’d have to quit! You can’t put a price on that!
True Solutions Go Beyond the Body
Interestingly enough, we use “pain medicine” and “band aids” in many different areas of our lives beyond headaches, scratches, and knee pain:
- How many times do we scroll on social media when we’re really sad?
- Drink coffee when we’re tired.
- Go shopping when we feel lonely?
Good news! Treating the source not the symptom works beyond “just the body”.
- If you’re sad, instead of scrolling on social media, could you: treat yourself to some self care, meditate, set aside time to do something you love – have fun making art, sing, go on a hike?
- If you’re tired, instead of drinking coffee, could you: take a nap, go to bed earlier, do a yoga nidra session, or develop better sleep habits?
- If you’re lonely, instead of going shopping, could you: meet a friend for coffee or dinner, visit your family, or call a trusted loved one?
Because scrolling on social is unlikely to make you feel happier. Just like coffee pretty much won’t actually make you feel well rested and a haul of clothes and makeup products won’t truly fill your loneliness void. But other things that get closer to helping your source / root cause can!
Summary: Treat the Source, Not the Symptom
Learning to treat the source, not the symptom has changed the course of my health and life overall. I’ve been able to much more easily achieve my health goals and overcome my health challenges over the years.
So, I just had to share this with you, my dear TCL Community!
Whilst the challenges and problems can sometimes seem overwhelming and unlimited, I challenge you to also see the other side of the coin. That the solutions and opportunities are also unlimited! 🤗
Are you ready to stop settling for temporary, mediocre “fixes” and truly achieve the results you want?
How can you skip treating the symptom and get to treating the source instead for true freedom, health, and happiness?
Check the Action Section below for more!
Action Section: Treat the Source, Not the Symptom
Ready to treat the source, not the symptom?
- Identify: what have you been putting a “band aid” / temporary solution on?
- Source: what is the true source problem / root cause? If you aren’t sure, what can you do to get to the source? Do you need to journal? Hire an expert? Go deep? Outsource?
- Solution: Once the source has been identified, what is a better solution than your previous “band aid”? How can you implement that in your life?
Read Next
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Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog post about: Treat the Source, Not the Symptom (For Real Solutions Instead of Temporary “Fixes”).
Have you ever had an experience where you were able to achieve your health goals or overcome a health challenge by getting to the source? I’d love to hear about it! You can share your story in a comment below!