An Open Letter to My Clients in Pain

I had a discussion with a client of mine the other day. She’s had tennis elbow for years. The physiotherapist she was going to prior had cleared her for exercise and she came to me. Still in pain, not feeling like her issues were resolved. Nothing was working, and she felt hopeless. She used to love deadlifts, but due to her pain can’t pour milk into her cereal.

After 6 weeks of working with me, she said to me: “I feel frustrated.”

My heart broke.

Today’s post goes out to her, and extends to any one else in pain.

How are you feeling today?

It’s something I often ask you at the start of our sessions. It’s an important question because it helps me to modify the session and my energy.

Above all else, how you feel is important to me because I care about you.

Your pain is heartbreaking. I hate hearing how you struggle with daily tasks. It distresses me to see you see you melancholy and defeated. I care about resolving the pain and have emotionally invested myself into your success

When we train, I know I get excited about the seemingly simplest things. I celebrate when an indicator exercise feels better. I dance and joke when a perceptually easy exercise is difficult. I turn and combo-high-kick-fist-pump when you come in and say that your pain is less. You deserve to feel like a winner. You deserve to have your own personal cheerleader celebrating your successes and motivating you through the difficult tasks.

Your pain has become engrained into your identity. So much, that, pain and disability is your new normal. I want you to say this next part with me. Read it out loud to yourself and scream it to anyone around you:

“FUCK THAT. It is my right to be without pain!”

You are beautiful, strong and resilient. Now’s the time to start acting like it.

If you don’t believe me, I will remind you at every given chance. I will prove it to you, and I will force you to believe that it is your right to only feel like a winner. I will hire a motherfucking mariachi band to serenade you outside your office when you get off work.

Thanks for everything, and I’ll see you soon.

Your friend,

Kieryn

P.S. New homework next week :)