Pain and Brokeness . . . A Source of Strength - The Musculoskeletal System
Pain is an inevitable fact of life. Sooner or later we will have to face it. But how do we react when we do? I would like to discuss this in context of the physiological process of muscle adaptation and repair, which I feel accurately reflects the true reponse we need to take.
Unless your name is Mark, most of us need to work out in order to be buff. That is we must put in the pain, sweat, and tears of an intense weight workout if we want to gain muscle strength. It's this pain and soreness of working out that tends to keep busy med students unmotivated to exercise. But why must there be pain? And what is happening to create that soreness? Gossh!Well, what you may not know is that when you work out intensely you are actually causing damage to your muscles - mechanical damage of muscle contractile proteins, surrounding collagen damage, inflammation, and lack of oxygen transfer (ischemia) to be specific. This response by our muscles creates a delayed soreness even a day or two after a workout. There is also that nasty "burn" that we feel as an immediate response to lifting weights, which is lactic acid spilling around our muscles due to lack of oxygen during energy metabolism. This is painful to even think about. No matter how counterintuitive it may seem though, muscles have to go through this pain, damage, and soreness if they are to gain strength. Why?
When muscles undergo damage from exercise they adapt by generating new contractile proteins, oxidative enzymes, collagen fibers, so that it will be prepared for next time. This increases the size of the muscle cells (hypertrophy). It does not necessarily increase the number of muscle cells (hyperplasia) though some studies indicate there may be a small percentage. Thus, our muscles are like an army battalion that, when under attack, has the insight to call for more troops and artillary to increase the size of the army.
Some may call our muscles' ability to adapt an "evolutionary" development to help us survive; I call it a design to help us be who we need to be. If I need to be a construction worker, repeated stress on my muscles by moving concrete over time will actually increase my strength so that I can work harder. If I'm a doctor though, chances are that I won't place that much stress on my muscles as much and thus will not develop the same amount of strength as a construction worker. But that's okay because I don't need it. My brain will help me survive more than my muscles. Remember, "it's our wits that makes us men," (Malcolm Wallace) not out muscles! Of course, this could be a defense mechanism for skinny med students like me.
Seriously though, just as our muscles need to undergo damage and pain to become stronger, so must we become broken at times to gain strength or perseverence to become who we need to be. I don't need to quote scripture to prove this (though I could - Ps. 34:18, 51:17, Ecc. 7, Is. 52-53, Ezk. 34:16, Rom. 5:3-5, I. Cor. 1:27, 2:3, 4:10, II Cor. 11:16-32, Heb. 2:10, Jam. 1:2-3,12). Even before I took my faith seriously, I endured the crap of having patches of hair loss during junior high and beginning of high school. This broke me deeply, I hated it. To avoid belaboring my personal experience with depression, addiction, and loneliness; I'll just say that by God's grace I got through it and I'm stronger for it. I would never take my experience back. I'm sure we all have our stories or, if not, we will.
So how do we react to painful experiences? Okay, I'm not trying to provide an easy answer here. The crap we each have to deal with is different. Sometimes resolution never takes place and we're left in the dark. Also, going back to the muscle analogy, permanent damage does occur that does not result in increased strength. There is no simple equation that pain and suffering = strength (eventually). Does that mean we should avoid pain though? I don't think so. I think we should face it, accept it, and have hope even if the answer never comes. I think we should talk about it with others who love us and be open. Yes, this does require that akward character of vulnerability that we stubborn, unconfrontational Scandinavians and Northern Europeans seem to struggle with. It's being weak. It's letting go. It's patience, for that time of recovery and strength to come.
This requires community. Hmmm, interesting, I didn't think about that. You see, muscles recover and become stronger only because of the blood vessels, repair cells, nutrients, and biochemicals that flee to support it. In fact, when muscle cells are missing these supportive structures (as in muscular dystrophy when the protein dystrophin is not produced), muscles will progressively self-destruct over time. Obviously without community it's hard to be vulnerable. You are opening yourself only to be slammed down and judged.
I realized this weekend that though I am an introvert, I can only be alone for so long. I was in Fargo this weekend with my parents gone so that I could get some studying done. However, after one night, I couldn't take it. Imagine, I actually desired to come back to Grand Forks. Very strange.
posted by jefe at 10:40 PM
4 Comments:
In regards to buffness, i think science has failed. Here is Mark's secret to looking like he is in shape when he is really not. First, it is important to nap everyday. Anything over an hour is too long, less than 30 min is too short. Second, it is important to supplement your diet with extra doses of suguar. I use chocolate chips from the discount store. I think any chocolate will do, but that is the only kind i can afford. Third, ...i can't even think of a third, which leads me to conclude that the third important thing is not thinking too hard about anything. I have a physics exam in an hour and what am I doing? Sitting in my pj's @11:40am touring blogger.com. I hope school is going well. I had a jiu jitsu tourney this last weekend and i was sick for the entire week leading up to it...I still am, it means i got my butt kicked by people that weren't as good as me. oh well.
The Marines have a slogan:
"Pain is weakness leaving the body"
Is this good medical science? I'd like to see some studies if you know of any. Perhaps you could implement it into care of your patients when you do your residency.
Ok, I must confess. I made my comment before reading your whole post (actually, before reading most of it). That's because I'm self-absorbed and like to speak before listening. Anyway, my comments are less funny cause I thought you were writing more on the physiology of pain, rather than on a very good life lesson. Regardless, you should still utilize pain in your practice. That would be cool.
Oh, and "infact" is, in fact, 2 words. Therefore, your whole point about Jordan not having HIV is wrong. Thus, he must have it, and I won't be drinking out of the same water fountain as him, because I hear that that's the best way to spread the disease. We'll still share needles, though.
Chris, I'm glad your a pilot. I assume that saying applies to the Navy as well? I'd advise you and Jordan to stop sharing your drug needles if Jordan does in fact have HIV even though I believe he doesn't infact have HIV; unless he is bychance a heroine addict and inthatcase you are as well.
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