Insidious Pain: Is a Good Type of Pain
Identifying A Cause Of Muscular Skeletal Pain
The Oxford Languages dictionary defines insidious as “proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.”
Insidious pain is the type of pain that develops gradually and seems to come out of nowhere. People often say they have no idea why, for example, their right hip hurts. They didn’t fall, bump into anything, or suffer an injury. They have no history of surgery or trauma in that area. The pain may have started weeks or even months ago, gradually worsening until it becomes difficult to find relief.
Surprisingly, insidious muscular skeletal pain can be a good type of pain to have. When pain appears slowly and progresses over time, there is a high likelihood that it can be reversed. This kind of pain is often caused by static positions or repetitive movements, things we do every day without realizing their impact. It may be as simple as always crossing the same leg when sitting or carrying your child on the same hip.
A Personal Example: Left Lateral Wrist Pain
I experienced insidious pain when I first noticed mild soreness while turning my left hand. Over time, this soreness progressed into a sharp pain whenever I used this wrist.
This initially surprised me because I am right-handed. I would have expected pain in my right wrist, which I use more frequently for turning, twisting, writing, and using the mouse. I knew I had not injured my left wrist, I had not fallen on it or banged it against anything, and I had no history of trauma or surgery. So why did my wrist hurt? More specifically, why did the muscles on the outside of my forearm hurt every time I turned my left wrist and hand?
To figure it out, I started paying closer attention to what I was doing throughout the day, especially while working in my office. Fortunately, I was able to discover the cause.
I had made it a habit to stand when talking on the phone, placing my phone in a holder and using the speaker. Like many however, I became caught up in my work and forgot my good intensions to stand and use my phone holder. I increasingly started to sit at my desk and hold the phone in my left hand. I noticed that I was holding my phone for long stretches of time while twisting my wrist to speak into the speaker. Repeating this position multiple times a day for weeks placed constant strain on my forearm muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Listening to Your Body
The body is remarkable. It communicates through aches, tenderness, and pain when something is not right. If you listen and pay attention to how you hold and move your body, you can often identify what is placing strain on your muscles and joints.
It took weeks of holding my wrist and forearm in this static, twisted position before I realized my body was sending clear signals asking me to stop. Holding my phone against gravity while twisting my wrist placed prolonged stress on the ligaments and tendons of my forearm. Over time, these tissues shortened and tightened, circulation was reduced, and microscopic tears and damage began to develop.
Once I recognized the cause, I stopped holding my phone this way and returned to using my phone holder. This immediately stopped the strain on these tissues. I also stretched my wrist and forearm muscles in the opposite direction to restore their length. I soon started to feel less pain when turning my hand. Within weeks, my pain resolved completely and it has not returned because I now know what to avoid.
The Takeaway
Pay attention to your aches and pains. Too often, people ignore pain or mask it with pain medications until the damage becomes significant and may require more serious interventions such as bracing or even surgery.
My hope is that by reading my story and others I will share, you will find it easier to identify the source of your pain. Once you understand the cause, you can make changes that allow your body to heal and prevent pain from becoming a long-term problem.