Benefits of photography for chronic pain management

[Marty E]

Great news, I’ve recently been certified as a Life Coach specializing in Chronic Pain Management (both physical and emotional). I’ve had fibromyalgia (a long-term musculoskeletal condition with widespread pain) for over 40 years. It’s been a tough slog. but photography has helped me  to survive and thrive anyway. It helped me turn the corner and turn my chronic pain ”tragedy” into a gift that gives me the right focus within and without.

Photography has been a huge blessing in helping me block out pain to live my best life. It’s a big reason why I put all of myself into trying to capture fleeting moments as often as I can – when I’m out in nature taking photos, my pain is blocked out to the point that I’m not even aware of it as I focus on capturing wonder, beauty, and joy. So maybe that’s the reason that I’ve made speedy progress. The more I learn, the happier I am with my favorite shots. A quote I like to think of: “My favorite shot is the one I haven’t taken yet” is true for me. I’m in search of discovery, learning about new things. It’s also an essential part of my pain management to have goals for improvement – so I’ve incorporated the practice year over year of trying to take photos that were better than last year’s batch while also exploring new genres. I love having something to shoot for! To me, photography gives me the opportunity to experience the glory of being alive. When Patrick shared recently how Elin’s comment helped him unleash his best photography with the idea that “I can ever only be me,” his comment resonated with me. I highly agree with that, in spite of my pain, who I am is intact, and I “can only ever be me” by running into what makes me happy. I’d like to add an inspiring passage author Jacques Lusseyran  wrote. Blinded at age 9 and later becoming a leader in the French Resistance (known as The Blind Man)”against the rise of Hitler in World War II, he said that what kept him going and surviving the horrors of living in a concentration camp was two truths.

The first of these is that joy does not come from outside, for whatever happens to us it is within. The second truth is that light does not come to us from without. Light is in us, even if we have no eyes.

His secret, whenever he was faced with hardship, was that he had learned to throw himself all in to his source of light and joy within.

So for me, photography is the practice of finding what resonates for me with the light and joy I find within. I try to capture what gives me awe and wonder, joy and light, all within. When I’m successful, I try to share some of that magic with others.

Does anyone else out there who loves photography also know chronic pain, or knows someone with chronic pain who’s an avid photographer? If so, I’d love to hear more about experiences shooting photos and how photography can help pain management. I believe that everyone’s different, and we can all learn from each other.

Note: Nearly one-quarter of adults (24.3 percent) say they suffer from chronic pain, and nearly one in ten (8.5%) report high impact pain – pain so bad it not only persists but in the previous three months also frequently limits their daily life and work activities. The outlook worsens with age. In a recent 2023 survey by National Health Interview Survey…36% more than 36% (one-third) of adults age 65 and over have had chronic pain in the past three months. About one in five people around the world experience some form of chronic pain. (Source: It Doesn’t Have To Hurt: Your Smart Guide to a Pain-Free Life by Dr. Sanjay Gupta).`

[LightandShadow]

“So for me, photography is the practice of finding what resonates for me with the light and joy I find within. I try to capture what gives me awe and wonder, joy and light, all within. When I’m successful, I try to share some of that magic with others.”

Inspiring. The key is not to think “better” but to explore what is around us, invest it with light, wonder and even awe.

[Marty E]

Thank you for your thoughts, Steve, much appreciated! Your point is well-made about not thinking “better” but “inspired,” I’ll definitely keep that in mind. Although mobility versus not being able to get around is definitely not the game-changer I want (I have to adjust “better” as I go along (hence my recent rollator (aka ultra-light walker) which was a real “better” for my photography). I find that as I age and get new conditions on top of conditions (hmm, cue up the song for that – “I just checked in to see what condition my condition was in”), staying the same is better than the alternative of decline. I think photography is a great hobby to grow old with. I can take whatever photos inspire me and have meaning as long as I can lift a cell phone. There aren’t many hobbies you can say that about lol

 

[LightandShadow]

Photography isn’t just about “taking” a picture. Still life and portraits call on the photographer to construct the scene.

Part of the creative process comes after the shutter is snapped: reviewing, refining (talk about a rabbit hole that is!)…even choosing whether it is “share worthy” and/or the audience who might appreciate it or be moved by it. Even finding a name–writing a story (why not fiction?) to accompany it. A lot of this can be done at home rather than out and about, requiring less mobility but all the creativity.

[Marty E]

Great points! Most avid photographers I know love post-processing as much as taking shots. Creativity is so important to overall well-being. I try to create something new every day, it’s a wonderful habit to cultivate.

 

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

I have been lucky enough to avoid anything that could be termed chronic and I do consider that a blessing. It makes me happy that our chosen craft has enough power to help people through such a challenging situation. I do know a few people who have used photography as a method to help them with various conditions. My friend Fiona Hall who we published on this site very early on for example got very into photography during her diagnosis of MS. Here is some of her work from Antarctica – https://www.lightstalking.com/photos-of-antarctica/

[Marty E]

Thanks so much Rob for sharing about Fiona, MS is a tough one. Her photos are spectacular, inspiring and breathtaking! I hope she continues shooting as it must give her great joy to make creations like these. 😀 Brava for her!

[Marty E]

I’d like to add a note about “better” as  a personal habit/goal. With daily chronic pain that changes constantly with no end in sight, relief is often found in figuring what I can do to make it better. Photography is one of my favorite tools for feeling better – it’s therapeutic and good medicine in a multitude of ways.

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

Does it work on distraction? You simply thinking about something you love so the brain is unable to concentrate on the pain? Or is it something deeper than that?

[Robert Apple]

Helps me forget all the abuse I’ve put this wreck of a body through, If I was an old truck they would just put me in the crusher, nothing left thats not too worn out to recycle.

[Pat Garrett]

I hear you @robertapple  For me (chronic back pain and leg weakness) it’s the 2 Ds – Distraction and Determination. I know when I go on a shoot I need to make modifications with equipment, transport etc. And I know I will “pay” for it later, but I am determined not to allow the pain to rob me of something I enjoy – and need for my own sanity. While out shooting, it is a Distraction as it takes total concentration (for me), constant vigilance to prevent a fall and then add all the necessary photo decisions. Likewise, music (playing an instrument) is my other Distraction. Do these take my pain away – not really. But for a time I experience a measure of relief and feelings of accomplishment and empowerment – I “made” myself do something meaningful in spite of the limitations (real or perceived) with which I live. ANd that is key – I choose to LIVE even when it “hurts”.

[Marty E]

Thanks to Rob, Robert & Pat for weighing in with your questions and life experiences lived with chronic pain. I agree with Pat about Distraction & Determination along with choosing to LIVE even though it hurts are critical components in finding your own chronic pain self-management. We all have different experiences, and I always appreciate hearing new stories of living life successfully from others. Thank you for the inspiration!

I’d like to share some thoughts in answer Rob’s questions about distractions.

<Does it work on distraction? You simply thinking about something you love so the brain is unable to concentrate on the pain? Or is it something deeper than that?>

Our brains have evolved to keep us safe by scanning our environment for danger to keep us safe. Whatever we focus on intensely can grow to occupy our thoughts completely as though nothing else exists. Like Pat, this is especially true for me when I focus on discoveries in nature, both large and small. I’m reminded of one of my first trips to the local arboretum with my first point-and-shoot camera. A man came running toward me waving both of his arms in the air, and shouting out with exhilaration, “I got I picture of a BEE!!!!” It was an unforgettable moment of experiencing his joy that made me want to feel that too. His enthusiasm made me wonder how I could capture some of that energy, so I decided to start learning all I could about bees (they are amazing!!!) so I could take my own photos that might give me as much joy as the ecstatic man I had seen. My focus grew far beyond just snapping a shot of ordinary, ho-hum moments. Now I had something worthy to aim at: capturing awe and wonder.

On the brain front, I’ve worked to improve my focus and concentration over the years through dedicated practice. Last year, I discovered a new concept online called “the science of “awe” and its benefits.  Three key points are:

1. Recent evidence points beyond correlation to a causal relationship between awe and well-being.

2. Common stimuli for experiences of awe include nature, art, music, and inspiring people.

3. Sharing experiences of awe can strengthen social bonds and stimulate pro-social behavior.

If you’re interested in a deeper dive into the science of awe, check this out:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/unlocking-your-potential/202112/new-insights-from-the-science-of-awe

On a different topic in “It Doesn’t Have to Hurt,” Dr. Gupta writes: “You can train your brain to change pain circuitry. This a tool that all of us can use – one of the most powerful tools for changing your experience of pain … [when] you understand how the brain creates pain, you can see why the brain itself is one of the most powerful tools for changing your experience of pain.” He also writes about our mind-body connection and the importance of calming our vagus nerve.

Here are seven strategies (tools for pain relief) that he writes about:

1.      Mind Your Brain

2.      Befriend Your Body

3.      Move More

4.      Sleep Well

5.      Eat Well

6.      Cultivate Connection

7.      Savor Moments and memories

One last takeaway from Gupta’s book is about amplifiers and distractors in pain circuitry. Sean Mackey (pain physician, scientist, professor, and director of the Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab at Stanford University also with a PhD in electrical engineering) notes, “I tend to think in circuits and in amplifiers.” Gupta writes that “When asked how he (Mackey) reconciles the fact that pain is both a physical and psychological phenomenon, he answers as an engineer would. ‘We’ve got cognitive amplifiers, such as attention and distraction. We have contextual ones, like your beliefs. Expectation – if you expect to have more pain, it turns up an amplifier in your brain and you have more pain. Your mood – if you’re depressed or you’re anxious, it amplifies things. And then your individual differences, some of which we can’t control – the genes that your parents handed down to you – will determine your sensitivity and vulnerability to pain. All of that shapes your pain experience.’ ”

For better detail, I highly recommend Gupta’s book! It’s life-changing IMHO.

So long story, short. I believe in learning more about photography and embracing nature as positive amplifiers by paying full attention to being fully in the moment to capture joy through nature discoveries, that creates enough distraction from pain to the point I often forget to take my pain meds for hours and am shocked I never thought of them. I work hard at training my brain through practice and repetition with the expectation of finding serendipity every time I go out the door. Will I always have to self-manage my chronic pain? Yes. My photography practice has helped me to re-frame my chronic pain from a tragedy into ever-changing gifts of awe, wonder, discovery, and delight.

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

I love how you have dived deep into the subject in a way that I think I would probably emulate in the same position. I had never heard of awe being a subject of psychological research, but it makes a lot of sense, because it’s something I personally try to search for all the time and the feeling of well-being is probably the reason. That’s everything from my old travel habit down to racing to the beach if there’s a huge storm and the waves have come in. I can sit there for hours watching those monsters. And awe is how I would describe my feeling about them.

I’m sorry you were kind of forced down this path, but you go to admit this is a fascinating subject! And on the upside some of the work you are producing is exceptional. I suspect it will continue to have its desired effect because you’re diving into it so deeply.  🙂

[Marty E]

Thanks for your kind words on my deep diving into this topic, Rob. I love hearing about you chasing down to the beach to watch the monster waves. Do you have any shots to share with us?

One more item to share in my deep diving. I am also passionate about the topic “transformation” and created a PDF book about it using my photography with inspirational quotations on transformation. Here’s an example. It’s my way of paying it forward to myself that I can access whenever I need some inspiration. Each page has a “before” eucalyptus shot paired with its resulting “after” digital kaleidoscope I created with Krita. An inspirational quotation completes each page. Here’s an example. This my version of Patrick & Elin’s “I can only ever be me! 🙂 I enjoy sharing, so if you or anyone would like a free PDF of my “Gift of Transformation” book, just message me your email address.

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

You know, I don’t think I have ever taken a single image of the giant waves in Sydney. This is actually shocked me now that you ask the question. To be fair usually the rain is going sideways and it’s about as difficult as it gets for photography conditions but I have no excuse here. This will be remedied this coming summer. I will probably have to do it out the window of the counter to protect my gear.

[Marty E]

Interesting, now you make me want to look up the “giant waves of Sydney.” I’ll look forward to seeing your photos, I’m sure they be awe-inspiring & jaw-dropping!

[Author]

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