Any advice for dealing with physical pain?

Woah93

I have been having mysterious episodes of pain in my knees which occur at night. My doctor thinks it's a bacterial infection but I'm not so sure. I have been told to just deal with it and wait it out while taking antibiotics so that's that.

The thing is it's excruciating and I had an episode last night where I couldn't even get out of bed. It felt like I someone was slowly poking knives in both of my knees and it just wouldn't stop, since I have been told to wait it out I would think something like this is an opportunity to practice right?

So, meditation wise, are there ways to "be with it" when these kinds of physical pains appear? Should I approach it and breathe with it? Should I focus outward or simply watch the breath? Do any of you have experience with this and what is your way of dealing with pain?

Bodhivaka

"An untaught worldling, O monks, experiences pleasant feelings, he experiences painful feelings and he experiences neutral feelings. A well-taught noble disciple likewise experiences pleasant, painful and neutral feelings. Now what is the distinction, the diversity, the difference that exists herein between a well-taught noble disciple and an untaught worldling?

"When an untaught worldling is touched by a painful (bodily) feeling, he worries and grieves, he laments, beats his breast, weeps and is distraught. He thus experiences two kinds of feelings, a bodily and a mental feeling. It is as if a man were pierced by a dart and, following the first piercing, he is hit by a second dart. So that person will experience feelings caused by two darts. It is similar with an untaught worldling: when touched by a painful (bodily) feeling, he worries and grieves, he laments, beats his breast, weeps and is distraught. So he experiences two kinds of feeling: a bodily and a mental feeling.

"Having been touched by that painful feeling, he resists (and resents) it. Then in him who so resists (and resents) that painful feeling, an underlying tendency of resistance against that painful feeling comes to underlie (his mind). Under the impact of that painful feeling he then proceeds to enjoy sensual happiness. And why does he do so? An untaught worldling, O monks, does not know of any other escape from painful feelings except the enjoyment of sensual happiness. Then in him who enjoys sensual happiness, an underlying tendency to lust for pleasant feelings comes to underlie (his mind). He does not know, according to facts, the arising and ending of these feelings, nor the gratification, the danger and the escape, connected with these feelings. In him who lacks that knowledge, an underlying tendency to ignorance as to neutral feelings comes to underlie (his mind). When he experiences a pleasant feeling, a painful feeling or a neutral feeling, he feels it as one fettered by it. Such a one, O monks, is called an untaught worldling who is fettered by birth, by old age, by death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. He is fettered by suffering, this I declare.

"But in the case of a well-taught noble disciple, O monks, when he is touched by a painful feeling, he will not worry nor grieve and lament, he will not beat his breast and weep, nor will he be distraught. It is one kind of feeling he experiences, a bodily one, but not a mental feeling. It is as if a man were pierced by a dart, but was not hit by a second dart following the first one. So this person experiences feelings caused by a single dart only. It is similar with a well-taught noble disciple: when touched by a painful feeling, he will no worry nor grieve and lament, he will not beat his breast and weep, nor will he be distraught. He experiences one single feeling, a bodily one.

"Having been touched by that painful feeling, he does not resist (and resent) it. Hence, in him no underlying tendency of resistance against that painful feeling comes to underlie (his mind). Under the impact of that painful feeling he does not proceed to enjoy sensual happiness. And why not? As a well-taught noble disciple he knows of an escape from painful feelings other than by enjoying sensual happiness. Then in him who does not proceed to enjoy sensual happiness, no underlying tendency to lust for pleasant feelings comes to underlie (his mind). He knows, according to facts, the arising and ending of those feelings, and the gratification, the danger and the escape connected with these feelings. In him who knows thus, no underlying tendency to ignorance as to neutral feelings comes to underlie (his mind). When he experiences a pleasant feeling, a painful feeling or a neutral feeling, he feels it as one who is not fettered by it. Such a one, O monks, is called a well-taught noble disciple who is not fettered by birth, by old age, by death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. He is not fettered to suffering, this I declare.

"This, O monks, is the distinction, the diversity, the difference that exists between a well-taught noble disciple and an untaught worldling."

SN 36.6

(http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.nypo.html)

Personally, when I feel physical pain, I simply try to be mindful of and acknowledge the sensations. I then ask myself: "What are these sensations? Why am I averted to them?"

I've personally found that this helps me dodge the "second dart." It's quite an interesting experience to feel pain without aversion to it.

I hope this can provide you with at least some amount of relief

Woah93

The untaught worldling describes me this past week in a nutshell... It's easy to get caught up in aversion and escapism when the pain gets intense, though that story is very insightful, thank you

Zayl

Ha well, ever since I was young, I just kept telling myself "Pain is temporary, just another scar" or something similar to that, and I moved on. I never saw the reason in obsessing over pain when you feel it. I'd rather have a clear head so I can assess the situation, and probably get proper treatment sooner.

It's almost as if at times, I would get hurt, and then view it in the third person, as if it had happened to someone else. I'd just take a mental step back from the situation. Instead of clutching my injury and wailing, I'd think to myself "how do I go about fixing this?" if I'm making any sense here?

Woah93

Yeah it totally makes sense. It's a habit really, I just need you people to write it down to "get it" some times and see the bigger picture again haha.

Zayl

Oh no I get it. I'm the same, in a way.

Kundo

Woah93 said:

So, meditation wise, are there ways to "be with it" when these kinds of physical pains appear? Should I approach it and breathe with it? Should I focus outward or simply watch the breath? Do any of you have experience with this and what is your way of dealing with pain?

Namaste,

FWIW, I try to breathe through the pain and repeat over, this too shall pass. I get daily headaches that are horrendous but part of my illness. But, I guess the positive view to it is, as long as I have my headaches, it hasn't killed me yet.

In metta,
Raven

Invincible_summer

Easier said than done, but if you strengthen your total awareness of the moment, then you can recognize pain as simply one of many sensations happening in that moment. It may not necessarily reduce the pain (which you may not want anyway, as pain is a physiological indicator of something gone awry), but it may take an edge off it psychologically.

footiam

Woah93 said:

I have been having mysterious episodes of pain in my knees which occur at night. My doctor thinks it's a bacterial infection but I'm not so sure. I have been told to just deal with it and wait it out while taking antibiotics so that's that.

The thing is it's excruciating and I had an episode last night where I couldn't even get out of bed. It felt like I someone was slowly poking knives in both of my knees and it just wouldn't stop, since I have been told to wait it out I would think something like this is an opportunity to practice right?

So, meditation wise, are there ways to "be with it" when these kinds of physical pains appear? Should I approach it and breathe with it? Should I focus outward or simply watch the breath? Do any of you have experience with this and what is your way of dealing with pain?

You can see a second opinion where a doctor is concerned. Meditation wise - just note the pain and grit your teeth.

Jason

Woah93 said:

I have been having mysterious episodes of pain in my knees which occur at night. My doctor thinks it's a bacterial infection but I'm not so sure. I have been told to just deal with it and wait it out while taking antibiotics so that's that.

The thing is it's excruciating and I had an episode last night where I couldn't even get out of bed. It felt like I someone was slowly poking knives in both of my knees and it just wouldn't stop, since I have been told to wait it out I would think something like this is an opportunity to practice right?

So, meditation wise, are there ways to "be with it" when these kinds of physical pains appear? Should I approach it and breathe with it? Should I focus outward or simply watch the breath? Do any of you have experience with this and what is your way of dealing with pain?

I suggest checking out some of Thanissaro Bhikkhu's Dhamma talks dealing with pain. He gives some pretty helpful advice on how to approach and deal with pain, particularly in the context of meditation.

Woah93

Hi, well I pulled through and the pain went away by itself. Being with it really helped a lot to stop myself from being tense and making it worse. I will definitely give that a read Jason, thanks for the tip. I must say I did find it really hard to really be mindful when the pain got intense, but in the end it is always better then the "doing mode". Thanks for the responses guys it is much appreciated.