Chronic Pain Challenges Us To Live A Fulfilling Life
by Rothbart
Filed under Healthy Body, Mind & Spirit
In 1956, Pope Pius XII made a profound statement to a group of cardiovascular surgeons:
“Bodily pain affects man as a whole down to the deepest layers of his moral being. It forces him to face again the fundamental questions of his fate, of his attitude toward God and fellow man, of his individual and collective responsibility and of the sense of his pilgrimage on earth.”
If you have physical limitations as a result of your chronic muscle and joint pain, your world (as you once knew it) may have been ‘put on hold’ or perhaps even come to an end. In this difficult situation, it’s easy to feel of lesser value to yourself, your family and society.
It’s at this trying time that it’s important to realize that life’s challenges present us with the opportunity to become better individuals and that, in spite of physical limitations, you can have a full and meaningful life. You can even use your current circumstances to develop skills that you may not have acquired when your life was focused on other activities.
The following awe-inspiring individuals have made significant contributions to the world, despite tremendous physical challenges:
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Sergei Rachmaninov suffered with back pain, arthritis and Marfan Syndrome (a connective tissue disorder). In spite of his disabilities, he is known as one of the greatest pianists of all time. |
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John F Kennedy lived with Crohn's Disease, Addison's Disease and chronic dispersive arthritis. He was the 35th president of the United States of America. |
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Mother Teresa, who suffered with congestive heart disease and malaria, was canonized in 2002 for her selfless work with lepers and the poor of the world. |
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Stephen Hawking lives with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (a deterioration of the motor nerves coming from the spinal cord). Hawking is regarded as one of the greatest physicists of all time for his work in further clarifying the ramifications of Einstein's theory of relativity. |
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Frida Kahlo suffered with severe pain and lifelong health problems, many of which stemmed from a traffic accident in her teens. She was a surrealist painter, her work remembered for its pain and passion. |
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Itzhak Pearlman has had polio since the age of four. He is currently one of the most gifted violinists in the world. |
No matter what our physical challenges, we all have talents that we can use to make our personal life more rewarding and the world a better place. Doing so, we cannot help but be fulfilled within ourselves and an inspiration to others.
Linda Penzabene
Assistant to Professor/Dr. Rothbart
Imagine if these very successful people had access to the interventions that could have saved them from lives lived in chronic pain. I wonder if they tried in vain as many of your patients have? It saddens me, for them, and also for our culture that accepts chronic pain as a normal part of aging, and for having a narrow view of causes and treatments.
Dear Linda, Thank you for this inspiring article. I will share it. Sometimes we humans forget that we have the ability to overcome most obstacles.
Kathryn
Dear Kathryn,
It’s amazing how much strength and power we all have within us. We just need to tap into it.
Thanks for writing!
Linda Penzabene
Assistant to Professor/Dr Rothbart