Pain Recovery Coaching with Martin Underwood

23/05/2025

“In the days afterward I’d be more aware of my posture and presence in space, and would feel more inclined to ‘check in’ with my body.”

This was Roshan’s experience—a consultant in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery—after six weeks of working together.

“In the days afterward I’d be more aware of my posture and presence in space, and would feel more inclined to ‘check in’ with my body.”

Check out the postural differences in my client Roshan - a consultant in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.

Roshan was struggling with neck pain and tension with his demanding work at the operating table. After six weeks together working on posture awareness, body mechanics, and mindful movement, he felt a significant reduction in discomfort and greater ease in his daily activities. His posture improved, with a more balanced alignment, especially in his shoulders and spine, allowing him to move more freely and confidently throughout his workday.

If you’d like to experience a more relaxed posture, free of pain and discomfort, in 2025 I’m offering 33% off initial assessments with me in January. DM me for more information.

12/03/2025

"If you never feel like you have permission to rest, chronic pain and stress are inevitable. As counter intuitive as it may seem, sometimes you really do need to slow down to speed up.

The 3-step recalibration exercise I share here (and use myself):

👤 Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the stress response and allowing you to shift from a reactive to a rational state.
🧠Engages the prefrontal cortex, interrupting the reactive loop driven by the limbic system, and helps you regain conscious control over your actions.

We can’t just tell ourselves to rest and expect our bodies to rest - instead, we start with our bodies, and our minds follow.

"

27/02/2025

Is perfectionism preventing you from healing your chronic pain ? I know it certainly played a role not just in my chronic pain, but in my recovery.

Here’s 4 ways how it happens, and the science behind each:

1️⃣ Unrealistic Standards: In Perfectionists set impossible goals for themselves, adding stress that makes pain feel worse. See: Smith et al. (2014), "The Impact of Perfectionism on Health and Well-being," published in Health Psychology Review.

2️⃣ Negative Self-Talk: Constant self-criticism increases emotional distress, amplifying pain. See Leary et al. (2007) in Self-Critical and Self-Affirming Thinking: Implications for the Experience of Pain, published in Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

3️⃣Avoidance Behaviour: Fear of failure may prevent perfectionists from trying helpful coping strategies, keeping the cycle going. See Hoffman et al. (2016) and their study "The Role of Perfectionism in Pain Avoidance and Coping Mechanisms," published in Pain Medicine.

5️⃣ Chronic Stress: The pressure to always be perfect leads to ongoing stress, which compounds chronic pain. See Zautra et al. (2007), "Stress and Coping in Chronic Pain," published in Journal of Pain and Stress Management.

Understanding how perfectionism impacts your pain can make all the difference in the strategies you use to cope - and ultimately how you can heal.

If any of this rings true for you comment “Shift” to receive my top 5 skill recommendations for shifting out of the perfectionist-pain cycle.

26/02/2025

The Alexander Technique was my way of creating safety in my nervous system again. What’s yours?

25/02/2025

Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) is a psychotherapy based on understanding the interplay of psychology and the body. IFS is based on the observation that each of us is comprised of many psychological “parts,” seen as valuable members of an inner family, which exist to help us thrive and to protect us from pain.

During my pain recovery, I discovered I had several parts that were getting in the way of my healing. Some of these might seem familiar to you too:

👤 Achieving Parts – These parts push towards goals and productivity. They can be powerful motivators, but when they take over, they drive you to overdo things, ignoring pain signals until it's too late.

👤 Rejuvenating Parts – These parts encourage rest and recovery. They remind you to slow down, but when unbalanced, they might pull you into avoidance or numbing behaviours.

👤 Judging Parts – These act as internal monitors, assessing whether you're doing "enough" or "too much." They help with making decisions, but when extreme, they turn into harsh inner critics that fuel guilt and indecision.

Recovering from chronic pain involves an understanding of the “family” of parts within our psyche and incorporating approaches that appease them all.

You can find out more about IFS on the website, and if you’re interested in how IFS can help you manage chronic pain comment “IFS” and I’ll be in touch.

20/02/2025

When I’m working with clients who have chronic pain AND busy jobs and lives, there are five skills I return to time after time. These aren’t skills we’re innately born with, but they can be developed:

💡 The ability to break tasks into small, manageable steps💡
This makes them seem more achievable when you don’t have much energy, reduces procrastination, and increases dopamine in your brain’s reward system too.

💡 The clarity of mind to determine your priorities 💡
Not everything can be important. Once you can focus on what actually matters, you can say no to so much more, and with less energy-sapping task-switching, you’ll get more done in less time.

💡 The discipline to take breaks 💡
Being disciplined enough to take regular breaks sounds like a paradox, but the truth is most of us are terrible at it, despite the fact it’s scientifically proven* to increase our capacity to do things.

💡 The insight to know how to rest 💡
Doomscrolling on your phone does not count as rest! Being able to distinguish between what restores you and what encourages you to numb out or disassociate requires self-knowledge, insight, AND accountability.

💡An “Awareness” mindset 💡
Counterintuitively, being focused on the process rather than the outcome improves your capacity to do things. When we check in with our bodies and minds and stay in the moment, we can become aware of unhelpful thoughts or unnecessary, distracting strain on our bodies, defusing them before they have a chance to get louder.

If you’d like support with developing these skills and getting stuff done while managing chronic pain, I’m here to help. Comment “5 skills” and I’ll send you a link to arrange a free, no-obligation chat with me about how to manage your chronic pain whilst still getting done what you need to get done.

*Harvard Business Review - How to take better breaks at work according to research https://buff.ly/3OGZuXM

12/02/2025

I came across this quote recently, which made me reflect on my own practice and work with clients.

Just because I call myself a pain coach and have been able to help others doesn’t mean I’m not perpetually learning.

The deeper I go into my own process, the better I can hold space for others to do the same.

That said, the power of the human mind to empathise, to put yourself in someone else's shoes, and to be creative about problem-solving means you can help without having overcome what another is facing.

Here are three things I’ve learnt in the last year of helping clients:

🔹 Pain is never just physical – It’s shaped by habits, stress, beliefs, and even how safe we feel in our own bodies. Helping people move with ease means addressing the whole person, not just the painful part.

🔹 Less effort, more awareness – Most people try to “fix” posture by holding themselves up, but real ease happens when they notice they are truly supported by the ground and their contact points, allowing them to be effortlessly tall.

🔹 People don’t need fixing—they need options – So much of pain comes from feeling stuck, like there’s only one way to sit, stand, or move. When someone realizes they have more movement choices and the freedom to change, everything starts to shift.

What’s something you’ve learnt from your own body recently?

11/02/2025

“When you resist what is there right now, pain multiplies itself into suffering.” - Sadhguru

Are you always trying to escape your pain? Muffle it with medication, distractions, or the latest pain-alleviating gadget? Grit your teeth and push through it? Bookmarking every TikTok post or website with the latest programme or method to heal your pain?

The old adage is true: that which we resist persists.

When we are resisting pain we are resisting what there is. We’re creating more stress by fighting the reality of the situation.

That’s how we sink.

What about trying something a bit different? What if you consciously explored your pain instead? Went deeply into it?

Unless your pain is acute (you’ve just suffered an injury for example) your pain is not something to be afraid of. It will not harm you, there is no knife about to cause real harm.

You can feel pain without suffering. Suffering is what you generate via resistance.

It’s often the suffering - the resistance - that hurts more than the pain.

Surrender to sensation. Whatever is happening accept it. Any other way is madness. More resistance = more pain.

Perhaps when you allow sensation it can course through you. The pain sensation might change. Or your relationship with it may change.

Instead of sinking, you might just find yourself floating to the surface...perhaps you even swim…🏊‍♂️

06/02/2025

Comment “Alexander Technique” for more info about how to book a session with me

*Study referenced: Little P, Lewith G, Webley F, Evans M, Beattie A, Middleton K et al. Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain BMJ 2008; 337 :a884 doi:10.1136/bmj.a884

04/02/2025

It took me 5 years to work out that endless mechanical approaches of stretch this, strengthen that isolated muscle group were not going to get at the root cause of my pain.

Here’s 12 signs nervous system dysregulation may be at the root of your chronic pain too:

⚠️ Pain began during or after a stressful period – your symptoms first appeared or worsened during emotional distress, a major life event, or intense personal pressure.

⚠️ Physical treatments (physio, osteo, massage) don’t work—or only work for a short period of time – hands-on treatments provide little to no lasting relief, despite repeated efforts.

⚠️ Pain that moves or changes location – your symptoms aren’t consistent in one spot but tend to shift around your body.

⚠️ Pain without an obvious physical cause – scans, tests, or medical evaluations fail to reveal any clear injury or structural problem.

⚠️ Pain that is inconsistent with typical injury patterns – symptoms don’t follow the expected timeline for healing or seem out of proportion to any known injury.

⚠️ Pain that flares up unpredictably – your symptoms seem random, not necessarily tied to physical activity or strain.

⚠️ Pain triggered by emotions or memories – stress, conflict, or even thinking about the pain itself seems to make it worse.

⚠️ Sensitivity to non-painful stimuli – mild touches, clothing, or even temperature changes seem to aggravate your pain.

⚠️ Pain that spreads beyond the original injury – what started as a specific issue has now expanded to other unrelated areas of your body.

⚠️ A history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) – trauma, neglect, or chronic stress in childhood may sensitise your nervous system and contribute to persistent pain.

⚠️ Personality traits like perfectionism, people-pleasing, or high self-criticism – you often push yourself too hard, overachieve, or struggle with setting boundaries, which can perpetuate tension and pain.

⚠️ A history of other unexplained symptoms – past experiences with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, or headaches that didn’t respond to conventional treatments.

It was only until I discovered the mind-body unifying practices of the Alexander Technique that I was able to live with more ease, freedom, and much less pain.

If this sounds like you and you’re interested in learning more send me a message over FB or get in contact via my website: https://buff.ly/4fIbm5G