Louis Zamperini's life story has been made into a movie by Angelina Jolie. "Unbroken" is the story about how Louis, a troubled child, learned through running, to never give up and how he learned the drive to push through any obstacle. In World War II his plane was shot down and he spent 47 days floating at sea and then was captured by the enemy and was a prisoner of war.
Many people suffering with chronic pain have had surgery, injections, manipulations, orthotics, and pharmaceutical drugs to try to mitigate the symptoms but are still in some degree of pain. Others have done physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, yoga, and pilates and are stronger and more flexible but still in pain. They are told they have degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis, stenosis, or chronic fatigue syndrome. They are told it runs in their family and is genetic. They are told that's what happens when you _________(fill in the blank with the activity of choice: run, ski, play football, baseball, soccer, etc.) for so many years. Some are told after countless X-rays, MRIs, CAT scans, blood tests, and physical exams that there is no reason they are in pain and thus nothing can be done except take drugs to try to decrease the pain or seek psychotherapy because there is probably something wrong with their brain. They are told and start to believe that this is as good as it gets and the goal is just to manage their pain with drugs and limit their activities as to not accelerate the breakdown of the body.
The attitude and belief that kept Louis Zamperini alive is also his message to the world:
Don't give up. Don't give in. There's always an answer to everything.
This is the same message we at Oregon Exercise Therapy tell every new client that walks in our doors. Don't give up. Don't settle. Don't live with it. There is a reason you are in pain and there is a way to become pain free again. You can live a pain free and active life without limitations again and when you achieve that you are given back the ultimate gift: peace of mind.
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