You Keep Getting the Same Pain in the Same Spot. Why Won’t It Go Away?

There is a particular kind of frustration that comes with recurring pain.

Your back settles down for a while, then suddenly hurts again.

Your shoulder feels fine for a few weeks, then starts aching in exactly the same place.

Your knee improves, you get back to normal, and then the familiar pain returns.

It can leave you wondering: If the pain keeps coming back in exactly the same spot, why won’t it just go away?

The answer is not always that something is being continually damaged.

Recurring pain can have several contributors, including how your body responds to particular movements, changes in activity, previous injuries, workload, strength, recovery and the way symptoms are managed when they first appear.

Sometimes the painful area is only one part of the story.

Recurring pain does not always mean a new injury:

One of the easiest assumptions to make is that pain returning means you have injured yourself again.

That can happen, but it is not the only explanation.

Imagine your lower back becomes sore after spending a weekend gardening. You rest for several days and the pain settles.

A few weeks later, you spend another Saturday gardening and the same pain returns.

It is tempting to think you have damaged your back again.

But there may be another explanation.

Perhaps your body was not yet ready for that amount of bending and lifting. Perhaps your activity level had dropped between episodes. Perhaps certain movements, positions or workloads consistently provoke your symptoms.

The recurring pain is useful information.

It tells you there may be a pattern worth understanding.

Your body may be reacting to the same demand:

Think about what happens each time your pain appears.

Is it:

• after a long day at work?
• following a particular gym exercise?
• after sitting in the car?
• when you start running again?
• after carrying your child?
• following a weekend of DIY?
• after several nights of poor sleep?
• when your workload suddenly increases?

If the answer is consistently yes, the activity itself may be an important clue.

This does not necessarily mean you need to stop doing it forever.

Instead, it may mean the amount, frequency, technique, recovery or progression needs to be considered.

The “too much, too soon” problem:

You might feel better for several weeks and assume everything is back to normal.

So you return straight to your previous workload.

Your body, however, may not have regained the strength or tolerance required for that level of activity.

The same symptoms then appear.

This is particularly common when returning to sport, exercise or physically demanding work after a period of reduced activity.

Why treating the sore spot may not be enough:

Pain tells you where you feel something.

It does not always tell you why you are feeling it.

For example, someone experiencing knee pain may also have factors involving the hip, ankle, strength, movement patterns or recent changes in training.

Someone with shoulder pain may have a combination of shoulder loading, neck and upper-back movement, work demands and previous injury.

Someone with recurring back pain may have contributing factors involving activity, lifting, sitting, sleep, stress, conditioning and recovery.

This is why an assessment can involve more than simply examining the place that hurts.

The painful area matters, but the surrounding factors can matter too.

Could your recovery be part of the problem?

Recovery is easy to overlook.

You might be doing everything you can to manage the pain when it appears, but then immediately return to the same workload once you feel better.

Sleep, physical conditioning, rest between demanding activities and gradual increases in exercise can all influence how your body responds.

Consider two people who perform the same workout.

One has been training consistently for months.

The other has not exercised regularly for several weeks and suddenly completes the same session.

The workout is identical.

Their bodies’ responses may not be.

This is one reason your current capacity matters when considering recurring pain.

Why does pain sometimes disappear and then return?

Pain can fluctuate.

Some conditions settle with time, changes in activity or appropriate management, only to become symptomatic again when the relevant area is exposed to a particular combination of demands.

That does not necessarily mean the original improvement was fake.

It may simply mean the factors contributing to the symptoms are still present.

A useful distinction is:

Feeling better is not always the same as having addressed every factor that may contribute to the problem.

For some people, the next step after symptoms settle is gradually rebuilding strength, movement confidence and tolerance for the activities they want to return to.

Your work may be repeating the same trigger:

Sometimes recurring pain makes perfect sense once you look at someone’s working week.

A tradie may repeatedly lift, carry, kneel and work overhead.

An office worker may spend long periods at a desk.

A healthcare worker may regularly move patients.

A parent may repeatedly lift a young child from the floor, car seat or cot.

The body does not necessarily distinguish between “one more time” and the previous 100 repetitions.

If the same physical demand occurs every day, it can be worth considering how that workload is being managed.

You may not be able to remove the task.

But you may be able to change how often you do it, how you prepare for it, how you recover afterwards or how you distribute the workload.

Could stress and sleep affect recurring pain?

Pain is not purely mechanical.

Your nervous system, sleep, stress levels and general wellbeing can influence how strongly you experience symptoms.

A period of poor sleep or high stress does not mean your pain is imaginary.

It means pain is influenced by more than tissues and movement alone.

You may notice, for example, that a familiar area becomes more sensitive during a particularly demanding week.

That information can be useful when looking at the bigger picture.

Should you rest when the pain comes back?

Sometimes reducing aggravating activity can be sensible.

But complete inactivity is not automatically the answer.

For many musculoskeletal problems, the aim is to find an appropriate level of movement rather than doing nothing until the pain disappears.

That might mean temporarily changing an exercise, reducing the load, taking shorter work periods or avoiding a particular movement that consistently aggravates symptoms.

What is appropriate depends on the individual and the cause of the pain.

If you are unsure, professional guidance can help you work out what level of activity is suitable.

When should recurring pain be assessed?

You do not have to wait until pain becomes severe before getting it checked.

Consider an assessment if:

• the same pain keeps returning
• episodes are becoming more frequent
• symptoms are lasting longer each time
• the pain is interfering with work, exercise or sleep
• you are avoiding activities because you are worried about triggering it
• you have developed weakness, numbness or tingling
• your movement has become restricted
• symptoms began following an injury

Recurring pain can be particularly frustrating when you feel like you are constantly starting over.

An assessment may help identify patterns and contributing factors that are difficult to recognise on your own.

Can chiropractic care help with recurring pain?

Depending on the nature of your symptoms, chiropractic care may be one option for managing some musculoskeletal problems.

An assessment can consider more than the painful area.

Your chiropractor may discuss your history, previous injuries, activity levels, work demands, movement, strength and the situations that tend to bring your symptoms back.

From there, management may include hands-on care, exercises, activity modifications or advice about gradually returning to particular activities, depending on your individual presentation.

If your symptoms suggest that another healthcare professional is more appropriate, referral may be recommended.

FAQ

Why does my pain keep coming back in the same place?

Recurring pain can have several contributors, including repeated physical demands, changes in activity, previous injuries, strength, movement, recovery and other individual factors. The location of the pain alone does not identify the cause.

Does recurring pain mean I keep injuring myself?

Not necessarily. Pain can return without a new injury occurring. However, if symptoms repeatedly appear after the same activity or are becoming worse, an assessment can help clarify what may be contributing.

Should I exercise if the same pain keeps coming back?

It depends on the type and severity of your symptoms. Some people can continue modified activity, while others may need to temporarily change their exercise. An individual assessment can help determine an appropriate approach.

Why does my pain go away and then come back?

Symptoms can settle when the physical demands on an area decrease, then return when those demands increase again. The underlying contributors may still be present even when you are temporarily pain-free.

When should I see a chiropractor for recurring pain?

If the same musculoskeletal pain keeps returning or is interfering with your normal activities, an assessment may be worthwhile. A chiropractor can consider your symptoms, history, movement and relevant physical demands to determine whether chiropractic care may be appropriate.

If the same pain keeps returning, you do not have to simply accept it as part of everyday life. Wellbeing Chiropractic with clinics across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane can assess your symptoms, movement, history and day-to-day demands to help you understand the pattern. If recurring pain is affecting your work, exercise or everyday activities, consider booking an appointment for an individual assessment.