Reframing the Way We Experience "Pain" EP 39

Pain is so much in our worldview these days, as we are dealing with an opioid epidemic and pain management clinics and practitioners are everywhere we look.    What if we could reframe what we understand about pain and recognize it for what it really is: Sensations in our bodies that we don't like…?    That's the approach Greg Mack takes in his work, helping people who aren't fully responding to medical interventions, who are willing to try another approach through exercise and physical conditioning.    As Greg explains, "pain" is a physical sensation we experience and describe… attaching a variety of words and meanings to, but it isn't an actual tangible thing we can measure. Each person's experience with it is unique and subjective. What I might consider a 10 on the accepted pain scale may be only a 3 for someone else.    Greg experienced the "fitness spark" when he was a Navy diver and engineer on a nuclear submarine. There were rigorous fitness requirements attached to this position and divers were subjected to regular readiness reviews to retain their positions. As a result, Greg and a partner started a fitness business, teaching others how to retain readiness, define nutrition guidelines, and recommending specific supplements to meet individual goals.    Eventually, Greg attained a personal trainer certification and began expanding his understanding of and expertise around fitness, including creating fitness processes for people with extensive restrictions to their mobility. A hard-wired learner, Greg learned from and blended techniques, processes, and modalities from a number of different health-related practices to create his own muscle restoration processes and practices.    He's like the Sherlock Holmes of the human body, seeking a full understanding of the information available within each person who seeks his help. His goal is to help each individual regain control over their body, improve their ability to reach and hold certain positions, and develop strength to live a fuller life.    Greg's Bio   As Founder and CEO, Greg's vision for Physicians Fitness LLC was shaped 28 years ago while working as a lay assistant to chiropractic physicians in a sports medicine clinic. It was during this tenure that he noticed the unfortunate reality that most of the patients of the clinic were there, and frequently returned, as a result of poor physical conditioning. The medical and chiropractic staff encouraged these patients to participate in exercise and fitness programs but did not have the time nor resources to effectively assess, develop, and implement a safe, global health-fitness plan. Greg wanted to provide a solution.    As a graduate of the Navy's Nuclear Engineering School, Greg used his foundation of engineering skills, his enthusiasm for fitness, academic certifications – Medical Exercise Specialist and Personal Trainer, and his experiences working with a wide variety of medical professionals (physical therapists, osteopaths, surgeons), to develop the "Mobility/Stability Profiling Method" of pre-exercise physical assessment. He has developed a variety of novel strategies and tactics for improving the motor control of individuals such that they move better, feel better, and live better.    His experience working in such diverse venues as community gyms and medical practices enhanced his awareness of the wide gulf that exists between the medical community and fitness facilities, particularly for those individuals trying to recover from, and manage, a diagnosed disease. This led to the development of a comprehensive documentation and communication system that coordinates biomechanical improvement and fitness programs for individuals with diagnosed diseases from the medical community, the core of Physicians Fitness operations.    Greg's involvement in the fitness industry includes authoring articles for fitness and medical publications, presenting relevant topics to fitness professionals at continuing education conferences, and achieving the "Master Level" designation as a personal fitness professional from IDEA. Greg received the IDEA International Personal Trainer of the Year Award for the year 2003 and is currently the Chairman of the IDEA Personal Trainer Committee, an influential body steering important issues related to fitness professionals. He is a member of the Medical-Fitness Network Education committee.    Greg is also the Founder of, and Lead Instructor for, Exercise Professional Education, LLC, a Columbus, Ohio-based continuing education provider for several industry certifying bodies.   Greg has been in full time practice for over 16 years and his involvement in the fitness industry includes authoring articles for fitness and medical publications, presenting relevant topics to fitness professionals at continuing education conferences, and achieving the "Master Level" designation as a personal fitness professional from IDEA (www.ideafit.com). Greg received the IDEA International Personal Trainer of the Year Award for the year 2003 and is currently the Chairman of the IDEA Personal Trainer Committee.   For More:    Physicians Fitness Austin Muscle Restoration – One of Greg's Students Greg on LinkedIn The Gift of Pain Book