150. Is Pain Free the Goal?

Description

“Is pain free the goal, or is being able to run the goal?” asks Dr. Andrew Fix, inviting listeners to rethink their approach to recovery. In this episode, he points out the importance of focusing on what truly matters: regaining the ability to do the activities that bring joy and purpose.

Dr. Fix talks about how pain management can support performance goals, using a runner with knee pain as an example. He explains the three-step process of reset, restore, and reload—calming symptoms, addressing root causes, and building resilience to handle life’s demands. How often do you pause to consider whether you’re prioritizing function over fleeting relief?

This episode emphasizes mindset just as much as movement. Dr. Fix challenges the “I can’t” mentality and encourages a focus on what’s possible, even during setbacks. Recovery, he explains, isn’t about perfection but about progress—mentally and physically. Could this perspective help you achieve more meaningful outcomes? Tune in to this episode to find out how.

Quotes

“Having pain doesn’t mean that you have to stop doing all the things that bring that pain on. We just need to know how much we can push, when we can push, and when we shouldn’t push.” (06:16 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“The more in disarray somebody’s life outside of the clinic might be, the more stress they’re under, the smaller their body’s capacity is to be able to tolerate these things. We may not want to push someone as much.” (06:44 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“What we try to reframe and what we try to encourage people to do is, yes, we’re not going to pull someone out of their sport or activity unless we really think we need to. We are going to try to work through things, not avoid things. We want to also spin the conversation around and we want to focus on the things that you can do rather than ‘I can’t run, I can’t bike, I can’t do this or that.’ What are the things you can do?” (08:26 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“If we can focus on the things that we can do rather than the things that we cannot do, it’s gonna put you in such a better mental place.” (09:08 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

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