YIN AND YANG

Welcome to the current issue of Advances in Medicine (AIM).
Today, I want to talk to you about the value of
Yin and Yang, and how it pertains to coping with pain.

Feel free to send me an e-mail with your own thoughts
and experiences. Email: timsams@mypainreliefdoc.com.

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                      YIN AND YANG

There is a balance in the universe that is partly determined by
the tension between opposite forces. Newton said, “For every
action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In a math,
physics, or chemistry equation there is the basic principle that
a change in one side requires a change in the other, and that
“energy is conserved.” For the ancient Chinese philosophers,
this was summed up in the concept of Yin and Yang. This
establishes a dynamic equilibrium in the universe achieved
through a perfect balance between opposites. At its most
primitive, Yin and Yang represents a conflict or dynamic tension
between matter-space, good-evil, light-dark, female-male, and
physical-spiritual.

Culturally and educationally, I am doomed to have a Western
frame of reference toward life. I can’t help it. I’m also a
straight male, Caucasian. These are also inexorable elements of
my life frame that I can never expect to transcend. Yet, I am
often struck by the beauty, clarity, and wisdom of Eastern
thought and philosophy. It often seems to capture the essence of
an idea that is primitively, often metaphorically, extremely
satisfying.

So it goes with Yin and Yang in understanding human life and
pain. We live with a dynamic tension between not merely
competing needs, values, and desires, but between opposite ones.
For instance, we have a need for structure and familiarity.
Structure breeds efficiency and competence born of experience.
Yet, creativity and fun are often driven by spontaneity—by
doing novel and therefore exciting activities. Too much
structure and our lives seem boring and mundane. Yet we manage
pain better when we have more structure. Too much spontaneity
and we can hardly function to meet our needs and goals. Yet, too
much spontaneity and we engage in poor pacing and limit setting.
The dynamic tension and conflict between structure and
spontaneity is at the core of much of pain management.

Short-term and long-term goals almost inevitably conflict.
Short-term goals are often about immediate health needs and/or
having fun, while long-term goals emphasize security and meaning
of life. Too much focus on short-term goals and our long-term
future is compromised. Yet, too much focus on long-term goals
doesn’t allow for truly experiencing or enjoying the present.
Chronic pain tends to demand short-term satisfaction
(unemployment, meds, yelling at my spouse) with long-term or
consequences ignored (financial ruin, lethargy, divorce).

The balance between rest and activity is a powerful force in
chronic pain. Too little rest with too much activity produces
increased short-term pain, fatigue, and miserable emotions. Too
much rest and too little activity results in de-conditioning,
weight gain, depression, and increased long-term pain.

Relationships are fraught with a dynamic tension between
conflicting values. They require a delicate balance between
selfishness and selflessness—between meeting our own needs and
ensuring that the other person’s needs are met. Pain can make
us appear and/or act continually selfish, and very self-absorbed
in our own misery. We may not appear concerned about other
people’s needs; frustrating their balance of selfishness and
selflessness.

Relationships require a delicate balance between dependence and
independence. We need to be independent enough to care for
ourselves and allow others to depend on us. We need to be
dependent enough to trust others and extend the overall family
function. Pain tries to make us more dependent on others, which
can negatively affect our relationships. As we become
increasingly dependent on others, we may make others feel that
they can’t depend on us, thus changing the balance of their
own independence and dependence.

The extolled virtue of moderation is a recent Western approach
to the ageless conflict of Yin and Yang. Moderation suggests
conflict resolution by adopting a relentless middle-of-the-road
approach. It doesn’t mean never being extreme, never too much
of one thing, and not enough of its opposite. It just means not
always being too much of one thing. It means swinging between
the poles like a pendulum, centered around the middle even if
you never land there. Gotta go. I’m splitting a
death-by-chocolate sundae with my daughter, and having a Diet
Pepsi.

Dr. Tim


Dr. Tim Sams
E-Mail: timsams@mypainreliefdoc.com
My Pain Relief Doc
www.mypainreliefdoc.com
Copyright 2007. Dr. Tim Sams. All rights reserved.

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