In 2013, I hurt my back lifting weights. It took years to heal, and it deeply affected my health and quality of life. But there was another, perhaps even more significant, side effect of my injury. It’s a topic not often discussed in the world of pain and rehab, yet its long-term impact on health can be severe.

Pain is often viewed as a nuisance, something to be avoided at all costs. But what if we reframed it as an alarm system—a signal from our body that something needs attention? Understanding pain as an alarm rather than a threat can change how we manage it, particularly when it comes to physical activity and exercise.