Pain is information

Being a Pilates instructor is like being a pain detective.  My hand and wrist have been hurting for a couple days.  I tried ignoring it.  Then I tried taking an anti-inflammatory.  When I woke up this morning, the pain was still there.  I started asking myself questions.  When did it start?  What makes it feel worse or better?  What type of pain is it?  After paying attention to the pain, instead of just trying to make it go away, I learned a great deal.  I realized I've been snapping my fingers when my clients are doing the 100.  Snapping my fingers is one of the things I could not do when my repetitive strain injury was acute years ago.  This led to a working theory that I had aggravated the nerve running down my arm to my third and fourth fingers.  I remembered some stretches designed for releasing the muscles of the hand, wrist and forearm.  I did the stretches and got significant relief.  The pain is intermittent now, but I can relieve it with the stretches.  And I won't be snapping my fingers.