When Pain Is the Message, Not the Problem

As I write this column, my left knee hurts. Not a writhing-on-the-floor kind of pain, but that stupid, dull ache that comes from inflammation. You might say it’s “top of mind,” which makes it an easy topic to write about.

There’s nothing structurally wrong with my knee. It’s inflammation under the patella, and it’s a bit pissed off right now. Here’s the backstory.

I wanted to increase my cardio beyond walking the dog and the golf course. Years ago, interval running (45 seconds running, one minute walking) was my go-to until I realized it aggravated my hip. Every time I went in for my bi-monthly chiropractic appointment with Dr. Tom Lamar at Anchor Chiropractic, my hip would be barking and need adjustment.

So, I stopped running. And the hip stopped barking.

I never found a true replacement (I don’t enjoy stationary bikes), so I turned to my pal ChatGPT to see what I could do to reduce strain on my hip. Along with some exercises, one suggestion stood out: shorten my stride. A longer stride might be the real culprit.

I restarted interval running with this new plan. After two attempts, my hips stayed quiet, but my knee did not. The unintended consequence of fixing one issue was inflammation somewhere else.

Dr. Lamar adjusted my knee and gave me exercises and guidance to reduce inflammation and strengthen the area. And from this experience, I took away three lessons worth sharing for business and for life.

First: AI isn’t the problem. It’s part of the solution, if you use it properly.

The information about reducing hip issues while running was solid. Since I’d never had knee problems before, how would it know something else was brewing?

Before seeing Dr. Lamar, I used AI again, this time through the lens of an orthopedic expert, to better understand what might be happening. I sent the full transcript to him in advance of our already scheduled visit. He found it useful and said it made our time together more efficient.

Too many people in business don’t trust AI. Many are quietly fearful of it. Used correctly, AI is an exceptional tool, especially when paired with human intelligence. Experts like Dr. Lamar provide the real diagnosis and judgment. AI simply helps us ask better questions.

The Lesson: Ignoring AI doesn’t reduce risk. Using it wisely does.

Second: I was the problem—because I stopped listening.

The pain showed up after the first run. It wasn’t severe, but it was there, enough that I took two weeks off. When I tried again, the pain returned within minutes.

What should I have done? Stop. Turn around. Go home.

What did I do instead? I kept running.

How often do we do that in life? Ignore our instincts. Push through. Prove something, usually to ourselves. Experience and expertise give us those gut checks for a reason. When we stop listening, mistakes tend to follow.

Trusting ourselves—and listening—usually leads to a better path.

The Lesson: Whether in business or life, ignoring early signals almost always makes the problem more expensive later.

Third: Sometimes the “problem” is just a symptom. You must find the real one.

Running shouldn’t be an issue for my hips or knees. I’m in good shape, I wear the right shoes, and my plan is sound. Here’s what Dr. Lamar uncovered:

The patella is tied to the quad muscle. If the quad isn’t properly strengthened, the sequencing breaks down. His concern wasn’t my knee; it was my quad. The real work now is strengthening the weak link so the entire system can function properly.

In risk management, we often use the concept of the Five Whys to uncover root causes. Ask “why” enough times (five usually does it) and you’ll find the real issue.

Many problems in life are the same. What we experience as pain—physical, financial, or emotional—is often just a symptom. Only through honest self-reflection, vulnerability, and candor do we uncover what’s really going on.

The Lesson: Ask “why” one more time than feels comfortable. That’s usually where the real answer lives.

Your Bottom Line: Pain isn’t punishment. It’s feedback. The sooner we listen instead of pushing through, the sooner we stop treating symptoms and start fixing what actually matters.