Men and pain often go hand in hand—but most guys won’t talk about it until it’s too late.
Let me tell you about “Joe.”
Joe is in his 50s works a desk job, plays pickleball on weekends, and told me this during our first session:
“I just thought it was part of getting older. My back’s been bugging me for months, but I figured it would go away.”
Sound familiar?
Most men don’t come in when the pain starts. They come in when the pain persists—when it’s messing with their workouts, their sleep, even their sex life. By that point, the body has already been screaming for help for weeks, months, or sometimes years.
June is Men’s Health Month, and I want to talk straight to the guys:
Pain is not a weakness. It's a message. And ignoring it? That can cost you more than you realize.
Men and Pain: Why Ignoring It Creates Bigger Problems
Research shows men are less likely to seek help for health concerns—especially pain. Whether it’s cultural messaging to “tough it out” or simply putting work and family first, pain often gets pushed to the bottom of the list.
But here’s the truth: chronic pain doesn’t just mess with your body, it messes with your life.
It drains your energy, limits your movement, and makes you more irritable, less focused, and more prone to future injury.
And the longer you ignore it, the more complex it gets.
The Most Common Pain Complaints I See in Men
Here’s what shows up most often in my office and what it usually means:
1. Low Back Pain
- Combination of weak glutes, tight hip flexors, and poor core engagement.
- Often tied to long hours of sitting + weekend warrior activity without proper warmups or recovery.
- Fixable with targeted soft tissue work, better posture, and simple daily movement.
2. Neck and Shoulder Tension
- A lot of guys carry their stress in their traps.
- Add in jaw clenching, bad sleep posture, and screen time, and now we’ve got nerve tension, headaches, and shoulder restrictions.
- Releasing the jaw and neck muscles often brings huge relief—sometimes instantly. Here's a simple jaw release technique.
3. Knee Pain
- Often a downstream issue from poor ankle or hip mechanics.
- It's common in men who’ve had old sports injuries or wear improper shoes.
- Maintenance work here prevents degeneration and keeps you active longer.
What Happens When You Ignore It
Let’s go back to Joe.
His “annoying back pain” turned into numbness down his leg and disrupted sleep. That led to irritability, less exercise, and weight gain because he kept putting off a simple fix.
Once I got him on a plan of regular muscle therapy, hydration tweaks, and a few self-help techniques… his pain went from an 8 to a 0 in a couple of weeks.
And the best part?
“I feel like I got my body back.”
When it comes to men and pain, it’s usually the quiet signals—the tight shoulder, the stiff low back, the nagging knee—that are the most dangerous when ignored.
5 Actionable Steps to Stop Ignoring Pain and Start Feeling Better
You don’t need a full-time bodywork team or a 2-hour gym routine. These steps are simple, doable, and powerful when done consistently:
✅ 1. Do a 3-Minute Daily Body Check-In
Scan your body from head to toe. Where do you feel tension, stiffness, or pain? Awareness is step one.
✅ 2. Breathe Through the Belly
Stress-tightened chest breathing adds to neck, jaw, and shoulder tension. Take 10 slow belly breaths a few times a day. Perhaps you can try this technique to stimulate your Vagus nerve to stay calm.
✅ 3. Stretch Your Hip Flexors Daily
Especially if you sit a lot, this keeps your pelvis in better alignment and reduces back strain.
✅ 4. Use Lacrosse Ball on Sore Spots
Got a tight glute, shoulder, or foot? Roll it out. It’s like a poor man’s massage—effective and cheap. Try lacrosse ball on your feet as a full body massage. Check out this video.
✅ 5. Don’t Wait Until It’s Bad
If your body is whispering, listen before it starts shouting. Maintenance care—like massage, mobility drills, and functional movement—isn’t pampering. It’s prevention.
Maintenance = Strength
I’ve worked with professional athletes, CEOs, performers, and everyday dads, and the ones who stay active and pain-free into their 50s, 60s, and beyond.
They treat their body like a machine that needs regular tune-ups, not a Junker you drive into the ground.
Pain doesn’t make you weak. But ignoring it does make your body more vulnerable.
⏭️ Your Next Step
If you’re done pushing through, I’m here.
My work is about helping men get back to doing what they love—without relying on pills or waiting for surgery.
You don’t have to live with pain.
You just have to listen—and take that first step.
In my work with men and pain relief strategies, one thing is always true: prevention beats recovery. Maintenance is power.
👉 Click here to book your personalized pain relief session
Let’s figure out what your body’s been trying to say—so you can feel better, move better, and stay strong.
OR if you are someone who wants to learn a few self-help techniques and do it on his own then you may want to check out my 5 body pain hacks, 5 short videos of self-help techniques for neck pain, back pain, and so on.
