Pain is additional data, not the whole story. We could say, “I can’t move forward because it hurts too badly.” Or we could say, “I wonder what this pain is teaching me about how to move forward?” 

Pain teaches us the under, over, and through of maneuvering. So we listen, and we embrace. Neither avoiding nor obsessing. 

Gather all the available data, make an evidence-based decision, and keep moving.