The theory or pain and healing

So when my sister had her horrific car accident more than three years ago, Dr. Lisa said: "Make sure she takes her pain meds or it will take her a lot longer to heal."
I understood this rationally. Pain weakens the body. All our energy is used to deal with the pain, and less actually healing takes place.
Then, the fall at the climbing gym.
And though I was not seriously injured, it did jar my spine badly enough that weeks later I still have soreness and the ribs continue to get bound up and locked in place. I was getting massages and seeing a very good Chiropractor. But I kept craving more and more sleep. And never feeling like I was actually getting all the way better.
Then, on Monday night, after a massage and a chiropractic treatment, I finally had enough. I took a muscle relaxor and went to bed. No grogginess this time. And after 8 hours I actually felt refreshed. Further, the pain was substantially less.
The next night, my ugly fear of addiction and dependence (and liver damage) reared it's head. I decided against taking the pill two nights in a row. Almost immediate relapse.
So last night, I once again took the pill. I slept much better. And until I started coughing, the ribs were actually OK.
I now know with the depth of my physical and energetic being what it means to be in chronic pain that keeps you from healing, resting or even warding off any and all colds that come by.
I get it.
There's a lot to be explored here about the emotional pain and how holding on to that or refusing to treat it can also lead to physical dehabilitation. They don't say that heart attack victims died of a broken heart for nothing....