Common vs Normal

When patients share their symptoms, one of the most frequent questions I hear is: “Is this normal?” They’re not just asking about medical facts—they’re asking for reassurance, connection, and maybe even permission to feel what they’re feeling.

Here’s the challenge: pain is rarely normal. By definition, “normal” suggests something typical, expected, and in some way okay. And while it might feel comforting in the moment to say “yes, that’s normal,” what we end up doing is normalizing pain.

Instead, shift the language to “common.” Common, means that their experience is shared by many others. It says: you’re not alone, others have felt this too, and we can work through it together. Common validates their experience without normalizing pain.

It might seem like a tiny change, but words matter. They shape how our patients interpret their experiences and how they approach recovery.