Wednesday, October 5, 2016

October's Message: Creating a Life Path with Pain

It's five in the morning, you hit the snooze, but as you go to do it you feel the zing stretch from your hand to your head. "Must've slept wrong," what most of us think.  Rarely this is the case. Often times we've adjusted our life to accommodate pain. Without knowing it we have taken the first step in creating a life path for pain. I'm not going to vilify this approach. I've been there. Instead, I'm going to introduce how to create a life path with pain. 

The first symptoms of underlying issues go, often times, unnoticed. Pain is one of these frequent first symptoms. We get a kink that clears up in a couple of days or believe we have a pinched nerve, some of us have even been through the cycles of specialists and pharmaceuticals only to be convinced that we have the broad spectrum pathology of neuropathy or some incurable benign condition.

As relieving as it is to hear the news that, "no you're not dying," there is an overwhelming frustration to have your pain dismissed with a pat on the back and a prescription.

I may be a hopeless optimist, but I believe that no pain or pathology is unmanageable. I've spent many years experiencing the burden of pain and many more watching those I love suffer. A great affliction and yet an intricate inspiration in my career in holistic arts. 

Wherever you are, with your own dis-ease and life path you need to find a place to start- to start to unravel the mystery of your body. The body safe-guards by adjusting around pain, so you need to start somewhere to go back through the hoops the body has created. 

In my own case, I needed every medical door to slam in my face before I even looked past the possibility of an outside issue and looked internally.

First place I started- massage therapy, my first love in holistic care. I had a therapist that was great at educating me and empowering me with tools to enhance my life. This is imperative! I strive to do the same for my clients, educate them on what is occurring and giving tools to alter your life. 

We are all on different journeys and I know post massage this is a huge undertaking! I attempt to cater everyone's homework to match where I believe would be an easy place for you to start. The point is not where you start, it is that you start.

For people who are stuck in the office 50 hours a week I give homework that can be done at the desk like:
Stretching at your desk
Increase your water intake
Taking healthier lunches
Self-massaging in the car

People who are on the go and don't get time to work out:
Shifting weight to back of the heels
Doing weights while you're at your desk or watching TV
Committing to 15 minute work outs
Stretching in bed

People with chronic conditions (like fibromyalgia, PTSD, lupus, psoriasis, RA, and depression)
Changing your environment to be less cluttered, full of light,  and getting fresh air
Working with a mental health specialist (these are illnesses treated best by reducing stress, having someone to troubleshoot stress with is great)
Gentle exercises and stretches

Bodybuilders:
Stretching the muscles in between workouts
Incorporating a highly nutritional diet
Taking time to rest and getting regular massage
Staying hydrated

Yoga Enthusiasts:
Balancing stretching poses with strengthening
Getting aerobic exercise or a hatha yoga regimen 
Grounding poses

Massage can take you a lot of places and if it is your primary vehicle on your journey it is important to understand that homework is the gas,  you only get so far before needing to put effort into it. This is the same for whatever path you choose.  While I love my clients and enjoy experiencing life with them,  self-care is what seperates succumbing to dis-ease and conquering it.

To create your life path with pain begin with the main goal in mind,  use an attainable goal that doesn't seem too lofty.

Next, list all the steps that took you to the point you're trying to escape, ie:

GOAL: Get rid of migraines and left side pain
Poor nutrition 
Poor body mechanics
Dehydration
Depression
Insomnia
Weakness and fatigue
Poor medical care
Uneducated on the condition
Low exercise
High caffeine
Self-diagnosis 

Set an ultimate goal for the end of the month to achieve based on the smallest item on your list.

This may not be "cut caffeine out completely" it may be "reduce caffeine intake to one cup of coffee per day

Then, set a month full of goals around this:

Week 1- Drink one less caffeinated beverage per day
Week 2- Cut back...and so forth. 

Do the same thing for everything on your list, each should be attainable in 1-3 months.  Focus on one thing at a time, something like reducing caffeine intake will also benefit a nutritional lifestyle as caffeine both depletes the nutrients in your body and can be loaded with sugar or better sleep, so when you're ready to move on to your next goal your previous goals will have helped to reach this point. 

Freedom from pain may seem enormous, perhaps unfathomable. I can't promise relief, but creating a life focused on good self-care and eliminating outside stressors will at the very least improve quality of life and prognosis. Every case and body is different, don't punish yourself for inability to achieve what your friend is able to achieve.

Ask me for thoughts on your particular situation. I wish you all the very best in your health!




Yours in touch,

Lizzie Johnson, LMT 





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