How Many Causes Does Pain Have?

Wow. Today I am feeling really insignificant.

I love helping people feel better, to reduce their pain. Sometimes I even help them see things differently, so they can function better. I help them move better and hurt less. I help them understand why they hurt.

And I have my own story about pain.

I have had scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. With it came not only neck pain but also migraine headaches that would take me out of commission for three days at a time. Three days of barely being able to think that if I died right then it would really, really be okay.

I have had various types of pain in my hands, fingers and arms. Understandable, after all the years of using them extensively treating people as a neuromuscular therapist.

You will notice that I said I have had those problems. I do not have them now.

But today, I began reading a book about pain which is very well written. And that author also helps people. She had much more pain than I ever did. Much more formal education than I ever did. And much more training than I have had. And, she basically healed herself with education and by taking action. (And, so can we, by the way.)

So, I am feeling insignificant. She has a lot on me.

But, I know she doesn't have any more heart about helping you than I do. My sincerity is as much as hers. My desire to help you is just as strong as hers. And, I, too, have a lot of education! (But not the beautiful resume' that she does.)

So, here is my plan.

I will continue to share with you information about the many causes of pain. The reasons why you hurt, and the actions you can take to reduce or eliminate your pain.

I will share with you the physical reasons. Sometimes we will talk about the psychological or emotional reasons for pain. We will talk about diet and nutrition. We will discuss the role of medicine for pain relief. We'll talk about massage and bodywork.

We will talk about getting stuck and losing the abilities we had as children. We'll discuss posture, car seats and couches. Walking and breathing correctly. I will give you good sources of additional information, and I will offer programs to help you. And much, much more.

And, definitely, we will talk about the ability of your body to feel better, get better and be better.

Because you can!

Do You Have Carpal Tunnel Pain?

Something in your hand, wrist or lower arm hurts, and you suspect carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Maybe you even have a doctor's diagnosis of CTS.

But, do you really have CTS? Or, do you have other pain which is in the vicinity of the carpal tunnel?

CTS is often misdiagnosed. There are many reasons why your carpal tunnel area may hurt.

So, why do you hurt? What is the cause? What perpetuates your pain? What can you do to overcome CT pain and to prevent recurrence?

You have to be a detective. Follow the clues, solve the puzzle and win the prize: no more pain.

You must be your own physician. Pay attention to your symptoms (where you hurt) and learn to treat them yourself. Or, refer treatment out to the best professionals available. I'll help you know how to self-treat and how to find the best practitioners, if you need one.

Remember, no two people are alike, and no two bodies are the same. There are natural laws which indicate where we should look to find the cause of the pain. The cause of your pain may not be the same as someone else', but if you can describe your symptoms well enough, you will be able to find the source, or cause, of your CT pain. And knock it out.

A big surprise is that where it hurts is often only a symptom, and not the cause. For instance, if you have a headache, your head hurts. Head pain is a symptom. So what is the cause?

The cause of the head pain is almost always tight muscles or soft tissue (not boney tissue) somewhere else. These tight muscles have areas which trigger, or cause pain elsewhere. These areas are called trigger points.

The trigger points (TPs) which cause your head pain may be in your upper back, the front or back of your neck, under the bottom of your skull, or in your face and temple area.

By the way, if you have serious, sudden new pain, especially in your head, see a doctor as soon as possible. Or, sooner!

And, did you know, we are not supposed to experience the "common everyday headache"? We are supposed to be head-pain free.

Headaches or tight neck and shoulder muscles very often go hand in hand with CTS, so I'll be discussing them, too, and give you some tips for them, also. But, those are topics for another day.

You will probably be very surprised when you find out the causes for your pain. This is not something we learn in school. Too bad. It would save us lots of discomfort and fear and surgeries. Very few doctors know the true cause of pain, including pain in the hand, wrist and arm. They didn't learn it in med school, either.

We will talk very soon about carpal tunnel pain and how to reduce and eliminate it.

In the meantime, love your arms, massage them and feel the circulation increase.