Four Stories about Bodies Healing Themselves

Healing Story Number One:

Years ago I worked with a woman who fell asleep reading in bed. She fell asleep with her head propped forward. After several hours, she awoke in pain. She could hardly move one of her arms. Over the next month, she came into work only two half days. You could see the pain in her face. She had to go home.

She had been to a chiropractor and a neurologist, but neither could help her.

One day, her daughter came over and said, Mom, could you watch the new baby for just a few minutes while I go down the street?

Well, the new baby started crying, and the woman tried to reach down to lift the baby from its' seat on the floor with her good arm. As she did that, her neck popped, and her pain went away. She was back to work the next day.

Healing Story Number Two:

A few years ago, a woman had shoulder pain. She went to a physical medicine doctor who sent her to physical therapy, and her shoulder got better.

When her other shoulder started to hurt, she had deep muscle massage and it helped, but still her shoulder hurt. So she went for physical therapy again. By the fourth session, she realized that it was making the shoulder pain worse, so she stopped going.

That weekend, she helped her husband lift a six-foot long counter top. Her pain stopped and her shoulder has not hurt since.

Healing Story Number Three:

A construction worker came home in pain. He had hurt his shoulder. His boss said to go to physical therapy. He went for four sessions, but didn't think it was helping.

Then he came home one day with a big smile. His pain was 90 percent gone! He had lifted something heavy at work, and his shoulder popped and the pain left. Now it is almost completely well.

Healing Story Number Four

A woman tripped on her doorstep. She fell face first into the room. It was a jarring fall, and it hurt. For the next several days, her back hurt and she could barely get comfortable in bed.

One night, she couldn't sleep, so she got up. Her husband came out and asked what she was doing. He said, come back to bed and I will rub your back.

When he pressed on her back, it popped loudly! He jumped back, afraid that he had hurt her. "What was that? Did you hear that?" His wife said, "Yes, I did. I felt it, too. In fact, I think I'm better now." And, she was.

What Do These Stories Mean?

Well, let's see. They could mean that sometimes we get a dislocation. That sometimes we just need a little movement to correct a problem. That bodies want to heal themselves, and be well. That sometimes we need to allow our body to heal in its' own time. That sometimes the correct counter-movement or counter-pressure can get things back to where they were.

They could mean that bodies want to be well, and that sometimes we need a little assistance or a little time to heal.

Physician, heal thyself. You can be your own best physician.

Can Your Back Heal Its' Pain?

We have really, really strong backs. Really, we do!

But, sometimes when something happens, like a spasm or a "catch", we start to think that our back is frail, or fragile. We think we have to "baby" our back.

When we start to baby our back, or move tentatively, we are setting ourselves up for injury. We start to move stiffly, instead of smoothly. We are more likely to get hurt when we move stiffly instead of gracefully.

The bones of the spine are called vertebrae. They are built in a way that allows them to bend, twist and move in a variety of ways. The vertebrae in the neck and upper part of the back are smaller, but the lower back bones are larger and sturdier.

Pads of tough tissue, called disks, cushion the bones and separate them from each other. The disks give us more ability to move.

Long, strong muscles run the length of our spines. They secure each bone to the rest of the spine bones so that the spine acts as one long unit. Muscles allow us to move. Muscles move bones.

Sometimes we panic when our back hurts. Sometimes we become afraid it will always hurt. We may make an appointment with a doctor or surgeon, hoping they will "fix" our back.

Now, I will admit, occasionally someone does have a back problem which requires surgery. For instance, a chip may have broken off a bone, maybe through an accident. If the bone chip presses on a nerve, it may require surgery to remove it from the nerve. That should correct the pain.

And, thank goodness that doctors and surgeons are available for the times when we truly need them.

But, can your back pain heal naturally? You bet!

Think about it. If you cut your finger, does it heal by itself? If you scrape your knee, does it heal? If you break a bone, will it heal? (If it's a bad break, it will require repair, but the bone will heal, with or without repair. The repair will help the bone heal in the correct position.)

Our skin heals itself. Our bones heal themselves. We get germs, and get sick, and we get better again.

So, please don't panic.

Ice helps muscle spasms. The rule of thumb is ice for the first 48 hours, and then you can switch to heat, or alternate heat with ice. Ice for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Do this several times in rotation.

Take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen. If there is inflammation, or swelling, in the muscles, an anti-inflammatory is supposed to help reduce the swelling. Reducing the swelling may take pressure off a nerve, if you are having nervy pain.

Keep gentle movement going. Move with as much fluidity as you can. Try to be graceful, not lurching. Gentle movement keeps the muscles warm and keep fluids moving through our tissues.

If you have extreme pain, or lose control of your bowels or bladder, see your doctor immediately.

But, even with extreme pain, if you are patient, your body can usually heal by itself.

I had a client who had such pain that he could only kneel on the floor with his upper body supported on the bed for two days! He crawled to the bathroom and crawled back to his bed. Kneeling helped him feel a little better because with his belly supported on the bed, it took some pressure off whatever nerve was getting aggravated.

It took several weeks for him to feel well again, but it did happen. He resumed walking, but it was from picnic table to picnic table at the park. Eventually, he could walk normally again.

Lots of manual muscle therapy, or therapeutic massage, helped his tight muscles relax and took pressure off his nerve.

When he was first injured, his doctor said, well, you could have surgery, if you'd like.

The problem is, sometimes surgery helps and sometimes it doesn't. Back surgeries are done less now than they used to be, because often they didn't help.

Often muscles are the cause of our pain. Really often.

And muscles are really good at going into spasm, but they are not so good at releasing their spasm. If we keep moving gently, use ice and an anti-inflammatory on a consistent basis, and get manual muscle therapy if possible, our backs can get better.

Posture plays a big part in back injuries. If you suspect that your back is not as strong as it should be, that would be a good thing for you to work on.

For more about getting a healthy back, visit me at www.SimpleBackPainRelief.com

Pain-free backs rule!

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!

Does Walking cause Carpal Tunnel Pain?

Are you worried that walking might cause carpal tunnel pain?

I recently saw a man walking on the sidewalk. He was obviously walking for exercise. And he looked so uncomfortable!

Someone else might not have noticed. Or, maybe they would have, because it was so obvious.

The poor guy looked like he was having electric shocks going into his hands. His hands were jumping and he was shaking them. Man, he looked miserable.

There is no doubt in my mind that he was having carpal tunnel pain. And a lot of it!

So, do you think that walking was part of his problem? Was the walking causing his painful, shocking experience?

Here's the rest of the story...

Even as I approached in my car from the rear, I could tell that the man's head was really far forward. His shoulders were rolled really far forward, too. When I got next to him, I thought I had probably never seen anyone's shoulders as far forward as his were. His chest muscles were really tightened, really short.

Here's how it works.

When our head and shoulders are not in neutral, when they are too far in front of where they should be, they cause problems. The problems range from discomfort in our backs, necks and heads to carpal tunnel pain.

The nerves and blood vessels which go through the shoulder and arm get squeezed. Then they get unhappy. They cause pain and nervy sensations. They cause carpal tunnel pain.

So the answer is no, walking doesn't cause carpal tunnel pain. That man will have pain no matter what he is doing.

This is what is necessary for the walking man to feel better.

* He would have to take steps to open or stretch his chest muscles.

* He would need to strengthen his back muscles so his chest would stay open.

* His head would have to be repositioned over his shoulders and hips, instead of in front of his body.

If the man had help from a muscular therapist, or a skilled massage therapist, his recovery would happen much more quickly. The therapist could warm and loosen the chest and front neck muscles which are holding the man in dysfunction, and which are causing his pain.

By releasing the muscles which have become shortened in front from the years of incorrect posture, and regaining strength in the muscles of his back which have become overstretched and weak, the man would find a great deal of relief.

A skilled therapist would also warm the muscles in his arms and wrists, and that would help, too.

There are simple steps anyone can take to relieve their carpal tunnel pain, but when someone has as much pain as he obviously was, the help of a well-educated muscle therapist would hurry the process along.

Oh! I almost forgot. There are correct and incorrect ways to swing your arms when you walk. Walking incorrectly, with the backs of your hands facing out, will shorten your chest, or pectoral, muscles. That will cause your shoulders to roll forward.

Walking correctly, with your thumbs pointing forward, as though you are goinhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifg to shake someone's hand, is much healthier. Your arms should swing freely from your shoulders at the sides of your body.

If you watch, you will see people who let their arms cross in front of their bodies when they walk. Don't be one of them.

Be the one who walks healthy, and pain-free. And find lots more information about natural carpal tunnel pain relief at http://CarpalTunnelPainReliefNow.com

Does Your Pillow Cause Headaches?

Did you have a good night's sleep or did you wake up with another headache?

What could have caused your head pain? Could the culprit be, perhaps, your pillow?

Headaches don't happen for no reason. They happen because your neck, head or shoulder muscles get tight and cranky and complain. They let you know they are unhappy by creating head pain.

Muscles cause headaches. Pillows can help them be better or worse.

Do you sleep on your side or on your back?

If you are a stomach sleeper, we won't be addressing that much today. Stomach sleeping puts a lot of strain on a neck, and most stomach sleepers I have observed tell me they tend to sleep on the same side all the time. So, stomach sleeping isn't the best option for anyone. If you do that and can change it, your neck will thank you.

But, there is one benefit to stomach sleeping, especially if you could switch from side to side and not stay locked in one position. The benefit is it helps you maintain the slight curve in your low back that we are supposed to have. In order to keep our head over our shoulders without strain when we are upright, we need a slight low back curve. The curve goes in the direction of our abdomen or belly - forward, not rounded backward. The curve creates a hollow in our lower back.

So back to your headache and your pillow.

If you sleep on your back and your neck is pushed into a too-straight position during the night, either by your pillow or the lack of a pillow, that creates head pain. There are muscles on top of your shoulders, at the front/sides of your neck and at the base of your skull. If any of those get strained, a headache results. If you are prone to migraines, this is a good way to get one.

Also, if you sleep with a fat pillow pushing your head forward that causes two problems.

1. It can definitely cause head pain.
2. It perpetuates the "head forward" posture that we would like to eliminate.

I have found three pillows which are helpful in maintaining the curve in the back of your neck and preventing waking up with a headache.

1. The Tempurdic pillow or a similar memory-foam construction pillow. It softens and sinks under the weight of your head, but supports the backside of your neck. Warning: Most are way too big for back sleepers. Get a junior/child size or, at most, a medium size pillow.

2. Interestingly, a down "stomach sleeper" pillow is good for back sleepers. Fluff it up, punch to make a depression for your head, and enjoy. There should be enough down beneath your neck to keep a nice curve in it as you sleep. You can even pull up the wings, or bottom corners, of the pillow to stabilize your head. This is especially helpful if you get migraines during the night. It prevents you from tilting your head sideways and straining your neck muscles while sleeping.

3. You can make your own custom pillow from a fiberfill batt. This is similar to cotton batting, but it is made of polyester fiberfill, which is soft and cushy. You can buy a fiberfill batt (not the loose stuffing) at a fabric store or department. Take it out of the package and roll it into a neck roll which feels like the correct size to you, for your neck. If you feel you need a little more lift under your head, leave a tail on your roll. The flat tail will go under your head and the rounded neck roll goes under your neck. You can just place the part of the batt you are using into a pillow case and roll it up; no sewing necessary! You can always add more or take some away to be most comfortable. You can have two or three in different sizes around, and switch as desired. It's very inexpensive.

If you are a side sleeper and wake with a headache, the reason is most likely that your head (and therefor your neck) was tilted either up or down. Your pillow is too fat or too flat. Your neck and base-of-skull muscles get shortened or pulled on (strained) during the night and those muscles cause your head pain or migraine.

Side sleepers should use a pillow which allows their neck to be in neutral all night, not tipped chin to ceiling or floor. It's the tipping or tilting that causes neck and head pain. You may find it useful to stack two flatter pillows, or place a down pillow on top of a firmer pillow. You can also generate your own custom pillow, as discussed above, and place it on top of your bottom pillow. You may find a nice, expensive pillow especially designed for side sleepers which has a firmer core and cushy outer layer.

The idea for side sleepers it to support your head in a neutral position and to support your neck, also. That means slightly more cushioning under your neck.

When you buy a pillow, check on the store's return policy. If you try it for a night or two and it doesn't work out for you, some stores will let you return it. That way you won't end up with a bunch of unusable pillows that cost a lot of money.

Here's to a good night's sleep! Yours!

Does Massage Help Tension Headaches?

Massage definitely does help tension headaches. No question about it. There have been studies done which indicate that trigger point therapy and other forms of massage are beneficial for tension-type headaches.

I am a really big proponent of therapeutic massage. I'm really biased about the value of massage. I have seen, and experienced, tremendous relief at the hands of highly skilled massage therapists.

But I have a question. Or two.

Why treat something after it occurs? Why not prevent it from occurring in the first place?

Tension-type headaches, along with other types of head pain, are caused by making our muscles tense. How do we do this? Poor posture, working or walking with our head forward, instead of over our shoulders. Sitting in rolled-forward positions. Being out of balance.

How can we prevent tension headaches?

Sounds simple, but it takes a little effort. We have to get back in balance.

Do you remember (your body remembers) the great posture you had when you were a toddler, when your head was over your shoulders and everything was in alignment? Your ears were over your shoulders and your shoulders were directly in line over your ankles. That is the same posture we should all be in again.

Rather than use therapeutic massage only to treat the symptoms of being temporarily or generally out of balance (your headache is a symptom), take advantage of massage to help you get back into balance. Talk with your massage therapist about this. Not all massage therapists have the education or skill to help you get back into neutral.

Of course, he or she will want to help you get rid of your tension headache, and that's fine. But he or she will be doing much more for you if they can help you by straightening you up and helping you get into a strong, neutral position.

Avoiding headaches is possible a great deal of the time. All we have to know is why we get them and how to prevent getting them.

We get headaches because we are out of balance. We can avoid headaches by getting back into balance, into neutral posture, when we sit, stand or walk and yes, even when we sleep.

Pay attention to what you are doing when you start to hurt. That will give you clues as to what position you are in, which may be out of neutral. Sometimes a headache doesn't come on for a while after an activity, so look for a pattern. "After I do (blank) I get a headache." Ask yourself, "Why?" "What can I do to change my position, so I don't strain my neck and back muscles?" "What can I do so I don't clench my jaw muscles?"

Sometimes the (blank) can be as simple as watching tv. Why? Because most of our "comfortable" couches and chairs put our necks into forward positions, and that position strains our neck muscles. Our car seats are not so good most of the time, either.

If you pay attention and think about it, you may be able to pinpoint the activity or position which aggravates your muscles. Even though there are advertisements for pain relieving medicine which addresses "the common everyday headache", we are not supposed to have them. We are not designed to have them.

Let's work on getting you back into the position you were born to be in.

Let's work on getting you back to the neutral toddler you were.

Your body remembers; you can do it. A little time, a little work, but you can do it!

Are You Sitting Down? What Hurts?

I wonder if you are sitting down while you are reading this?

I'd pretty much bet you are. And, I'll bet there is a good chance that something is hurting you while you are reading this.

How about trying something different?

Stand up to read. While you're at it, reach up to the sky with both arms. Big stretch, that's good.

You know how a cat or dog stretches their back legs when they wake up? One leg at a time goes into a backward stretch, away from their body. While you are standing, stretch your right leg out, behind you. Ahhh, that's nice. Now stretch your left leg (while you are standing on the right leg, of course.)

Reading while you are seated is not bad. It is fine, as long as...

1. You are using your strong posture muscles to be upright.
2. You aren't collapsing forward.
3. Nothing hurts.

Otherwise, try a different position to read. You could kneel, or stand, or sit on a big, round ball which will cause you to balance and use your muscles.

Or, start a program which will delevop your strong back muscles so they can hold you up while you read.

Oh! By the way, I am so excited! I recently taped a video just for that purpose - to help you get strong and powerful and pain-free, just like you used to be, when you used all of your muscles. As soon as it is ready, I will let you know.

My goal is for you to be pain free!