Some chronic pain patterns have haunted us for weeks, months, and years, but we still hope that a single session will make all the difference. That's normal, and with Osteopathic Manual Therapy, there is hope. Multiple sessions, even those which do not seem on the surface or in the lens of pain to change the situation for the better are still successfully "clearing out the sink, wiping off the counters, washing the vegetables, preparing the food, and setting the table in order to deliver the meal--" the order and hope of pain-free living.
After my first pregnancy, I decided not to judge my body until 9 months later. Instead of choosing to judge my progress by a pant size, I focused on hydration, eating, and movement. These choices let me celebrate every day rather than wait for the unknown hour when I was able to zip or button that favorite pair of jeans again.
Some clients experience the disappointment of great results for a few days and then the unwelcome return of their pain pattern. These Blogs were written during my own adventure of finding ways to extend those windows of relief until lower or now forgotten pain was the new norm.
Improvement can be measured by lower frequency, lower intensity, and shorter duration of pain and discomfort. You will find blogs that helped me create long-lasting results that include new ways to move, hydrate, leverage electrolytes and supplements, eat, and create more consistent ways to RELAX, get off the list and schedule, to create time and space for your body to BELIEVE that it has the opportunity to heal. Pick a Blog, try on the tool for a month, and then you'll have one more intervention to change things for the better and for good.
The Christian celebration of Easter is just a few days away. Christ was known as a healer. People were not only repaired but empowered in full strength to claim the blessing of their healing. His instructions did not include Physical Therapy for 3 months to a year; instead, within a few moments they walked, saw, or received their breath, again. But, in every case, they had to DO something different. The blind were to look, the lame were to stand, the lepers were to be spiritually cleansed, the bedridden were told to take up their beds and walk.
The people who were healed had to ask, make an effort. Their lifestyles changed--they did not stay by the pool, in the tree, on the side of the road, or in the graveyard with the pigs. They went their way and began life again in a new way.
Albert Einstein said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results." While appointments at Copper Mountain Manual Therapy is doing something different, we still need to create proof in the other 23 hours of the day that change has not only happened, but it's wanted more than the story and payoffs of being sick and in pain.
After a bout with viruses, I ready my body for the final step in healing by changing the sheets on my bed--that's my message to my body and mind that "I've cleaned up and you have to, too." I've had to get really honest with the opportunity costs of healing. If I do not have a migraine, I'll need to help prepare dinner. If I'm not sick, my friends might not pay as much attention to me as when I had Covid. Am I willing to pay those prices of healing? How about those pesky emotions of anger, frustration, and distaste that can plague my thoughts and relationships? Cleaning up can happen on so many levels--so can change for the better. It does not really matter where we start: financially, physically, socially, or mentally. Each success creates proof and practices that can apply in the other areas. Find something and some way that you can improve your life today to create proof that more will come as you support the time-costs of change and healing.
The way you use Osteopathic Manual Therapy is up to you--regularly to avoid misalignments, or intermittently as desired and needed. If you are ready to reschedule,
Below are some links to additional ways I've worked during the last six months to improve my own results so that I can show up on Mondays to help my clients Move, Feel and Live better, too.
--Rachel
Sound Sleep Medical Yep. I snore, and so does my husband. The mouth guards have been worth the co-pay even when I was not diagnosed with sleep apnea.
The Oxygen Advantage While I have not completely utilized the free App, I do tape my mouth shut at night, and I can take a walk without huffing and puffing, mouth agape. It's been well worth the effort and the improved Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide exchange at the organ level.
Routine A 20-30-minute walk after dinner, lamp light when we return, a show, 1/3 cup high fiber cereal snack at bedtime, a little reading, a sentence or two of reflection, meditation and prayer empty my mind for a better night's sleep--of course I still use a hot pad for the first 15 minutes to increase my core body temperature and help my diaphragm relax while my phone is parked in the kitchen.
Asking the Hard Questions Am I tired because I work hard or is it something more? Fibromyalgia showed up for me this year. Like my diagnosis with Celiac Disease, I feel grateful that I know before the signs and symptoms overtook my everyday choices. This book by Doctor St. Amand has been worth the read and has been test driven by professionals I know and trust. The lifestyle changes have been worth the work.
Forget the fat and consider the impact of inflammation. My nutritionist taught me that white flour, dairy, and sugar feed infection--take one of those ingredients out and you've changed the results. I chose sugar and my stomach is MUCH happier with the reduced bites of dessert, and quarter/sized portions of pasta, rice, and potatoes. In Osteopathy, it is recommended to eat clean most of the time but do eat dirty some of the time--so that the liver maintains access to the digestion recipes.
Be Curious Our generation's nutritional wildcards include protein drinks, energy drinks and vaping--the chemical components can wreak havoc with our gut. My doctor recommended using the LOW FODMAP elimination/reintroduction diet to pinpoint foods that cause inflammation. It has been worth the investment and discovery for better belly nights--now I know that it was the dairy of whey protein that challenged my gut with those "healthy" and sometimes high carb protein drinks. I avoid drinking my calories now.
Building a Team A successful business represents a team effort by specialists. I've added a chiropractor this year to track my healing gut. The body takes a year to fully claim change of weight or health, so I make sure to schedule myself regularly to ensure my progress. I still choose annual exams with my internal medical doctor and bloodwork to get the best of all worlds, as well as my monthly Osteopathic Treatments to ensure that I can keep doing what I love. Thank you for your part in living my best life!