Let’s talk about PAIN and how it is perceived by an individual and a group in our society. Most of us live with a very deep misconception about pain. It’s called a disease-focused mindset. If you know someone in severe pain when trying to move their neck or leg in any direction, the first thing that comes to mind is that they have an injury. Surely that’s what everyone from their doctor to their friends tells them. But… it’s supposed to. And it’s almost always wrong. But why? The pain is very real; it has been there for months or even years, and they can pinpoint the area. So people assume that it is some injury or disease in that muscle, joint or organ. Conventional treatment for this type of chronic pain includes surgery, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone injections, and opioids, which together often lack long-term benefits or even expose patients to other health risks. The chemicals have no side effects on the human body; they only have effects. The fourth leading cause of death in the United States is adverse drug reactions to correctly prescribed medications, with more than 100,000 estimated deaths per year. Physicians’ Desk Reference contains 32,000 pages of drug side effects. It is no coincidence that associating pain with injury is good business for pharmaceutical companies and the medical profession around the world. The bread industry in the US alone is over a trillion dollars. Opioid addiction rates in this country are at historically high levels. Scary? Think about supply and demand. Actually, that’s great news. That means we can change it. Here is how.
In general, every living organism needs two basic things to be able to operate indefinitely: nutrients and waste removal. Any of them decreased causes aging and degeneration. Staying physically active and taking care of your body is something we all hear at least once in our lives. How about considering each day of your life as an investment in your health account? Following this paradigm, people would become healthier with age, not sicker, as the disease management market has led them to believe. It is an illusion propagated by allopathic medicine that health can be achieved and maintained only through chemical control. In contrast, holistic medicine teaches that the body has a natural ability to heal itself and that its intelligence is more powerful than man-made chemicals.
Just a few years ago I used to say that I want to change this broken SYSTEM. Now I know, the biggest problem is not the system, but the MENTALITY of a person. Many people would prefer not to participate in the healing process that requires some effort on their part; they want an immediate cure, something that ends the annoying symptoms – joint and muscle pain, fatigue, etc. so that they can continue on their path of self-ignorance and self-abuse. Holistic medicine promotes a healthy condition that does not lead to disease by allowing the body to express its natural potential. That is a different path that can be taken by CHOICE. The holistic approach to life is something you do every day, whether you are healthy or sick. It is a lifestyle, a better quality of life. I know that, to a certain extent, the message I am trying to convey will fall on deaf ears. I am at peace with that. The number of people spending thousands of dollars per year out of pocket on alternative healing methods that are not covered by their health care plans is on the rise. That is a fundamental change. And that’s why I do what I do. I love saving my clients from expensive procedures, dangerous medications, thousands of copays and deductibles. When you change your mind about pain, it transforms the way you approach treatment and determine treatment.
According to Travell & Simons, 90% of pain originates from microscopic areas of imbalance in the muscles called trigger points, not disease or injury. If it were an injury, I would not be able to help my client restore normal, pain-free range of motion in one treatment session. This is excellent news, because it means that we can have significant, even total, success in helping the body get out of chronic pain and limited movement, and treat non-injury types of pain without resorting to medication, surgery or a reduction in activity. While muscles cause pain and must be treated, we use functional anatomy and a coordinated movement approach to achieve faster, more complete results by focusing on normalizing the range and quality of joint motion. and eliminate the cause of your pain, instead of continuing to deal with the symptoms, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. A mental paradigm shift opens up the world of hundreds of possible ways to add life to your years and add years to your life. As I said before, it is a matter of CHOICE.
