TREATMENT PROGRAM

I love helping people overcome chronic pain. I know from experience how miserable it is to live with pain. It can make you feel helpless and it interferes with every aspect of life. At best it’s a distraction that makes it more difficult to be present in life. And, when severe it can prevent your participation in all but the most passive events.

Unfortunately, our medical system puts most of its focus on shutting down the pain with medication, injections, or surgery. They all carry significant short and long-term risks. The risks of medication are increasing tolerance and even addiction. Injections are short-lived at best. And, surgery carries with it much more significant risks.

SUCCESSFULLY TREATING CHRONIC PAIN SYNDROMES

There are a number of approaches that all have benefits. What’s most important is that you find one that makes sense to you with a provider or providers that you trust. Ask plenty of questions when considering any program. And trust your gut.

Here is my approach to helping clients overcome chronic pain. It is based on neurology. More specifically the focus is on reducing nervous system tension and interference and rewiring the nervous system for great ease.

 Why is my focus on the nervous system? Because you experience pain through your nervous system. If we can change the message, we can change the pain! 

CHANGING NERVOUS SYSTEM PATTERNS

The nervous system is amazing in its ability to learn patterns. That’s how you learned to ride a bike, play any sport, even touch type. This also happens with pain. The more often a pattern of pain and tension shows up the easier and easier it is for the nervous system to express that pain.

If you want to change any long-term trait you have to shift the underlying pattern. When it comes to chronic pain this means helping the body shift from a state of imbalance into one of greater balance. 

Imbalance produces pain as a result of increased pressure and tension on different tissues. When that tissue is the nervous system it is likely to produce pain along with other common symptoms such as fatigue, inflammation, disturbed sleep, digestive problems, and much more. 

THE UPPER NECK IS KEY

The upper neck right below the base of the skull is home to the brain stem. This is the control center for many body functions that happen without our conscious awareness. Heart rate, blood pressure, sleep cycle, immune system, muscle tension is all affected by the brain stem.

This is the home of the Autonomic Nervous System. The Vagus Nerve of the Parasympathetic system governs rest, digestion, recovery, healing, sleep. The Sympathetic or ‘fight-or-flight’ system is activated during times of stress. It causes a disruption in digestion and sleep and drives up muscle tension and pain.

Restoring activity to the Vagus Nerve is a key to overcoming chronic pain. This is why the neck holds the key to overcoming chronic pain.

5 ESSENTIAL LEGS TO SUCCESSFUL PAIN TREATMENT

How do we do that?

1. Leg 1: A detailed history is essential to look at the factors that have contributed to chronic pain. Sometimes there is one outstanding accident or injury but the vast majority of time there are a number of injuries, most of which received little to no attention. More often than not the trauma that initiated the pain wasn’t thought to have injured the person at the time.

A history gives a great starting picture of what is going on and how it is impacting you.

2. Leg 2: An exam that focuses on function. Since pain is communicated or mediated by the Nervous System it is essential that anyone treating you for your chronic pain evaluate the Nervous System.

In my practice we focus on a couple of areas to influence the nervous system. The upper neck is home to a part of the nervous system called the brainstem. If there is a loss of motion and/or a loss of the curve of the neck it puts the brainstem under tension and causes more pain, poor sleep, more muscle tension, anxiety, and increased inflammation.

3. Leg 3: Correction of the altered joint motion in the neck and rest of the spine. When you get injured or lose motion over time your body tries to heal it with scar tissue that is not healthy. It’s weaker and less elastic than healthy tissue. So, it’s critical to get those joints moving as well as possible. This does a couple of really important things. It takes tension off of the nervous system and inflamed joints. Movement of joints by itself helps turn down pain.

4. Leg 4: Activate the muscles responsible for holding you up against gravity. If you observe people, it’s easy to see those that are losing their battle with gravity. I use an easy-to-use set of movements that doesn’t take much time and doesn’t require any special equipment. They’re like anti-gravity movements. People are amazed at how powerful they are.

5. Leg 5: Learn how to walk, stand, and sit in ways that do not fire up the cycle of tension and pain. Most of us sit and stand in ways that increase the imbalance, stress, and tension on our bodies. If you have chronic pain, it is critical that you learn how to avoid aggravating your condition and how to shift yourself if the pain returns.

Let’s face it, we are creatures of habit. And, our nervous systems are great at learning patterns. That’s how you learned to ride a bike or drive a car. But, that’s also how your nervous system can get stuck in a pattern of pain. 

My job is to help you move from a pattern of imbalance to one of greater balance. There’s a principle in neurology that says ‘neurons that fire together wire together’. This is both part of how you get stuck in a pattern of chronic pain. But, it’s also a key to how we can establish a pattern of greater balance.  

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I look forward to exploring how we can help you.