The one fascinating thing I have witnessed over the past 26 years of being in practice, is that our ability to self-heal comes down to becoming aware of what is happening in our lives. The moment we become presently aware of either the challenges we are experiencing or any positive shifts that are occurring, can provide the aha moment that can lead to healing and wholeness. With that being said, it’s been a while since I shared an inspiring story of how a member was able to get out of pain by becoming aware of what the underlying stressors causing the pain were. By using mind body connection strategies, she has been able to navigate her symptoms with more trust in herself and body.
This new member came to my practice experiencing sciatica and feeling vulnerable due to a herniated disc that had been surgically addressed. A recent fall exacerbated the symptoms, and she felt the pain was more energetic rather than structural. She was already doing physical therapy to assist in her healing, but she was still bothered by the pain if she sat for too long or did anything that would cause her back to be compromised. She has done a lot of healing work on herself in the past, which gave her a sense of what felt right and what didn’t.
Over the years I’ve witnessed that usually a bulging, and ultimately herniated intervertebral disc, is caused mentally/emotionally by the internal pressure an individual puts upon themselves. The intervertebral discs in layman’s terms are cushions in between your spinal bones that allow the nerves to exit and enter the spine from your organs and muscles in your body. The usual symptoms are shooting nerve pains that can be local, but usually radiates down either your arms or legs depending on the location of the herniation.
So back to my story, as we went through her history, the fall may have happened accidentally, but what I have also witnessed through the years is that there are no accidents. Accidents tend to happen when we are judging ourselves for something we are doing or not doing and, in a sense, we beat ourselves up with the accident. In her case there were some judgments about finally deciding to make a life change that was more aligned with being able to honor and value herself.
There were some financial concerns, which also tends to create tension and pain in the lower back, but when it comes to a compromised intervertebral disc and the pelvis, it’s more of a matter of something that is challenging our sense of self and foundation. Usually when we make a pivot and take a step into the unknown (even when it benefits us), our bodies may respond with painful symptoms. This may appear to be counter intuitive, but we tend to be creatures of habit and so once we start travelling down an unfamiliar and new path, we don’t know what to expect.
As my member became more aware of what happened in her life, the positive shifts she was making, was supported more than she realized, and feeling safe, she was able to sit for over 25 minutes without being in complete pain. Even her physical examination and ranges of motion were less difficult. The clincher was being able to get on the adjusting table and get worked on without being in excruciating pain. After many deep breaths and release of tension, the big shift occurred when she was able to get off the table with more ease and less fear of the pain.
I did give her some mind body exercises to work on until our next meeting when I would go over her report. Fast forward a week when she came back for her report. After doing her mind body exercises, to her pleasant surprise, the intense pains she was experiencing didn’t come back. She had moments of tension and pain, but in those moments, she would remind herself that she was supported, would breathe into the pain, and even used some of the healing strategies she learned through the years.
Moments like these are what I look for. When we become aware of the life stressors and tension we are carrying, and we use certain mind body strategies, we can get out of pain and be more at ease. Taking time to be present with ourselves and our lives is key, and I’m glad to assist my members through energetic adjustments and with asking the right questions to help them gain awareness in order to self-heal.