The power of being heard
Raise your hand if you've been to a medical provider and haven't been taken seriously. Keep it up if you've been told it is all in your head, or if you've been prescribed an anti-depressant for a medical issue. It happens all the time, and it is a big part of why I take an integrative approach in my practice.
When we have to prove that our pain (physical, emotional, mental, energetic, or spiritual) is real, it is exhausting and it builds stress in the nervous system, which ultimately amplifies the pain.
Early in my first year practicing physical therapy, a colleague was demonstrating a manual therapy technique on me in a training and used too much force. I ended up with a serious nerve injury in my right arm that led to searing, burning pain from my neck to my fingers and an inability to turn my head to the right or grip with my right hand. It got so bad that I couldn't write my name with a pen, get dressed by myself, or hold a fork in my right hand.
Guess what? The MRI of my neck didn't show any damage, which I learned is actually quite common. Did you know that there is very little correlation between MRI findings and symptoms when it comes to spine injuries? Despite very real, life changing symptoms, the neurosurgeon told me I was fine (I wasn't) and sent me on my way.
Friends, it took years for me to unlock the mystery of that injury, and it didn't help that I had to prove that it was real. In order to continue to receive worker's comp services like physical therapy and acupuncture, I ended up getting four more MRIs and was sent for an independent medical review with a doctor who tried to prove that I was making it all up. Eventually they sent me for a nerve conduction test which was positive, and then finally a doctor was able to validate my symptoms.
Pain is the nervous system's reaction to threat. It alerts us to potential danger, and if we don't pay attention, the alarm will get louder and louder until we can't ignore it anymore. The more tests, second opinions, and conflicting diagnoses we get before receiving real treatment, the higher the threat level rises, and the worse the pain will get.
We have a real problem with our medical system right now. Doctors rely on lab tests and imaging for diagnosis, but the diagnostic tests aren't sensitive enough to detect issues at the early stages. Patients are often told to just come back if it gets worse, and unfortunately, that is exactly what happens. The consequence is that it teaches us to ignore our pain and override our body's built-in protective mechanism.
There is deep power in listening to our body's own wisdom. What if instead of ignoring or masking pain and other symptoms we thanked our bodies for trying to protect us? When I work with people 1:1, we start by unpacking what your body is trying to communicate, and we respond by calming the nervous system and reducing the threat level so that your body feels heard and supported.
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Let’s work together to help your nervous system heal so you can step out of the pain cycle.
