Sore No More!

Monday, March 9, 2015

From A Massage Therapist: Diet and Exercise

1. How substantial a role do you feel diet plays in pain management? What is your top recommendation?

I think diet is vital to good health, ESPECIALLY pain management. My top two suggestions are; -Drink Plenty of Water: There are some great apps for your smart phone that can help you determine how much water you should drink and remind you to drink throughout the day. "Water Your Body" is the one I use. -Eat What Makes You Feel Good: I don't mean Ben and Jerry's after a break up. I mean what physically makes your body feel nice. There are no one-size-fits-all guidelines. Maybe salad makes you feel light and energetic, maybe a steak is what gets you through the day. Spend some time getting to know what makes your pain levels better or worse, keep a journal, know your body!

2. How substantial a role do you feel exercise plays in pain management? What is your top recommendation for style/duration/etc?

I'm as terrible at keeping up an exercise routine as the next person. I like to put aside the thought of 'exercise' and instead focus on movement. Stretching and walking can be the best things for pain management. Just be aware and reminds yourself to move your body! (Top Secret Tip: Dancing to your favorite music is the BEST for this.)

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Introduction: From A Massage Therapist

Hi There!

In addition to being your friendly Sore No More social media butterfly, I am also a licensed massage therapist. I have spent most of my massage career working in a chiropractic setting, but have spent the past year working independently.

I have explored continuing education in a variety of areas, but find specific interest in chronic pain and aromatherapy.

This year I will be answering a series of questions for this blog regarding pain and its relation to overall health from a massage therapist perspective.

-Clair
LMT

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Advice from the Experts

The Sore No More Blog has been putting out posts since 2010 telling you about how awesome our product is and letting you in on a variety of pain management options.

This year we're going to shake things up and bring you some advice from experts in the field of body care and health. We hope that the insights from these individuals will offer you some useful tips for healthcare and some guidance if you need to seek out professional assistance.

Welcome to 2015!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Decaffeinate your Pain Away?

Black? Cream and Sugar? Coffee is a very popular beverage that many people rely heavily on to get them through a day. It can be the bright motivation that gets a person out of bed and the liquid sustenance that keeps them moving through the day. The question is, in terms of pain levels, is coffee helping or hindering?

Some things to consider

Coffee can decrease depression, which has been associated with chronic pain.

Coffee can increase dehydration, which can cause muscle and joint pain.

Coffee can increase motivation and energy which can help you complete tasks that will decrease pain (like exercise).

Coffee has been associated with headaches.

Coffee can impact muscle tension, which can increase chronic pain.

Coffee can impact adrenal function, which can increase chronic pain.

All of this information and more (including links to studies) is scattered across the internet. The following links will give you some pro-coffee information and some anti-coffee feedback.

Coffee: A great tool for dealing with chronic pain

Caffeine: Cup of Pain, Liquid Stress

10 Reasons Coffee is Both the Best and the Worst Beverage Ever Invented

Is Caffeine Causing Your Chronic Back Pain?

Coffee and Joint Pain

What does it come down to? You have to make a choice for yourself. For some people coffee is a wonder drug that helps with their chronic pain problems. For others it makes things much worse. Take some time to look at coffee for what it really is- a drug. Do your research, do some experimentation with dosages/what time of day to drink it/etc. Comment on this post with what has worked best for you!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Drinking Water May Be The Most Important Pain Fighting Tool!

Did you know that hydration can impact nearly everything about your bodily functions including your pain levels? This applies to chronic pain and exercise-induced pain alike. There are so many maladies that can present due to dehydration and it's such an easy thing to remedy. So let's talk about how much water you need in your life...

You Should Be Drinking AT LEAST Half Your Body Weight in OZ of water daily

(That means: 150lbs = 75 oz of water every day)

You should be drinking at least 8 oz of water to compensate for each caffeinated or alcoholic beverage you drink.

(1 cup of coffee = adding 8 oz to your daily requirement.)

Things that count when considering hydration:

-Water

-Herbal (non caffeinated) teas

-Coconut water

Things that don't count (and most dehydrate you):

-Sodas

-Coffee

-Alcohol

-Caffeinated Teas

-Fruit Juices

-Sparkling Waters

Tricks to maximize your water intake:

-Get a fun water bottle, or one that you find aesthetically pleasing. (Consider containers from other beverages like wine bottles, juice bottles, etc. Keep it interesting!)

-Get a larger water bottle... You may be more motivated if you only have to drink two of a certain size of bottle per day than if you have to refill a small one many times throughout the day.

-Drink out of a straw or a water bottle with a straw. Many people find that drinking from straws encourages them to drink more.

-Add fruits, veggies, or herbs for flavor. (Infused Water Recipes)

-Drink 16 oz first thing when you wake up in the morning!

-Drink water every time you do a certain task during your day.

-Download an app for your smart phone to remind you to drink water every day.

-Write positive affirmations on your water bottle.

-Get a fun tea cup and use it exclusively for herbal teas.

-Suck on some ice chips for variation.

-Make it manageable.... while the ideal is to drink enough water daily, work up to it one day at a time.

The great thing about hydration is that once you have optimized your body's hydration levels, you'll start to feel a difference when you aren't hydrated enough. Your body may ache more, you may get headaches... soon you'll know just when you need to drink more to feel your best!

Additional Reading:

The Effects of Dehydration

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Dehydration

11 Reasons Why Dehydration is Making You Fat and Sick

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Choose your best pillow!

Did you know that the pillow you sleep on can help relieve or exacerbate your pain levels? There are tons of therapeutic pillows on the market, but before you shell out the cash, it’s important to learn what kind of pillow will work for you.

A good pillow, needs to support the natural curve of your neck. If this is not the case, your whole spine can be impacted. How much support you need is determined by your unique situation (Do you have old neck injuries? Disc problems?) Often those who have experienced a loss of curvature in their cervical spine benefit from a pillow that provides extra traction (tilts the head back further while they sleep) and more firmness in a pillow. If you can’t afford a pillow with good neck support, you can substitute by rolling a hand towel, securing the ends with hair bands and putting that under your neck while you sleep.

While this type of pillow should, in theory, work best for most people, that isn’t always the case. Some people do better with foam or down others try buckwheat pillows. If you can find someone who has a therapeutic pillow you can borrow, see if you can try it out for a night or two.

Other considerations:

-Sleeping on your stomach is terrible for your neck. If you suffer from chronic neck pain you would benefit from losing the stomach sleeping habit.

-Hip and low back pain can often be helped by putting a pillow or rolled up towel beneath your knees when sleeping on your back or between your knees when sleeping on your side. Again, there are no benefits to sleeping on your stomach.

Don’t let sleep make your pain worse! Reassess how you sleep and the tools you sleep with now to make the most difference!

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Making the Pain Scale Work For You

How many times have you found yourself gazing at a form depicting a scale from one to ten and asking you to assign your pain a number? How many times have you pondered whether indicating that your present pain level is a three might impact your care, even though sometimes it’s as high as a seven? Pain scales can feel severely limiting, but they are invaluable to health care providers to track your progress with them (and even required by some insurance companies!)

Following are some serious articles to help you most effectively use the pain scale at maximum benefit.

Using the Pain Scale: How To Talk About Pain

Using the Pain Scale Effectively

And here is one not so serious, but potentially more useful pain scale option.

Boyfriend Doesn’t Have Ebola. Probably.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Monday, May 12, 2014

Barometric Pressure and Pain

Have you ever known a storm was coming because you could 'feel it in your bones?'

What is Barometric Pressure?
Barometric pressure is the measurement of air pressure and can be described as follows:
"The weight of the air pressing down on the Earth, the ocean and on the air below causes air pressure. Earth's gravity, of course, causes the downward force that we know as "weight." Since the pressure depends upon the amount of air above the point where you're measuring the pressure, the pressure decreases as you go higher." (source)

These changes in pressure don't just impact the earth, but also impact the inhabitants- us. Increased atmospheric pressure can do a number on our bodies and our pain levels.

Learn more about barometric pressure and pain by reading the following articles:

Pressure and Pain

Does Weather Affect Joint Pain?

Why Does Pain Get Worse When A Storm is Coming?

Friday, March 14, 2014

Magnesium- the Magical Mineral

Many people take Calcium-Magnesium supplements because they know that calcium is vital to bone growth. Magnesium tends to fall by the wayside as ‘that mineral you need to absorb calcium.’ The fact of the matter is that it’s a bit of a miracle substance that has many benefits to the human body. Some of those benefits include;

-Muscle Relaxation (and decreasing cramps)

-Improved Sleep

-Decrease in Anxiety and Depression

-Decrease in Body Odor

-Aid in treating, reversing or reducing the impact of a variety of illnesses.

-Healthy digestive/bowel function

Sometimes increasing your intake of magnesium rich foods, or taking a quality magnesium supplement can make all the difference in how you feel.

Learn more by reading some (or all!) of the following articles

Benefits of Magnesium Far Greater Than Previously Imagined

Are You Low on Magnesium?

Top Five Health Benefits of Magnesium

Magnesium for Pain Relief

Inflammation and Pain Management With Magnesium

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Friday, January 3, 2014

Arnica Your Pain Away!

For those that turn to homeopathics for their health needs, Arnica Montana is renowned for its assistance in treating pain. While there are many kinds of Arnica, those that are most beneficial for muscle pain and bruising contain an anti-inflammatory compound called helenalin.

Topical preparations of arnica are commonly used by athletes for sore muscles, to sooth contusions and in cases of arthritis. Topical applications can cause skin sensitivities in some, so do a patch test first! Once you’ve established that you’re not having an adverse response, keep a tube of arnica gel or cream on hand. (We haven’t tested out the use of Arnica in conjunction with Sore No More, but imagine it would probably prove even more effective! (Again, patch test for safety!)

Arnica can also be used in homeopathic form. Those familiar with homeopathics will understand the ‘like treats like’ principal behind them. Homeopathics are highly diluted versions of a particular substance and can often be found in either liquid or tablet form. The tablets are dissolved under the tongue and have many rave reviews regarding their effectiveness.

If Arnica is not something you have previously tried for pain relief, it is worth taking into consideration. Even better? It’s safe for your pets!

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Natural Health Websites You Might Be Missing Out On

Here at Sore No More, we are big fans of looking at your health in a more natural sense- which is why we offer you a natural product to combat your pain. That being said, there are so many wonderful resources around the web to help you in your journey to live a more natural life. Whether you want to replace your Tylenol with something less likely to damage your liver or you're just interested in the possibilities, these websites can help guide you.

MindBodyGreen

Nature Hacks

Natural News

Herbs Info

GreenMedInfo

Note: We are not affiliated with any of the above listed websites. They are purely for informational purposes. This is in no way a sponsored post.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Pain Free 2013 Part V : Pain Free Medicine Cabinet

When you’re striving for a pain-free life, especially a natural one, there are a few things that you will benefit from having on hand.

Arnica Gel and Homeopathic Tablets

Arnica is particularly useful for sore muscles and bruising. The gel can be used for massage and topical application to contusions while the tablets sooth tightly wound or overworked muscles.

White Willow Bark and Turmeric Capsules

White willow bark contains a substance called salicin, which is a predecessor to aspirin and functions as a pain reliever. Turmeric serves as a natural anti-inflammatory.

Ice Packs and Heat Packs

Ice and heat therapy can both be very beneficial in fighting pain. Remember, ice is primarily for acute pain (e.g. decreasing swelling after a sprain). Heat helps with more chronic problems (e.g. tight muscles from repeated stress injuries.)

Sore No More!

Nothing works quite as quickly as a topical analgesic which provides nerve numbing agents for instant pain relief as well as compounds that work on deeper muscles. Never hurts to have a tub of Sore No More on hand to apply to pulled muscles or to add to your bath.

Learning stretches that can sooth aching muscles, breathing techniques to combat pain and meditation exercises can all supplement your all natural, pain free regimen.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Pain Free 2013 Part IV :: Have a Pain Free Day

Welcome back to Pain Free 2013, in which we give you handy tools to manage your pain!

If you’ve lived with chronic pain, or even had pain for more than a few days in a row- you know that you can get oddly comfortable with it. There is a lot of guilt associated with comfortability in pain. There shouldn’t be. Being comfortable in your pain doesn’t mean that you don’t want to be pain free. It doesn’t mean that you’re not willing to work hard at it. It simply means that you’ve become accustomed to it. Change can be scary, even change for the better.

Today we’re going to give you some key-components to having a ‘you’ day that will not only help you manage your pain, but will give you a chance to reconnect with your body.

Step One: Take a long, hot bath or shower. Today is not the day for jumping through the shower because you’re in a hurry. Move your body around. Feel what aches, feel which parts the warm water helps to sooth. Indulge.

Step Two: When you get out of the shower/bath, your muscles should be relaxed from the warm water. Now is a good time to do some light stretching. Stretch all of the different parts of your body. Only stretch until you feel it, not until it causes hurts. Be aware of tightness and restricted range of motion and give those areas a little extra attention.

Step Three: Massage. If you can swing it, go get a professional massage, if not, spend a little time working on the muscles that you noticed were tense earlier. Be gentle. No deep tissue work that will leave you sore and achy later. A medium strength Swedish massage is about as deep as you want to go.
(Note: This applies to most massages, many people feel that when it comes to massage- the deeper the better. Never underestimate the power of a good, relaxing round of light muscle work. Often times it can coax the muscles into longer lasting pliability.)

Step Four: Eat a healthy meal. Eat a meal today that is rich in vegetables, light in wheat and sugars and has a decent source of protein. This will give your body extra fuel and encourage it to feel good.

Step Five: Drink LOTS of water. The rule of thumb is that you should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces every day. Most of us don’t. Today try to meet that goal and overcome it by at least eight ounces.

Step Six: Go for a walk. No high impact exercise today! Go for a leisurely walk or hike. Notice how your body moves as you walk. The shifts in your hips and spine. Notice if a certain gait decreases your pain or increases it. Notice your posture when you walk. Are you standing straight? Where are your arms? Do you favor one leg more than the other? The key here is being aware of your body and letting it find a natural flow.

Step Seven: RELAX! Once you completed steps one through six, relax for the rest of the day. Pay attention to what your body feels like doing- it will tell you if you listen.

Step Eight: Get lots of sleep. Today is a good day to head to bed early and let your body enjoy the day it’s had.

Now, see how you feel tomorrow. Are there places that are sore? Are there places that feel better? Days like this every now and then allow you to connect with your body and find solutions to overcome pain.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Pain Free 2013 Part III: Add!

Last month we discussed what you can eliminate from your diet to increase inflammation and, subsequently pain. This month we're going to talk about some things to add that can serve the same purpose!

1. Vitamin D
Studies suggest that vitamin D can help combat chronic pain, nevermind how vital it is to everyday health. Our bodies create vitamin D in response to exposure to sunligh, but most of us don't create enough. Supplementation can be the best choice.

More Information:
Vitamin D: A Possible Solution to Chronic Pain
Vitamin D Supplementaion for Patients With Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain: Does Vitamin D Help?

2. Turmeric
It's been established that inflammation leads to pain. This sells many over the counter anti-inflammatories every year. A common herb, turmeric, is proven to decrease inflammation and may also combat cancer!

More Information:
Turmeric Works Better Than Drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis
How Good is Turmeric For Pain?
Alleviate Joint Pain with Turmeric

3. Magnesium
Magnesium is a relatively well known nutrient, often associated with calcium absorption. It is also an excellent muscle relaxant and has been shown to help decrease pain levels.

More Information:
Magnesium for Pain
The Miracle of Magnesium
Magnesium Could Keep Your Muscles Free From Pain

There are many more supplements on the market that can help decrease and manage your pain levels. The important thing is to find what works for your particular condition.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Pain Free 2013 Part II: Eliminate!

Welcome to the second installment of ‘Pain Free 2013’ here on the Sore No More blog. If you haven’t reviewed the first article, review it here. By now you should have gotten to know your pain. Where did it come from? What do you want to do about it? Assuming you’ve decided that you’re over the whole pain gig, we’ll move along to things that you ought to eliminate consuming to decrease your pain levels.

There are certain substances that, when consumed, increase the amount of inflammation. As we’ve discussed many times before, inflammation equals pain and dis-ease.

1. Refined Sugar.
2. Dairy
3. Wheat
4. Red Meat/ Feed Lot Meat
5. Alcohol

Don’t panic! It is not being suggested that you avoid all of these substances altogether. Only that you be aware of how much you consume them and know that they increase inflammation. Consider balancing things out by increasing the anti-inflammatory foods in your diet.

See if you can pay close attention for the next week or so to how much of the above five substances you ingest and consider changing your diet to decrease them.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Pain Free 2013 Part I

Welcome to the first in a multi-part series about how to establish a pain free life in 2013. Here, I’m going to give you cause to think and analyze your pain as well as steps to take to diminish it.

Today, we’re going to discuss the root of your pain. Some of the following questions may require more than a moment of thought. Take your time.

1. How long have you been experiencing pain? Is it chronic or acute? The duration of your pain tells you how much you’ve learned to live with it and how attached you actually may be to it.
2. Where is your pain located?
This one can actually be surprisingly difficult for some people. If you can’t pinpoint the location(s) if your pain at a moment’s notice, it’s time to sit down and think about it.
3. Is there a known cause for your pain?Did you have an accident? Did it just manifest? What happened when you first started experiencing the pain? All of these are keys to eliminating it.
4. Are you ready to get rid of your pain?This seems like an obvious question. Sometimes, however, pain is a useful tool. Take the work-a-holic who only lets himself have down time when his back hurts. Are you using your pain as a crutch in another area of your life? Until you’ve established this, you won’t be able to make a choice about whether you’re ready to eliminate it or not. (And yes, it’s okay if you’re not ready.)

Take some time to think about these questions. Write them down if it will help. They’re important questions leading to the next step in living a pain free life.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Keys to a Pain Free Pregnancy!

Being pregnant can take a toll on your body. As the tiny human being inside of you grows, the pressure on your lumbar spine increases. This creates a ripple effect that can cause sciatic pain as well as shoulder and neck pain. (Remember! Everything in your body works as a unit.) Nevermind the headaches, fatigues and other miscellaneous aches. Following are a few tips to help you combat the aches and pains of pregnancy.

1. Yoga and Stretching:
Keeping your muscles limber and flexible is key to limiting the amount of pain you experience. Try these eight yoga poses for pregnant women. You may also look at these stretches for pregnant women. Want to get a little more in depth in your exercises? Try these!

2. Natural Pain Relief:
-Drinking more water while you’re pregnant may actually help you combat aches and pains. Yes, you’ll have to visit the restroom more often, but it will keep your body in much better working order.
-Prenatal massage is a viable option to both soothe aching muscles and combat stress.
-Sleep the right way! Use pillows to make sure that you’re sleeping in ways that keep your body structurally aligned. Good neck support is key and a full body pillow between the knees and to wrap your arms around can help keep your hips from becoming misaligned.
-While you’re at it, get plenty of rest. Even if you have to take a nap every day! Fatigue has a magical way of making your aches and pains worse. Let your body rest!

3. Sore No More!
Applying Sore No More to the parts of you that ache is an excellent and all natural way to have a pain-free pregnancy. Even better? For a limited time you can receive a special discount from our ad in Healthy Mom and Baby Magazine, which you can read free online!

Remember- when you’re pregnant, you and your baby are a top priority. Take care of yourself and enjoy a happy, healthy, pain-free pregnancy!

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Modalities: Rolfing

There are so many different ways to deal with physical pain available. The important thing to remember is that not everything is going to work for everyone. However, if it’s on the market, the likelihood is that it has worked for at least a few people. It’s important to stay open minded and be willing to try new things in your pursuit of a pain free life.

Rolfing is a form of structural integration. The idea is that by manipulation of soft tissue, your body can be realigned. In this particular form of manipulation, movements are used to break up adhesions in the fascia that may be restricting skeletal muscle movement and thus causing pain.

Developed by Ida P. Rolf, Rolfing has been in the works since the 1930’s and The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration has been around since the 1970’s.

Rolfing is very deep work and is generally performed over a series of sessions aimed at normalizing body function.

To learn more about Rolfing, you can visit the Wikipedia article here.
Watch a Rolfing video here.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Psychosomatic Pain Part II

This is a continuation on last month's article on Psychosomatic Pain.

Emotions and Pain
Chronic pain can be tied to abuse as a child, or even as an adult {source}. In fact, the brain processes physical pain and mental pain in a very similar manner, making the correlation between the two entirely feasible. Without proper coping mechanisms, emotional pain can easily manifest itself into physical pain. Likewise, physical pain can lend itself to emotional discontent. In many cases, chronic pain and depression can be found living in a parasitic harmony, each feeding off the other.

In her book ‘You Can Heal Your Life,’’ Lousie L. Hays lists the probable emotional cause for many different ailments and suggest affirmations to solve them. It provides an interesting insight on how working through emotional pain can have a positive impact on physical pain.

Neurotransmitters and Pain
Neurotransmitters are responsible for delivering messages from your brain to your body and vise versa. They play vital roles in physical, mental and emotional reactions. Much like the hormone imbalances discussed in the adrenal fatigue section, neurotransmitter imbalances can impact physical pain levels and emotional wellbeing.

Neurotransmitters work as filters in the communication network of the brain. If the pain management filter is not working effectively, it can cause or worsen chronic pain.

Solving the Problem
The first step to solving any pain problem is trusting yourself. Trust that there is a way to solve your problem and that you are worth the effort required to get there. You must be strong enough to seek out physicians and other healers who are able to help you.

Adrenal fatigue, emotional stress and neurotransmitter imbalances can all be helped by lifestyle choices including nutritional changes and stress management techniques. This may require adding things to your diet, finding a therapist you can communicate with, taking up a new exercise routine, and/or treating yourself to monthly massages.

Psychosomatic/psychogenic pain is very real. Often times it is downplayed because of the difficulty in finding a physical cause. A bruise hurts when you press on it. It is an obvious physical pain with an obvious physical cause. Just because the cause of a pain cannot be seen, visually does not make it less relevant. Over time, pain that is caused by hormone imbalance, emotional struggle or neurotransmitter dysfunction can cause obvious physical problems (tightened muscles can move bones, generating disc, bursa and ligament problems to name a few). As many of you know, at this point in the progression, problems become much more difficult to fix, so why not start trying to solve them now?

{Sources: Pain Center of Orlando, NaturalNews.Com, National Sleep Foundation, NCBI, Psychology Today, LA Times, Wikipedia, IWR.Com}

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Psychosomatic Pain Part I

Have you ever felt as though your chronic pain was being downplayed because it was “all in your head?” That may be true. The fact of the matter is that mental and emotional states can have a profound and very real impact on pain levels. A high stress level has physical consequences. It can exacerbate pain that is already present, such as arthritis. Or, it can generate new pains that were not previously present, as is often the case with those suffering from Fibromyalgia.

There are some key players in the stress-pain correlation;

Adrenal Fatigue
Hypoadrenia (adrenal fatigue) occurs when your adrenal glands become overworked, expelling too much adrenaline and cortisol. These are your ‘fight or flight’ hormones. In the absence of need to flee from, say, saber tooth tigers, today’s human is expelling far too many of these hormones in response to things like getting the incorrect order at Starbucks.

Adrenal fatigue can express itself as chronic pain and is often misdiagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia. Muscular pain is a common symptom of adrenal fatigue, most specifically those muscles found in the legs (sartorius, gracilis, posterior tibialis, gastrocnemius, and soleus.) These muscles impact the balance of the pelvis and can subsequently cause low back pain. Left unremedied, this unbalance can travel up the spine, generating mid back, upper back, shoulder, and even neck pain.

Sleep is often disturbed by adrenal fatigue. The imbalance of cortisol production makes falling asleep and staying asleep difficult. Lack of quality REM sleep has long been known to impact pain levels negatively.

Learn more symptoms of adrenal fatigue here.

Check back next month for part two of the Psychosomatic Pain article.

*Sore No More! is not a licensed physician. All information on this blog is researched by our staff and is subject to inaccuracies. No information found here should be used in the place of advice from your doctor. * Sore No More 150 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532 Tel: (435) 259-5931 Toll Free: (800) 842-6622 www.sorenomore.com

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