Second Chance at Your Dream

Is pain ever useful?

As people mature chronologically, many begin to notice aches and pains in parts of the body never noticed before. Some take affront in finding the body is no longer willing or able to do what the mind wishes. Many regard physical pain as an unwelcome distraction. Still others become so obsessed with pain they live in fear of every new sensation. Conversations about body failings may dominate interactions with friends and acquaintances. Misery likes company. for sure it seems.

Physical pain is part of being human. It’s a signal when something is amiss. In the same way a smoke alarm’s beeping gives warning of household fire, pain serves as an internal feedback loop to give a message. Only people with the rare disorder of allodynia cannot feel pain. Generally they have very short lives because their essential warning mechanisms are absent.

Physical pathways of pain can be very adequately treated with present day pain management approaches. These may include specific forms of exercise, dietary changes to increase cell nourishment and decrease weight, prescription and over-the-counter medications, and even special formulas and administration routes developed by compounding pharmacies. (1) In addition, a large array of complementary modalities are available to offer holistic, integrative approaches. Current medical standards have established adequate pain management as a patient healthcare right in most states.

How we can “shrink” our lives

Like most readers, I can personally attest to the difficulty of centering, meditating, or holding a positive outlook when pain predominates. I recall the ways hip pain led me to explore numerous complementary modalities such as acupuncture, energy healing, chiropractic, somatic therapies and depth psychotherapy. I learned much and still employ concepts from these modalities. Denial of the back and hip pain kept me limping until my whole outlook on life became increasingly constricted.

It was time to try another route. In the eighth year of bone pain, I chose to get an x-ray. The physician was amazed that anyone was able to walk with such a degenerated hip. Knowing what I have learned since the replacement surgery has taught me not to put things off until my life becomes difficult. When other methods no longer help and activities start to shrink, it’s wise to seek medical assistance.

Nevertheless, I affirm the value of exploring complementary/alternative approaches first as a useful way to learn about oneself and the ways mind, body and spirit are constantly interacting. More invasive chemical or surgical interventions are available as a last resort. Unless there is a need for acute care and immediate action, such complementary approaches as acupuncture, acupressure, Qi gong, yoga, and energy-oriented therapies are a good first line of defense.

Ongoing, chronic pain can literally “shrink” one’s life. Activities become constricted, emotions fray, sleep is interrupted and insomnia curtails opportunity for restorative sleep. Estimates show “50 million Americans live with chronic pain today; it is the number one cause of adult disability.” (2) Often, over half the healthcare professionals who attend my workshops suffer from various chronic pain conditions. Unfortunately, these glum figures are accompanied by beliefs that chronic pain cannot be changed and “one has to learn to live with it.” Such limiting beliefs especially apply to the elderly who are often under-diagnosed and under-treated.

A hopeful message tells us, “When pain is treated effectively, the person’s quality of life increases and negative outcomes decrease.” (3) Multi-modal approaches which integrate adequate medication with complementary interventions, such as activating the body’s energy system, seem to work best. A dynamic formula for using the body’s natural resources and self-hypnosis to resolve chronic pain is written by colleague Maggie Phillips.(4) She emphasizes energizing ourselves rather than catastrophizing about pain, and to heal not only the body but also emotional and spiritual dimensions. Energy therapies can provide a powerful adjunct to managing and even ameliorating pain distress.

Suffering Is Optional

Suffering is qualitatively different from physical pain. Physiological pain mechanisms have been well studied and involve a number of bodily pathways: the signal or pain stimulus initiates at a certain location in the body, it travels via neurotransmitters cell-to-cell along the dorsal afferent fibers to the dorsal horn of the spinal column and finally reaches the brain to impact the pain-sensing centers. The mind can then interpret the message and engage in a number of choices. It can:

• feel the pain
• block all or part of the pain
• exaggerate the pain
• feel the pain and forget it because something else takes precedence
• distort the pain sensation
• interpret the pain signal
• focus on the pain and attach strong emotions to it

Suffering in Buddhist philosophy relates to the emotional distress of worry and anxiety generated within an individual. Fear of more pain, not the pain itself, exacerbates suffering. The distress known as suffering can be triggered by physical pain, but can also be about any thought which comes to the mind.

Examples cited earlier spoke of the distress experienced in everyday life issues ranging from impediments to living such as flat tires or balky cell phones to serious family conflicts and alienation by loved ones. Suffering occurs when one attempts to interpret events not caused by one’s actions. One may ask, “Why does this always happen to me?” Or, attack oneself, “What is the matter with me?” And concluding, “No one appreciates me…I’m losing my touch… I’m not useful any more.”

A direct path to suffering is made by attaching catastrophic meanings to a minor glitch. Every one at any age can forget names, book titles, or peripheral events, yet interpreting simple forgetting to mean your mind is failing and/or you’re losing it permanently is a common thought among older people. This creates untold suffering. Perhaps it is good to forget some things, especially trivia, when we’ve accumulated so much knowledge from living over half a century. It would be detrimental to recall every detail we ever heard!

The mind responds to unconscious commands. If one wants to retire by abdicating from lifelong learning or participation in the community, the mind find situations requiring stepping back and being passive. Negative thinking creates direct results in the form of limiting beliefs. Similarly, negative reflections about physical pain serve to increase pain’s disabling effects.
Help on the way!

As we come to distinguish the difference between physical pain and the psychological factors involved in suffering, we recognize how closely they are interrelated. Both need to be addressed to diminish distress. Remarkably, both emotional suffering and physical pain respond well to energetic interventions by inviting changes in perception and hope of relief.

Numerous research studies demonstrate relief of physical and emotional pain with energy modalities such as TT, HT, Reiki, energy medicine and energy psychology.(5, 6, 7) Some of the possible mechanisms for this effect include: 1) increased production of endorphins, the body’s natural pain relieving chemical messengers and encouraging gene expression; 2) distraction of the mind for a possible placebo effect; 3) release of blockages to balanced energy flows; 4) movement toward a “tipping point” because there’s momentum toward more comfort and positive emotion.

Tim had been diagnosed with a life-threatening immune system disorder. From that day on, Tim interpreted every small ache or distress to mean destruction of his body’s cells. All he could see was a future of degeneration, dependence on others, and death. The power of a serious diagnosis without additional information can serve as a nocebo with negative implications instead of its opposite, a placebo, a powerful mental suggestion for relief and well-being. Tim’s family insisted on second opinions, more information and complementary approaches for self-care. Grumbling and wincing, Tim agreed to their wishes and found a wealth of resources to stave off dependency and helplessness to his surprise. Of course, it took time, unending encouragement from family members and ultimately Tim’s willingness to participate in the expanded program. Years later, he is still active and talks to his diagnosis by joking “Ha! You thought you owned me, but I didn’t let you!”

It’s always best to have pain medically evaluated and receive as much information as possible. The following exercises encourage you to learn from your pain sensations and find ways of diminishing inevitable pain reliably. The exercises utilize your energy system—the breath, the meridian network via its acupoints, and the body’s “energy stations” known as the charkas.

Exercise 13.1 More life via your helping intention

1. Allow yourself to sit or lie comfortably with the breath gently expanding the diaphragm as you inhale. Make sure the exhalation is long and slow.
2. Breathe softness and warmth into the painful area. Send your caring intention to the hurting portion of the body.
3. Make a tight fist and release it slowly to a long count of 10 feeling each muscle group in your hand relax slowly.
4. Repeat several more times while continuing to send loving thoughts to the identified part of the body. Soften the colors around it.
5. Notice differences in how you feel.

Exercise 13.2 Healing affirmations anchored to the body

1. While gently rubbing, or holding the tender spot on the left side of the upper chest, state out loud “Even though I have this pain, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
2. If the last part of the affirmation is troublesome for you, other phrases could be used such as,”I’m learning to accept myself” or simply, “I deserve to feel better.”
3. The first part of the phrase can also be used to address underlying fears with, “Even though I fear I may never be free of this pain, I still… (complete with your chosen statement).”
4. Repeat the phrase you have selected several times until it feels comfortable and can easily be remembered. Write it down, or make a song or poem about it.

Exercise 13.3 Releasing fear of pain/Installing positive thoughts via the acupoints

1. Starting at the place where the eyebrow meets the nose, tap or touch, alternating sides, while stating, “I now choose to release my fear of more pain…this is not all of me.” (or use words with similar intent)
2. Continue tapping through the acupoint sequence given in figure 2.5. Tap each acupoint 10-15 times.
3. Complete by tapping or holding each point starting at step 1 while stating your positive goal, as in “Many forms of help, including medication and this work, are available to me.”
4. Note how you feel when you think of available help.

Exercise 13.4 Releasing fear and installing positive thoughts via the chakras

1. Starting at the crown, touch or spin with the hands in a counterclockwise fashion while stating, “I now release fear of more pain… it is not all of me.”
2. Continue downward through the 7 major chakras as described in figure 2.3 and end with an exultation.
3. Complete by moving upward from the base with a clockwise spin over each center while stating your positive goal, “I now attract the resources I need to manage this pain… Love and support surround me… I am doing my best to heal.”
4. Note how verbalizing your positive goal makes you feel.

Exercise 13.5 Tapping the thyroid meridian for relief

Another tool for relief can be found by tapping on the thyroid meridian acupoint which appears to generalize healing intention to all parts of the body. (8)

1. While sitting or lying down comfortably, gently touch the painful area and set your positive intention with a statement such as, “Relief is on its way.”
2. Use one hand to tap on the acupoint between the last 2 knuckles of the other hand (on the thyroid meridian, also known as the triple warmer and tri heater).
3. Tap gently on this acupoint 30-50 times while affirming your wish to feel better and sending kindness to the selected area. Breathe deeply and fully.
4. Note how you feel afterward.

Exercise 13.6 Moving healing hands over a painful area

In Healing Touch, clear intention through centering practices can be used to energize your hands for self-care and relief. (9)

1. With the breath allow yourself to bring in unlimited energy flow from the beauty of nature.
2. Let the warmth of this breath flow from your heart center to your hands to increase their vitality. You may also squeeze or rub the hands together to energize them. Continue until the hands feel warm and vibrant.
3. Bring the hands near the painful area of your body and gently sweep from above the area downward several times while continuing to keep the breath smooth, strong and steady.
4. Repeat several times during the day and notice any changes such as a lighter sensation in the area.

Each of the exercises are suggestions you can modify to fit your needs. They return the power to help your body to you. Some studies also propose increased efficacy of pain medication with these maneuvers. You may find the exercises a helpful addition to any medication you are using. Recalling how intention affects the body’s messaging signals, the use of subtle energies appears to activate remembered wellness in body, mind and spirit.

Better than winning a lawsuit for pain

It’s especially difficult to address pain management issues with people who are unassertive, poor and elderly. Freda had all three of these issues. As the sole caregiver for a profoundly retarded 24 year old son, she was also raising a healthy 16 year-old daughter. When I met her on referral from her social worker, Freda was awash in pain and suffered from insomnia. After a severe car accident caused by a careless driver six months earlier, Freda as overwhelmed by all aspects of her life. Because she was not yet old enough for Medicare, she exhausted her meager financial resources in attempts to get medical help for intractable neck and back pain. Freda’s physician prescribed medication which did not touch the pain and only made her sleepy. Finally, the doctor gave prescribed a cane with a misdiagnosis of “arthritis.”

My first steps in helping Freda were to establish simple things she could do such as developing pain management with over-the-counter pills. Freda had some respite from pain while saving her high potency and expensive prescriptions for nighttime sleep. We gradually added a high protein diet and moderate exercise. More important for Freda was learning to be effectively assertive in communicating with both her doctor and attorney, neither of whom showed interest in her case. Eventually, she was strong enough to fire them both and find a nurse practitioner who could prescribe an effective pain management regimen. After Freda learned how to interview for better and low-cost legal aid, she retained an attorney who was sympathetic to her cause. With these two professionals well in place, I taught Freda the pain management techniques mentioned above. She took to them immediately. “I can do something to help myself!” she exclaimed. It was as if a treasure box had been opened for her. There was still pain, but her endless suffering ceased.

Freda received an MRI after a long year of haggling with insurance companies. It showed three cracked neck vertebrae not visible on the initial X-rays. Knowing the cause of pain generated some comfort.

The lawsuit against the careless motorist when awry because he was uninsured at the time of the accident… The misdiagnosis of arthritis also worked against her. Pain perception is so subjective that many insurance companies and their hired physicians can reinterpret patients’ testimonies. Freda finally received a minimal settlement. However, she proudly told me, “That’s only money but what you gave me back was my ability to help myself. It was far better than winning a lawsuit for pain!”

Soothing self -help travels faster

James Dillard’s fascinating book cites studies showing how soothing techniques actually travel faster than pain along the neural pathways. This suggests mechanisms for decreasing or even blocking pain perception. For example, an itch or pain sensation travels at about 0.5 to 5 millimeters per second along the neurons. Massage and light touch travel approximately 15-25 millimeters per second while energy therapies working via the body’s electromagnetic signaling system travel at much faster speeds of 35-75 millimeters per second. (10)

These studies help to understand why massage and touch are so necessary in healing. They also explain how energy approaches work most quickly to reach the brain’s interpretive centers and provide relaxation and relief from the anxiety of discomfort.

Often, in working with multi-modal pain management, it is a matter of which signal gets to the brain first. In the case of severe pain, it would be prudent to take medication to give basic relief and then add the energy modalities. The guidance of competent medical care is, of course, always needed when using new techniques or attempting to change established pain management protocols.

******

To summarize, the energy approaches suggested here for pain relief are easy to learn, highly portable, and can be combined with other therapies. These may include somatic therapies such as massage and bodywork, counseling, physical therapy, and medication protocols. Energy therapies further relieve the negative emotional reactions related to painwhich include anxiety, panic and fear. Thoughts and beliefs blocking healing efforts can also be modified or revised. Quality of life can best exist when we address causes of internal suffering directly.