chronic pain and illness
When I was 28 (decades ago!) a doctor, looking at x-rays of my spine, told me at that I was ‘over the hill’. I could barely walk, sit or stand.
Today I am able to walk, skip, run, jump and dance, and help others to do the same. In Chronic pain, changes occur in the spinal cord and brain as well as sensors in other body tissues.
It’s like an exquisitely sensitive car alarm that is triggered easily, is exceedingly loud and difficult to turn off! While an aspirin or two may help some pain, chronic pain is often unresponsive to medications or medical treatments.
This can be frustrating and demoralising. However, the plasticity of our nervous systems means these changes in our nervous system may actually be reversed.
I use a combination of gentle bodywork and verbal therapy along with mindfulness practices to help increase endorphins (our natural painkillers), to address psychological issues that are affecting the nervous system and to cultivate attitudes that support healing.
I help people learn to listen deeply to their bodies; our bodies contain great wisdom and a wonderful capacity to self-heal. This combination of talk and touch is also helpful for conditions such as M.E., fibromyalgia and other long term health problems.
