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From The Eye of the Storm Called Chronic Pain. The Beginning of The Storm. External Stressors . Internal Stressors. Perception Appraisal – Confusion from the Explosion, Realization of the presence of Pain,
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The Beginning of The Storm External Stressors Internal Stressors Perception Appraisal – Confusion from the Explosion, Realization of the presence of Pain, Realization of being hit, landing on metal and bright white sudden pain in the back of head and tail bone. Concern for Husband, Concern of others involved, Breathe, Relax take an inventory, Thankfulness daughter had been dropped off, How bad are the injuries, Concern about the car and the contents, What about our vacation, Fear, More pain, mental fog Dread, There must be more wrong than a simple back strain…, on and on • Auto Accident, • Loss of needed Vacation, • Insurance Advocacy, • Opinions of Boss: “Suck it up” • Misdiagnosis • Car Rides • Pain Medications
The Building of The Storm External Stressors Internal Stressors Confusion, memory deficits, difficulty making decisions Fatigue, sleep disturbances Worsening nerve pain everywhere Movement causing muscle spasms Medication Side Effects Fear of how my brain was operating Fear of not performing well Fear of worsening pain and symptoms Anger with Insurance delays, added financial burden • Required Work Hours, • Insurance Advocacy, • Opinions and Actions of Colleagues, Physicians, Friends, - • Different Diagnosis, • Car Rides • Pain Medications, Muscle relaxers, Neurontin • Application of Heat/Ice • Physical Therapy • Spinal Facet Injections, Prolotherapy • Two surgeries
Integrative Approach to Chronic Pain • Diagnostics • Labs • Referrals • Surgery
The Power of Our Thoughts: The Winds of The Storm Paradigms If what I “see” determines what I do…. Then the results I get influence what I see. Results Habits And what I do determines the results I get…
A Mindfulness Approach Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, Eds. C.K. Germer, R.D. Siegel, and P.R. Fulton, 2005. The Guilford Press.
Dr. Sarno: Healing Back Pain • Unconscious hurts in childhood. Inner Child wants – “Me” – getting upset in times of stress. • Personality traits – strong internal parent “Should”… calm down don’t rock the boat • Adult Internal – Ego, not it can’t come out. = physical symptoms mediated by emotional memories • Influence of “triggers”, anniversary dates, foods, weather, etc. Pain episodes originate in the muscles rather than in a structural abnormality of the spine Most patients tend to be hardworking, conscientious, compulsive, and perfectionistic Due to unconscious anger Dr. Sarno found that strong emotions generated in the unconscious mind, particularly rage, cause the mind to create a socially acceptable distraction, such as back pain and leg pain. The brain reduces the oxygen to the tissues involved by reduced blood flow – tension myositis syndrome – accounts for 90% of all cases of back, neck, and limb pain. High-Frequency sound waves, massage, and active exercise tend to relieve pain among other mindbody approaches. The mind is actually the source of the pain. 11,000 estimated patients helped by his theory.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph. D. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Bantam Dell, NY . pp. 249. Fight or Flight Physiologic autopilot Psychological/emotional autopilot Biochemical changes Energetic changes CNS disregulation External traumas
THE PLAN • Cognition • Mindfulness • Exercise
Foundations of Mindfulness Practice • Attitudes • Non-Judging • Patience • The Beginner’s Mind • Trust • Non-Striving • Accepting • Letting Go • Commitment • Self-discipline to stick to regular practice • Intentionality to promote energy and motivation • Breath work
Body Scan • Being in your body • Looking closely at symptoms and the feelings about them through wise attention • A dynamic process is unfolding as we experience the chance to honor our bodies and listen to the messages that are sent.
Exercise • In Nature • Stabilizing with walking poles • Gradually increasing time and distance • Treatment of persistent pain • Evaluating thoughts and beliefs about what is happening
The butterfly begins life as a caterpillar, a wormlike larva that spins a cocoon for itself. For weeks, the larva remains hidden within the cocoon as it undergoes metamorphosis. When it's time for the butterfly to emerge, it must struggle and fight its way out of the cocoon. We might be tempted to help this process by tearing open the cocoon - but that's the worst thing we could do. The struggle makes it strong and enables it to fly. Butterflies need adversity to become what God intended them to be. So do we.
Our Diseases arise out of the sum total of our life experiences as they interact with our genetic predispositions and are influenced by our chosen responses. Modified from Integrative Medicine, David Rakel, 2003. Saunders, Philadelphia. With the light of wisdom - we leave behind the forest of confusion. With determination - we learn, reflect, and practice. Author unknown