Day 7

Introduction to Holistic Pain Care

The very core of healing is movement. Now, I am admittedly biased toward movement, I admit. But research shows clearly that movement heals. I understand that when you are in pain, every fiber of you is screaming, “Don’t move!” But you know now that pain is a protection mechanism to get us to protect ourselves, but it doesn’t always give accurate information about what we need to move on from pain, especially after tissue healing has occurred. 

Movement serves many important purposes for the person in pain:

• Restoration of tissue health
• Neuromuscular education (building new “movement programs” in the nervous system.
• Brain training (this movement is safe for me)
• Movement introduces pain regulating chemicals into the brain and spinal cord
• Movement builds confidence
• It feels damn good. When we’ve been in pain for awhile, sometimes we forget how to feel good in our bodies

This is a short and regrettably incomplete list of the really, dozens of reasons that movement is a part of every pain care plan. But not all movement is created equal. When you are first starting out, your movement should be non-threatening, exploratory, purposeless and novel.

This class that I have provided is very general in nature. Movement for Pain Care is best when it is customized to the individual or at the very least to the issues that you are experiencing. Many of us who suffer from chronic pain have a great deal of guilt about our limitations. This 30 minute practice is designed to support you with self compassion and love.

My hope for your practice is that you rediscover some, even a glimmer, of joy in the miraculous state of being embodied. Please take it easy in this practice. Feel free to sit out any movements or to alter them to suit your preferences. I trust you to make good choices on your own behalf.