Essays

Healing Pain

Chronic pain is the most common health complaint in the United States. It costs us millions of dollars each year in lost work and medical expenses, as well as incalculable losses to our relationships and our general wellbeing. This is an issue of particular concern for me, because I developed a condition of chronic pain and fatigue at the age of 18 which has dramatically altered my life. I saw countless healthcare professionals who could not help me and I became so incapacitated that I had to drop out of college. For four years, the simplest activities were overwhelming obstacles, and I got very little enjoyment out of anything. Eventually I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I learned how to manage it, and very gradually I began to improve. While much of my treatment plan would not apply to people with different conditions, there are two things which I believe could benefit almost everyone, even those who do not currently suffer from chronic pain. They are:

  1. Learn to regulate the tension in your body; and
  2. Eat properly.

I am not sure why these simple, low-risk approaches are not foremost in a doctor’s mind when encountering a patient in pain (after ruling out life-threatening conditions, of course). It does take more effort to make changes in your lifestyle than to take a pill, but in my experience it is also much more effective. I would like to see these strategies gain better recognition in order to help those who are suffering now, and to improve the overall quality of life for everyone, so that fewer people may suffer in the future.

TRIGGER POINTS

There is substantial evidence suggesting that most chronic pain is either caused or exacerbated by small knots in muscle fiber called trigger points. Not to be confused with acupressure points, trigger points have been thoroughly investigated and documented by medical doctors, but unfortunately are poorly understood by most healthcare professionals. There is nothing “alternative” or “New Age” about treating them; in fact, you can learn to locate and treat your trigger points yourself, although you may want professional help if you have particularly severe ones. I learned about them through The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, which seems to be the most accessible guide for the novice, but there are other books out there as well as online resources which can provide an overview of trigger point therapy. It will take a bit of time and effort to explore your muscles and determine whether the techniques described will be helpful, but I think it is definitely worth a try, particularly if you have limited finances.

AWARENESS AND USE

Once you have your trigger points under control, you can learn how to prevent them from returning. (Or, if you have located trigger points but can’t seem to deactivate them, you can teach your muscles to be more receptive to change.)  The method I use for accomplishing this is the Alexander Technique (AT), but other educational systems like Feldenkrais and Hellerwork seem to achieve similar results. Basically, you can learn to use the appropriate amount and type of tension for any given task, so that you are not overworking certain areas and underworking others (which can lead to trigger points, poor circulation, and other problems). This does not happen quickly; it took me about a year of study to learn to sit or stand still for more than a few minutes without pain, and after three years I am still working on performing various activities more easefully and energetically. Of course, I may have had more deeply ingrained tension patterns than the average person, and my lessons have been somewhat sporadic due to financial constraints, but in general AT does require a significant time commitment. On the other hand, I know some people who have learned life-changing solutions to their pain problems in just one or two lessons (usually musicians who only experienced pain in specific situations). And the fact that my progress has been slow does not prevent it from being valuable. I believe that my study of AT has significantly improved my quality of life for the present and my opportunities for the future.

If this seems like a strange treatment for pain, that’s because the Alexander Technique is not a pain treatment per se. It is an education system to help you become better coordinated, more aware of your posture and movement, and able to control your response to various stimuli. Athletes and performing artists study AT in order to be more graceful and efficient, and to have more power with less effort; its impact on various health problems is more of an indirect effect. A patient in pain understandably wants fast relief and may not be interested in learning to be efficient, and this could be why the American medical community has been slow to accept AT and integrate it in treatment plans. (In the UK, however, it is taught more commonly in schools and is often covered by the National Health Service.)  But I think if more patients were given the option of learning these skills, more would find lasting relief. Additionally, they would be better able to cope with (and perhaps prevent) future problems.

REVISITING NUTRITION

The idea that better nutrition leads to better health is not new. How else will we get the materials our bodies need to function, if not from our food?  And why should we be surprised if consuming strange substances makes us feel bad?  As obvious as it is, proper nutrition seems very easy to forget. When was the last time your doctor spoke with you about what to eat? Do you ever think about your diet as a whole, as opposed to focusing on a few specific nutrients?

Almost everyone agrees that a healthy diet should mostly consist of whole grains and fresh produce. I become fatigued very quickly if I eat too many refined wheat products, even those that are “enriched” with various vitamins and minerals. I had previously considered these items “healthy” if they are low in fat, but I now believe that truly healthy food is not so much low in anything as it is high in natural nutrients. I notice a considerable increase in my energy levels when I eat whole grains like brown rice, millet, oats, or quinoa. If you buy commercially made bread, read the labels carefully; many whole wheat or multigrain breads contain loads of sugar and preservatives (this is the best choice that I’ve found).

Fresh fruits and vegetables are also very important. I try to eat a variety of colors each day — the darker the pigmentation, the better — for the maximum amount of nutrients (look here for more information). Remember that fresh is far superior to frozen or canned!  Whether you eat meat, dairy, nuts, soy and other foods is a matter of personal tastes and tolerances, but it might be worthwhile to research just how much of these foods you need to consume adequate protein and B12. The average American would likely feel better eating less meat, but strict vegetarianism can be problematic too. Lastly, be sure to drink plenty of water.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

I can’t help but wonder where I would be today if the first doctor I saw for my pain had recommended trigger point therapy and Alexander Technique, supported by dietary changes. Perhaps I would not have subjected myself to the harmful treatments that worsened my condition; perhaps I would have been able to graduate from college on time. If I had learned about all these things as a child, maybe I would not have developed fibromyalgia at all. It’s impossible to say, but I do wonder what our society would be like if everyone had access to this information.

If you’ve had a positive experience with any of the above strategies, please spread the word. If your doctor is an open-minded sort, explain to him what benefits you’ve received, as specifically as possible and without resorting to hyperbole. (Overly enthusiastic people who describe a therapy as a miracle cure tend to do more harm than good for the therapy’s credibility.) Maybe you can arrange to have your AT instructor or trigger point therapist give some classes at your workplace or at your child’s school. Maybe you know someone who would be interested in conducting research to further the medical community’s understanding. As far as food is concerned, there is already some progress being made toward improving school lunches and such, but there is still a long way to go in other areas. If you are disturbed by the fact that an apple costs more than a Twinkie and you want to make good nutrition accessible to everyone, please look into our farm policy and let your representative know what you think.


Resources

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© 2010 Rebekah Driscoll