Chronic pain can be debilitating. Experiencing pain day in and day out certainly hinders working and performing daily tasks like opening jars, sitting, standing, and reaching. Those suffering from ongoing, unyielding pain live under a constant barrage of aching and stinging and burning and shooting and stabbing sensations. Let’s not mention the influence of weather.
About 50 million American adults suffer from chronic pain
Chronic Pain Affects the Whole Person
Chronic pain lasts more than 3 months to years and can strike anywhere in the body, effecting the whole person. So not only is the quality of life diminished for those who have daily pain, some develop Chronic Pain Syndrome (CPS). About 50 million American adults suffer from chronic pain and according to webmd.com an estimated 25% of them develop CPS, which includes additional symptoms like depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and suicidal ideation.
There are a number of medical conditions that can cause chronic pain. Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, headaches, poor posture, cancer, and injury are just a few. Treatments for chronic pain vary from medication to chiropractic care to massage and bodywork to psychotherapy to physical therapy to meditation. Motion therapy has emerged as a viable treatment option as well.
Motion Therapy for Chronic Pain
Motion therapy is about re-educating the body how to move properly and to engage the body’s natural kinesthetic chain. A variety of exercises and stretches are utilized in motion therapy.
By restoring proper movement, the root cause of impingements and restrictions in the body is resolved and the pain relieved.
Learn more about motion therapy from Frank Titus, Founder of Titus Motion Therapy, on The Glen Alex Show which is available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
“Nothing is more revealing than movement.”
–Martha Graham, Dance Choreographer
My recommendation is that you explore all of your options with your healthcare or pain management provider. The industry seems to be moving toward more individualized care, so make sure you consider all issues specific to you. Your medical history, activity level, daily stress, coping skills, lifestyle, finances, time constraints, etc. All of these variables factor into your experience of pain and healing.
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for health and wellness, and certainly not for treating chronic pain. You are unique and your specific needs matter in your healing process. Integrating your wholeness into the treatment process promotes your healing.