Sometimes life spins out of control. These past months since taking my position with Northwestern, my schedule is that of a crazy persons. Spiraling, spinning, so fast that my back began to hurt. Full-time work in my profession consists of 25 hours a week. I never have been a therapist who complies with that guideline. Not complying is the reason my resume reads in the manner it does. There is however a reason that standard exists.
Last month I generated some news from my Mother. The 'news' transmitted was that her last x-ray reflected something. The 'something' was two spots in the upper lobes of her lungs; one on the right and one on the left. That presentation is usually typical of breast cancer metastasis. Interesting thing was however, that no one bothered to call to advise of that 'something' reflected! They just phoned to schedule an appointment for a subsequent scan. Mom was not real happy about that, so she flatly responded she would not go! You are probably questioning why. Well, she is highly allergic to iodine. Even when they know in advance of an iodine injection (iodine enables contrast to the film), and pump her body full of antihistamines and yes, my favorite thing, steroids, her body will still respond adversely.
Initially, I was remaining positive. My knee jerk reaction was a feeling that it was only a 'blip' in the film. My Mom typically is not so lucky when something resurfaces, as my daughter reminded me. My nerves began to feel the pressure of the pending outcome.
Yes, I was working a lot. I basically was working four jobs with teaching, maintaining my practices and NW. Crazy, but I love it! It was all good until I began worrying about my Mom.
Even though I was working on my back ~ I was still having pain in my lumbar. Very atypical, to say the least.
I began paying attention, despite my state of exhaustion, to the moments I was stressed and feel the emotional 'stress' collect in the area that hurt. One day a new energy worker at the Center for Integrative Medicine, Ryan, who is certified in Healing Touch, performed a treatment. http://www.healingtouchinternational.org/index.php
Immediately, I felt relief! Throughout the day once I left the center at Northwestern and returned home, more relief arrived until the pain was gone!
I remembered about somatic energy storing places in the muscle tissue. That recollection led me to a client who I discussed in an earlier post. DB who walked into my office with the assistance of a cane.
Well, I have been working with DB for about six months now. I was still treating him twice weekly, which I was questioning. What he was experiencing from a pain level compared to what I felt beneath my fingers just did not resonate. I was questioning why on easy activities he would lapse. Not typical again.
As with most of my seasoned clients, I know what is occurring in their lives. DB has been in a marriage, which most of the time brings little joy. I asked that he pay attention in their moments of discord to where the 'emotional stress' collects. I told him what I figured out from my most recent experience, so he could understand my thought process.
It was indeed the trials with his wife that were creating his remaining symptoms of pain, in his lower back, on the right side. It will be the right, if you are right dominant typically.
Energy work is where massage was a decade ago. When I studied a similar technique in Norway, I was amazed at all I witnessed. When I practice it myself on my client population, I am reminded of how amazing of a practice it truly is. There is no proof within the scientific community supporting why it works. Therefore, it should not work by scientific standards.
It leads me to recant all of the scientists however, who came first, like Einstein. There still are some theories of his that remain unproven. All we know though is that they do work. So, why are practices like massage and energy work so highly discounted as to their efficacy?
