Do you have pain that you just put up with every day? Do you have pain that you dismiss as: it's just the way things are? Do you have pain that is left without explanation by the medical services? I did for years and years. I had growing pains, then teenage pains, then it could be this or that causing the pain but nothing resolved the issues I had with my knees. Even osteopathy which helped my back, didn’t touch the knees. When I received shiatsu after nearly 30 years of knee pain it started to dissolve. In today’s blog I explore how my therapy is so effective: Relieving chronic pain with shiatsu.
Why chronic pain doesn’t show up
Firstly, like me you’ll have explored the medical reasons for the pain that you put up with daily. If you have had no luck getting a diagnosis if nothing has shown up on scans or in tests – this is a good thing and I’ll explain why.
We are far luckier now than forty plus years ago when there were less options for alternatives to medicine. My mum went to acupuncture and a lot came up about allergies for her but as I was a teen it was never explored that it may help me with my pain. At that time, I did a lot of sport and it was just normal to have injuries and issues. Once I moved away from home and started a busy media career in London it was just a case of living on anti-inflammatories; that’s better than painkillers, right?
Now research shows that NSAIDs (non-steroid anti-inflammatories) used long term aren’t great for your connective tissue (ligaments tendons collagen) weakening them and inhibiting healing. Painkillers in themselves are an avoidance when pain tells you there is a problem. These types of medications don’t resolve chronic pain just maintain it at a level that allows you to function. There is a very real reason why painkillers specifically may not even reduce chronic pain and Chinese medicine has the answer for this.
When the cause of a pain shows up on medical tests it is normally due to an acute condition. This is something with a sudden onset and normally involves heat/inflammation. This inflammation can be picked up in tests and the cause could be something dramatic from a bone break to a rapid disease. In these cases, medicine will resolve because they can see the cause.
Chinese medicine understands chronic pain
When you do your back in don’t apply ice first; apply warmth. If, however, warmth doesn’t feel right as it nears the skin you will want cold – listen to exactly what your body wants. Always start with warmth because it doesn’t shock the system like cold can.
Old injuries and issues can turn to chronic pain once the initial inflammatory stage has passed. In the initial stage the classic rapid response of R.I.C.E – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation is applicable. Once the issue switches to chronic this doesn’t apply – it’s almost the opposite.
When an issue comes on over time and you don’t really remember when it started or you’ve had an injury but thought it was sorted – this is stepping into chronic realms without the acute stage and can be caused by a weakness.
In Chinese medicine (TCM) chronic pain is mainly a cold pain and which means it is better for having warmth, rubbing and pressure applied. You know when you’ve been walking and you feel better and then you stiffen up later on? This is a chronic or cold pain and can be worse for being at rest after having been warmed; then gentle and mindful exercise is called upon. These types of pain don’t respond to a painkillers like Paracetamol as it is a cooling medication (it lowers fever). Anything that cools you down will make this type of pain worse. This goes for getting too cold, or being dormant too long.
What you can do to help ease chronic pain
A lot of knowledge that used to be passed down by generations has become lost in recent times. I was watching an old newsreel last week on effective remedies for flu and then I thought about them afterwards and the energetic reasons why they work. This news reel was from the 50s - our grandparent’s generation but the remedies haven’t made it to us; probably due to all the pharmaceutical options that came in with the 70s. Why would you smear goose fat and mustard on your chest when you can take a Lem sip?
We are fortunate to have so many options now to help relieve chronic pain. Some old, some new and some definitely from ancient wisdom and the orient. Other cultures still utilise these daily and we can take advantage of knowledge that hasn’t been lost by others. Here are some fabulous ideas that support your circulation and energetics that I’ve employed and recommend to my clients too:
Self help exercises:
Qi Gong/Yoga – Movement styles to support circulation, warm and free the body
Makka Ho stretches – stimulate the meridians - follow them here
Food energetics for pain relief:
Food and drink at room temperature or warmer to aid energy conservation
Reduce inflammatory foods (sugar based and highly processed foods)
Increase foods that stimulate your Ki - Warming gentle spices like Turmeric, Fennel, Cumin
Great book: Recipes for Self-Healing explains food energetics
Soothing options:
Apply gentle warmth to area even better with pressure
Apply natural warming products like Tiger balm
Apply Magnesium balm – reduces dull muscle aches (Magnesium deficiency)
Therapies:
Detox baths or foot soaks with Epsom salts
Sauna and cold plunge – Heat the body before taking a dip then heat the body again (the Finnish way)!
Receive Shiatsu to determine the cause of chronic pain
Relieving chronic pain with shiatsu
Chronic pain resides in soft tissue that can then cause further pain in joints and throughout. When you’ve hurt yourself or felt emotionally vulnerable the nature of your body is to clamp and hold itself, as protection. This state leads to muscles becoming frozen and blocking the energetic pathways from flowing freely; this becomes a different type of pain. Pain can be caused by a lack of blood flow and warmth and this is particularly noticeable in animals as well. Your dogs can be experiencing much the same thing. Imagine a dam on one side the water is backed up causing a pressure or strong force and on the other the water (energy) is only trickling through. This blockage is a problem and it can be in muscles like your diaphragm or gluts and cause unbelievable health issues that you don’t even realise are connected.
Shiatsu is a sympathetic soft tissue therapy – it’s gentle to receive and listens to your body. Listening is an exploration of the muscles tendons ligaments joints and more. What sounds do they make? How do they move? Is the cause coming from another place? Is there an emotional attachment? When you are listened to and your body is supported in a caring manner it starts to trust and to let go. At this point additional pains may appear or emotions may surface but this is a release; this is part of the healing process.
If you have chronic pain or health issues that have not had a resolution from other medical avenues or therapies, try shiatsu.
Your mind and body deserve more… You deserve shiatsu.
About Andrea at Shiatsu Bodyworks Cheltenham
Andrea is a qualified zen shiatsu and Chinese medicine practitioner with over 20 years immersed in holistic therapies and the energetics of mind and body. Based in Cheltenham, UK she offers in house clinic and online shiatsu sessions to help people with midlife health issues and also offers online consultations for helping you resolve health issues and regain your vitality. She is a menopause specialist too, find out more at cotswoldmenopause.co.uk
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