First, the good news: I was able to successfully get out of bed this morning! You may be wondering why I would bother to make a big deal out of this. Don’t the vast majority of humans roll out of bed every morning without a second thought? Well, on top of the pain and stiffness that often comes with dystonia, lupus and fibromyalgia upon waking, I should probably also tell you that after a marathon … [Read more...]
When it comes to our personal experience of the world around us, perception is everything. How we perceive our environment is largely influenced by the information our brains receive from our senses, which help us to determined how to behave and what to feel in a given situation. Every day, we rely on the five most recognizable senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. However, our brains … [Read more...]
Living with chronic pain for virtually my entire adult life, I have tried almost everything I can think of to help manage it. My initial attempts to stoically tough it out and just push ahead resulted in months of near sleepless nights, constant pain, exhaustion and misery. Eventually, I began to tackle pain from both the Western medicine approach of pharmaceuticals, shots and surgery to the … [Read more...]
Turmeric has quickly become one of my favorite spices to use in the kitchen, and it’s not just because of its cheerful color (it makes curry and mustard yellow) and earthy flavor that hints of mustard and ginger. It has also been regarded as a versatile, medicinal herb in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. The major ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, has been demonstrated to have … [Read more...]
With an extremely active mind and the constant distraction of chronic pain, for many years I felt that the practice of meditation was off-limits to me. Coming to so-called quiet standstill released a seemingly endless flow of thoughts upon thoughts. And when I wasn’t struggling to silence those, I was coaxing my defiant body to release tension and pain from tight and spasming muscles to slip into … [Read more...]
Cynthia Toussaint was a promising, 21-year-old ballerina when she was struck by a seemingly simple hamstring injury that ultimately led to a lifetime of widespread pain. After being a performer for so many years, Toussaint was accustomed to the bright lights and action of the stage. Now she would have to learn to manage the burning heat and immobility of chronic pain. “I had just had gotten a … [Read more...]