June is National Headache & Migraine awareness month. In the spirit of education and awareness, did you know that approximately 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches, and of them, 36 million suffer from migraines? Even though these afflictions are common, and have a debilitating effect on many people, they still remain poorly understood and under-treated.
I happen to be one of the many people who experience migraines and chronic headaches on a regular basis. This wasn't always the case for me but happened as a result of being involved in multiple motor vehicle accidents. The injuries that I sustained to my back, neck, and head have left lingering issues and symptoms, most especially chronic headaches and migraines. Though I originally went the allopathic medicine route for treatment, I was unable to achieve healing through standard medical practices. Mostly this is due to the fact that, despite the vast numbers of people suffering with this condition, the medical community is sorely lacking information as to why, and therefore the treatments are also woefully inadequate. There are few permanent cures and the symptom treatment consists mostly of drug therapies (which create another whole set of issues due to adverse side-effects). Not wanting to rely on drugs, and also not achieving any great relief from the pain through such methods, I sought out other forms of treatment to help aid in pain relief.
I initially sought out massage as a way to relax my nervous system and to help alleviate the tension that my muscles now seemed to have a much harder time letting go of. Receiving regular massage became something to look forward to as I would always feel better afterwards. However, I also began to notice subtle changes happening within my body and became attuned to things that I had been unable to notice beforehand. Massage gave me relief from the pain but also gave me a window to help see my body in a different way and to come to understand it better. Through these sessions I began to see that my body was trying to tell me something and learned to pay better attention to the message that was being offered. One thing became very clear - I was being called to approach things in a different manner and to move away from the standard medical practices that were actually making me sicker.
It has been a challenging journey but one that has shown me firsthand the benefits of what many (wrongfully, in my opinion) still refer to as “alternative” care. While I still experience pain on a regular basis, my quality of life is greatly improved. Because of the care that I receive (which also includes acupuncture and medicinal aromatherapy as well as a regular yoga and meditation practice) I have become much more aware and in tune with my body so that I can tell when I am feeling off and in need of attention. Sometimes it's the need for a chiropractic adjustment while, at other times, it may be quiet and lessened stimulation that my body craves. Knowing these rhythms and triggers helps me to remain in a state of power. Which, to me, means power over my pain. Through holistic care of the mind, body, and spirit, and becoming more in touch with my body and natural rhythms, I have come to understand better what my triggers are and also what I need to do in order to remain in a state of less pain. The very basics come down to proper hydration and nutrition, adequate and restful sleep, exercise, stress reduction and limited exposure to chemicals and toxins (including stress-inducing toxic people).
While it's not perfect, and because I cannot control all of the triggers and do not definitively know the root cause, I still experience chronic pain. Despite all that, by embracing holistic care in that way that I have, I am able to live a more fully active and happy life. There are still days where I must bow to the pressure in my head and limit my activities, or resort to passing the time in a cold, dark room, removing all sensory input. However, with the holistic regimen that I have created for myself, I am much happier and able to focus on more than my pain. I encourage anyone suffering from a debilitating condition and/or chronic pain to consider all of the options available to you. Do not give up the search until you have sought out all potential sources of healing because otherwise you will never know what “might" have helped! There are many paths to healing. Why not try a new one if yours has not led where you had hoped it would?
I happen to be one of the many people who experience migraines and chronic headaches on a regular basis. This wasn't always the case for me but happened as a result of being involved in multiple motor vehicle accidents. The injuries that I sustained to my back, neck, and head have left lingering issues and symptoms, most especially chronic headaches and migraines. Though I originally went the allopathic medicine route for treatment, I was unable to achieve healing through standard medical practices. Mostly this is due to the fact that, despite the vast numbers of people suffering with this condition, the medical community is sorely lacking information as to why, and therefore the treatments are also woefully inadequate. There are few permanent cures and the symptom treatment consists mostly of drug therapies (which create another whole set of issues due to adverse side-effects). Not wanting to rely on drugs, and also not achieving any great relief from the pain through such methods, I sought out other forms of treatment to help aid in pain relief.
I initially sought out massage as a way to relax my nervous system and to help alleviate the tension that my muscles now seemed to have a much harder time letting go of. Receiving regular massage became something to look forward to as I would always feel better afterwards. However, I also began to notice subtle changes happening within my body and became attuned to things that I had been unable to notice beforehand. Massage gave me relief from the pain but also gave me a window to help see my body in a different way and to come to understand it better. Through these sessions I began to see that my body was trying to tell me something and learned to pay better attention to the message that was being offered. One thing became very clear - I was being called to approach things in a different manner and to move away from the standard medical practices that were actually making me sicker.
It has been a challenging journey but one that has shown me firsthand the benefits of what many (wrongfully, in my opinion) still refer to as “alternative” care. While I still experience pain on a regular basis, my quality of life is greatly improved. Because of the care that I receive (which also includes acupuncture and medicinal aromatherapy as well as a regular yoga and meditation practice) I have become much more aware and in tune with my body so that I can tell when I am feeling off and in need of attention. Sometimes it's the need for a chiropractic adjustment while, at other times, it may be quiet and lessened stimulation that my body craves. Knowing these rhythms and triggers helps me to remain in a state of power. Which, to me, means power over my pain. Through holistic care of the mind, body, and spirit, and becoming more in touch with my body and natural rhythms, I have come to understand better what my triggers are and also what I need to do in order to remain in a state of less pain. The very basics come down to proper hydration and nutrition, adequate and restful sleep, exercise, stress reduction and limited exposure to chemicals and toxins (including stress-inducing toxic people).
While it's not perfect, and because I cannot control all of the triggers and do not definitively know the root cause, I still experience chronic pain. Despite all that, by embracing holistic care in that way that I have, I am able to live a more fully active and happy life. There are still days where I must bow to the pressure in my head and limit my activities, or resort to passing the time in a cold, dark room, removing all sensory input. However, with the holistic regimen that I have created for myself, I am much happier and able to focus on more than my pain. I encourage anyone suffering from a debilitating condition and/or chronic pain to consider all of the options available to you. Do not give up the search until you have sought out all potential sources of healing because otherwise you will never know what “might" have helped! There are many paths to healing. Why not try a new one if yours has not led where you had hoped it would?
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