Pain & Writing Meditation: I suffer from vague muscle aches & tender points diagnosed as "Fibromyalgia". How can I use mind-body techniques to ease pain?
By award-winning author and stress-relief expert Susie Mantell
Once a physician has thoroughly assessed any chronic pain, the next step is to ask your body what it is trying to say.
One FMS patient I know experienced exhilarating relief through writing meditation
answering the questions: "How do your aches look? Smell? What kind of sound do they
make?"
Private, written conversations with her own body revealed her intuitive sense that the tender points were tangible symbols for deep wounds of a painful childhood. The injuries were now "surfacing"-- looking for a way out--no longer representative of the Self she was reclaiming. The image she discovered was one of hard, steel balls...pushing outward from her core. Over several sessions as she "popped" them out, with each release her pain diminished ...and her sense of personal power grew!
For each person, the answers will likely be different, and whatever insights we can glean from writing about symbols we senses from chronic pain may be very helpful
toward ways to find relief. Discussing these intuitive insights or "gut feelings" with a
counselor or your physician may be very useful to you both!
BOOK SUGGESTION: I have seen much written on this complicated and little-understood
phenomenon. Take a look at "Reversing Fibromyalgia"- Dr.Joe Elrod . (also addresses pain of Rheumatoid & Osteoarthritis and more.) I think Dr. Elrod really
"gets" these disorders in a way many do not...with all it's vague and sometimes subtle, often
miserable, symptoms. He offers some practical, realistic suggestions especially
regarding nutrition, (What helps? What hurts?) exercise (How much? How little?) and
nutritional supplements some find very helpful. I notice he hasn't yet included the
supplement Sam-e, which is getting a lot of buzz and is very helpful for some, but all these matters should be discussed with your health care professionals.)
[Copyright 2000, 2008 Susie Mantell, Relax. . .Intuit (tm) LLC. All rights reserved.] Federal law prohibits use of this material in whole or in part without the express written consent of Relax...Intuit™ LLC. For Reprint Permission: Kindly email your request for guidelines, pasting in the full
text of the specific article you wish to use, to info@relaxintuit.com
We'll try to reply within 72 hrs.]
Award-winning stress-relief expert Susie Mantell ...is the author of the deeply soothing relaxation CD, "Your Present: A Half-Hour of Peace,” clinically approved for symptoms associated with stress and sleeplessness, depression and grief, anxiety, P.T.S.D., Fibromyalgia, caregiver stress, cancer, pain, divorce and addiction recovery. Featured in The Los Angeles Times, NBC, ABC, CBS-TV, Town & Country, The American Pain Society, Hazelden and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, listeners include The Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, The Betty Ford Center, V.A. Hospitals,and Canyon Ranch (#1 Spa.) Customizing stress-reduction for Fortune 500 companies, distinguished hospitals and spas, Mantell has facilitated thousands in relieving health-related, work-related, chronic or traumatic stress. Her multi-sensory, mind-body techniques appear in national media, medical and corporate publications. Susie Mantell's Stress-Relief & Wellness Tips are intended as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, professional health care. Order “Your Present: A Half-Hour of Peace” and find more of Mantell’s stress-relief tips at www.relaxintuit.com