I didn’t forget about nerve flossing, I promise; it’s still brewing in my brain, but not all quite ready to come out.

Today’s topic started with this e-mail:

As I typed the response, I realized that this thread of “when enough is enough?” ran through quite a few of this and past week’s conversations. Repeated conversations are usually my cue to write, so here goes.

We all have a tendency to overdo things.

When one feels so shitty, we grab on to anything that can give us even a speck of hope.

And yes, sometimes we often feel that the more is better – if I can just massage it out, needle it away, adjust it, take these supplements – it will be better.

I’ve been there too. I would layer and layer therapists, supplements, appointments, people, till I felt like all I was doing was managing my practitioner visits – there was no time for me and my life left.

There was no life left, period.

I had my fair share of experiences in this realm, too: panic attacks in the physio office, where the lightest touch of my therapist would trigger PTSD symptoms and send me through the roof; massage treatments that wiped me out for a good week, or longer. I’ve had my hamstrings stripped and stretched so much that I couldn’t sit at all. I’ve walked out of psychologist office with double vision and unable to drive.

Somewhere in the midst of all this madness I started to realize that more wasn’t making me feel better.

That’s where I started to connect the dots.

Pain Care Yoga training finished the picture. I’ve learned about nervous system, and central sensitization that happens when you live with persistent pain.

Beyond feel and touch (which can be therapeutic, but can also be a trigger), every therapist comes into your energy field (as you know, I am not too much into woo - woo energy stuff, so think nervous system - electromagnetic field) and influences it in a certain way.

Those who live with persistent pain have a very sensitive nervous system as it is, so a constant stream of people can (and does for many people, including myself) jar the sensitive nervous system even further. Even with the best of intention and the most skillful touch, you can still get a flare up after the treatment.

So what to do when even the hair hurts?

Here is what works for me:

These days – my life is now divided in “before pain care yoga training” and “after pain care yoga training” – I focus much more on calming and de-sensitizing the central nervous system.

I’ve learned that too much treatment causes sleeplessness and anxiety - these are the yellow flags before the full-blown pain flare up happens – so now I watch out for these and adjust accordingly.

I also have consistent practices, rituals, and support systems that help me feel safe and stable.

Yes, part of me hopes that some day this unstable nervous system just figures itself out – one can hope, right? On the other hand, I also work diligently towards that goal.

Where to start?

Start by understanding how chronic pain develops.  A large number of high-quality studies demonstrated that teaching people with pain more about the neuroscience of their pain (TNE) produces some impressive immediate and long-term changes:

And when you are ready, join us on the mat - next FREE! Pain Care Class is on March 4th.

With love and gratitude,

Julia