Pain is a powerful teacher, though it’s often hard to see it that way. Before we can receive the lesson, we must endure tremendous emotional and physical energy that can leave us feeling exhausted with little hope for relief. I’ve been dealing with chronic pain for fifteen years and know firsthand how demoralizing it can be. When we do find relief, real and lasting relief, the world changes. Our lives become brighter, lighter and full of promise.
This is how we learn from pain. It teaches us the importance of self-care and perseverance. We gain new appreciation for the ability to perform simple tasks and experience profound gratitude for life.
Chronic pain impacts one in five adults. The typical western approach is not to heal pain, but to manage it. We’ve been trained to accept a quick fix until it’s so bad we need surgery. As a result, America is in the midst of an epic opioid addiction that is ruining lives by the minute. Thankfully, that is beginning to change. As with many forms of healing, the most powerful remedy doesn’t come in a pill but from our own bodies.
Movement is Medicine
We all know exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, but neurologist and physiotherapist are discovering movement is medicine. The key to this “discovery” is that instead of a vaguely encouraging people to exercise, we know specifically how to move to address chronic pain. How we move matters!
To heal pain, remain flexible and prevent premature aging we need to engage our connective tissue, also known as fascia. Connective tissue is a living matrix that holds our body together. It’s an elastic network that allows our tissues to stretch and shrink as we move.
Essentrics is ideal for training connective tissue. It’s gentle on the body while engaging all 650 muscles and all 360 joints. The movement is based on a dynamic combination of strength and flexibility designed to open the joints by elongating the muscles. It’s based on deliberate, focused movements that soften knots, rebuild flexibility and unlock joints.
Patience and Perseverance
Sometimes movement alone is not enough. If joint degeneration is extreme or if your pain is due to disease, complete relief may not be possible. Aside from those extremes, Essentrics (or any other rebalancing program that intentionally works your connective tissue) is the only sustainable and effective means to permanently prevent and alleviate most types of chronic pain.
It will take time, weeks, months – possibly longer. Stay with it and your perseverance will be rewarded. Fascia takes longer to train than muscle, but the results are long lasting. You will rebuild lost strength, regain hope and remain pain-free for life. But it won’t happen overnight.
Our bodies are capable of tremendous healing when we know how to intelligently release its potential. Gentle movement is how we tap our body’s innate healing. Essentrics can help turn back the clock on your body and turn down the dial on your pain. Give it try. What have you got to lose?
