mind/body interaction

You’re More Powerful than you Think

by Jonathan



With all the doom and gloom in the world today, it’s sometimes hard to keep a positive outlook.

That’s why today I’d like to dedicate this email to the brave people living with pain who every day get up and go about their daily lives with will and determination.

People who’re fighting to overcome a health problem are some of the most courageous and steadfast people I’ve met. You don’t know how powerful you are – and what a difference you can make in your own lives and the lives of those around you.

- You never take for granted the things that most people do – like getting out of bed every morning pain free. While this makes daily life much harder, it’s also a hidden source of strength – it’s not likely you’ll let the unimportant things in life bother you.

- Even though people have no idea what a struggle it is to meet each day with faith and hope, you do it anyway, regardless. You could be a soldier fighting a lone battle every day for all they know.

- You’re inquisitive, intelligent, willing to challenge conventional treatments in order to find a solution.

- Even though you may lose hope for a day or two, the next day you’re back in the fray again, trying new approaches to become pain free and get your life back

- While other people complain about their jobs because they’re bored, you’re giving it your all just to stay on top of your job, regain your health and look after the ones you share your life with.

- You never stop searching for a solution to chronic pain- whether it’s for yourself or for your loved ones. You’re slowly becoming an expert in an area of health that most people never hear of.

And I want you to know – you have more power than you think. Our bodies are ALWAYS regenerating, healing growing, living. And we’re naturally geared to heal. The keys to health are different for everyone, but I know that people like you are the ones who find theirs.

So, starting today, walk tall, breathe deep and know that what you do in your daily life makes a huge difference to all the people around you.

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What to do when there’s ‘Nothing Wrong with you’

by Jonathan



I hope you’re never in the situation of some of my patients. They come in with some type of severe, unrelenting pain.

Depending on where the pain is, they get prescribed all sorts of tests – whether it’s an MRI for a prolapsed disc, or tests for heart problems, or sciatica.

And in the end, the answer they get is…..nothing.

Nothing fits neatly into what they’re experiencing. So what happens next?

Well, often they get sent home with the reassurance that ‘there’s nothing serious wrong with you.’

But….they’re still in pain.

That’s when people usually start searching online and finding out about trigger points, and other syndromes like myofascial pain syndrome, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

And often, the problem does turn out to be trigger points, or trigger points in combination with something else – like fibromyalgia.

But on rare occasions, there’s another cause entirely.

That’s what happened in my case.

I had chronic lower back pain for 6 years – and I was able to banish it in about 8 weeks using these techniques.

It works almost as if you’re retraining how you perceive certain types of pain.

It’s like walking with a limp for year after an injury – then discovering that the limp had become a habit and actually
you don’t have to walk with a limp any more.

Many of us have limps that are built into our pain awareness system. It’s like you’re sensitised to perceive pain from some sources as much worse than it needs to be.

If you’ve had pain for years that isn’t connected with a disease process – that isn’t getting worse, but certainly isn’t getting better, if your pain has settled in to become almost part of the family, if you have good days and bad days, but no pain free days, then learning more about the mind body connection could certainly be worthwhile.

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Suffering and Gratitude



Over the years I’ve seen people in tremendous pain and suffering. What struck me most though, was how some of them managed to keep a part of themselves free from suffering, almost as if they were above it all, and were able to still feel a joy in life. One memory comes to mind – [...]

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The Accident that Happened on the Same Day Every Year



I once had a patient come to see me because every year she used to have an accident on the same day of the year. Not an on purpose kind of accident either. She would have an honest to goodness accident – like tripping over the cat, or falling down stairs, or having the neighbour drop a [...]

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Nurse Kayla



My dog’s name is Kayla, but she’s earned the name Nurse Kayla and I’ll tell you why. For quite some time now I’ve been bringing her to my surgery every day. She usually lies under the reception desk so you can see her two hairy feet poking out from under the bottom of the desk. Whenever patients [...]

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The Mystery of the 11 o’clock Pain



I once treated a guy who used to have a severe back pain arrive at 11 o’clock every Monday morning. ‘And here’s the amazing thing’ he told me in our first consultation. ‘It was a long weekend last weekend, and the pain arrived at 11 o’clock on Tuesday.’ Hmmm. I thought. ‘I’ve never heard of a physical condition that was [...]

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Your Personality – is it to Blame?



I’ll tell you the typical patient that comes into my surgery. She’s 30-60 years old, intelligent, high achieving and has often spent a lifetime helping and serving others. You see, there are certain types of people that are more likely to get chronic muscle pain. They are usually high achievers – slightly driven. Perfectionism is a common trait. [...]

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Woman Loses Use of Right Hand



Is it dangerous to move when you’re in pain? Not always. I saw an extreme case of this a few years ago. What happened was this lady had burnt her palm with a cigarette – not major. For reasons unknown, this set off a pain syndrome called CRPS. The pain of the burn was amplified, and because it was so [...]

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Chronic Pain and Mindset



This was a fascinating story that happened a couple of years ago. It got me thinking about the relationship between pain and attention, and what a powerful and life changing tool it can be. In this case, it worked because the lady’s injury had healed, but the pain remained. Therefore the problem was not in [...]

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The Day I Prescribed a Puppy Dog



It was a few years ago – a busy Thursday in the middle of summer. All three of my consulting rooms were full, either with people lying with hot packs, or acupuncture needles. But there was a young man in my waiting room who’d come to see me because he had depression. So we went outside. My old [...]

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