I cannot locate the information to match the story that I heard on NPR one evening this past week, but it involved a discussion on the mind body connection and that relaxation techniques have been used to effectively reduce pain in many people.
I was especially intrigued by some of the examples given and the explanation over all.
It makes sense when you think about it. We have blood running through our entire bodies and in our blood we have oxygen of course, and toxins and waste. Our neurotransmitters fire in our brains, but also on nerve cells throughout the body - messages are sent, received, perceived, etc. It made me realize that unless my head was no longer attached to my body, it would ALWAYS influence the rest of it.
This specific show was regarding stress as it impacts our physical bodies and that stress could trigger back pain. Well! When I have a flare up in my low back, I tell my friends, that I can never pinpoint the trigger. I have an old injury that could be sensitive. I might have lifted something wrong or just heavy. I did some back work while strength training. I ran. I sat too long. ETC - Sometimes I have NO idea what tweaked my back and now I realize it could be unrelated to any of those things.
In the story I heard, a few people had such back pain that they were prescribed strong drugs and surgery was suggested. There is a clinic however, that provides guidance on how to relax and how to ease this pain with nonmedicine and non surgical interventions. Oh YES, I remember now, there was a guest on the show who is an editor for the Wall St Journal and he declared himself pretty skeptical but also, NOT in favor of surgery. He went to the clinic, probably had some physical therapy also,and learned relaxation techniques. Some of this includes thinking of a word or phrase and repeating it to yourself. I thought that I should try, "sunshine on my skin" as I take deep, slow breaths.
I do not think that I would ever take drugs or have surgery for back pain - I am afraid of the knife and do not like pills. People I know who have had surgery for back pain seem to still have back pain. You know, I can say the same about knee surgery - all of it.
