Twelve year old Emily* was experiencing excruciating back spasms when her mother brought her in for a consultation. Emily did not have any history of back pain nor had she been in an accident or traumatic physical event that would account for the pain. Emily’s mother was very insightful in recognizing that her daughter’s pain could be the result of another kind of trauma.
Emily’s parents were divorced and she was about to go spend a week with her dad. On previous visits, her dad would force her to bike for 5 – 10 miles at a time; a distance that pushed her endurance beyond its limits. In anticipation of visiting her dad, Emily experienced feelings of fear about having to bike that distance again, and that fear grew and manifested itself in her lower back.
The pain was so severe that Emily’s mom was considering taking her to the emergency room. Fortunately, she was familiar with the mind-body techniques that I utilize and brought Emily in for B.E.S.T. (Bio-Energetic-Synchronization Technique) treatment. In Emily’s case, fear was causing her sympathetic nerve system to keep her in “Fight or Flight” mode, creating the muscle tension in her back. She needed help to identify the real cause of her pain and release that pressure.
In addition to muscle spasms, over stimulation of the sympathetic nerve system can cause elevated blood pressure, difficulty breathing, digestion problems and insomnia. It’s like having your nervous system stuck on “GO.” Putting the brake on the physical responses to stress starts with identifying the stresses, providing a release, and learning better ways to handle the stress in the future.
Stress can manifest itself in our bodies in many ways whether it’s emotional stress from anticipating a fearful or unpleasant event, from the loss of a loved one, from a divorce or even ingesting foods that we are sensitive to. There are natural ways to find relief and better habits that enhance health without the need for drugs.
If you or someone you know is weighed down with health issues that have no apparent cause, please contact me for a consultation for natural healing with BEST, Nutrition Response Testing or Chiropractic care.
*Names are changed to protect patient confidentiality
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