It’s a terrible thing when a person has pain, goes to their doctor and is sent for PT, or just given drugs to mask the pain, and it still doesn’t go away. On Wednesday, in my office here in Chapel Hill, NC, I worked on a client who started her nightmare by simply buying new running shoes that had a too-high arch.
In eight months minor pain escalated from arch pain (plantar fasciitis) to pain everywhere from her mid-back to her feet, and when she had PT it only got worse. She had sciatica, low back pain, hamstring pain, calf pain, and of course, foot pain. It finally got so bad that she couldn’t walk without wearing Birkenstock shoes because of their higher arch support. She wasn’t able to even walk out to her mailbox because her feet were so painful, and she had finally given up on standard medical care because it wasn’t helping.
The more she described where she was feeling pain, the more it fit right in with every muscle that impacts her pelvis, as well as every muscle in her lower leg — which means, every muscle from her 12th rib (upper part of the low back) to her feet!
The treatment was uncomfortable, and a few moments were even painful, but I always work to stay within my client’s tolerance level, and it lessens as the muscle begins to relax and the lactic acid is pushed out of the fibers. As the hour proceeded she started to feel the difference, and when she got up, she was amazed. She started to walk barefoot around the room, and she didn’t have any pain in her feet!
The problem isn’t totally solved because the fact that this was a repetitive strain injury means it will return. However, I taught her how to self-treat, and she has my book, Treat Yourself to Pain Free Living, so she’ll be just fine. She needs to do the treatments three times a day, but that’s a small price to pay to be able to move without pain.
If you, or someone you know, is suffering from chronic pain, you have nothing to lose by learning how to treat your muscles to release the tension and toxins from the fibers.
Wishing you well,
Julie