Book Review - Explain Pain - Physical Therapist Recommended

Explain Pain, David Butler, G. Lorimer Moseley

I read this book twice, once to get through it, the second time to jot down notes of what resonated with me. I have six pages of notes. I needed to read this book. I was encouraged from reading it that change is possible, even with TOS pain issues.
Here are a  few notes I jotted from the book...(this book was loaned to me-it is a bit pricey).

Pg. 111 "Understand as much as you can about what causes your pain, not just what to do about it. Knowledge is the great pain liberator."

Pg.26  "All pain experiences are a normal response to what your brain thinks is a threat. The amount of pain you feel does not necessarily relate to the amount of tissue damage."

Pg. 11  "When pain persists and feels like it's ruining your life, it is difficult to see how it can be serving any useful purpose. But even when pain is chronic and nasty, it hurts because the brain thinks you are threatened and in danger-the trick is finding out why the brain has come to this conclusion."

  I highly recommend this book to my fellow TOSers. It covers alot of information and has been quite helpful to me. If you can swing the digital kindle version, or even just read the online free sample for starters. There are also youtube videos available by the authors that are informative.

Hope for the fellow TOS traveler

In my research for something to help my own continuing TOS symptoms,
I have seen recommendations for Feldenkrais, a method of gentle mental/physical therapy.
After much online research, I decided to purchase the book Awareness Through Movement by Moshe Feldenkrais, the man who developed the method.



I am impressed by the structural knowledge this man had, as a physicist, into the human body and how it can function optimally.
I located the nearest Awareness Through Movement group class and attended recently. It was a relaxing, plesant, informative experience.

In the matter of an hour, I learned a few things about myself and how I move and use my body that I had not realised. Simple, gentle, helpful.
The nearest class is an hours drive away, so for convenience purposes, I decided to purchase a cd of 48 Feldenkrais lessons I can listen to and do daily at home.

I find with each session, I learn more about my body's patterns and I see small yet noticeable changes in the way I move and think about my body and its ability to overcome habits developed from TOS.

I have had difficulty with some of the shoulder circles due to the Cervical ribs I have, so I simply imagine myself doing them, and relax.
I have found this method to be quite helpful so far...I'm only 10 days into it.

If you are a fellow TOS traveler I hope you will consider looking into this simple, gentle, helpful method.

Be well.

One year rib resection anniversary

I read a book recently that greatly helped adjust my attitude toward pain.



My synopsis of the book, Dr Paul Brand talks about the life of lepers, who lose the ability to feel, no pain, and that is what kills them. He goes on to talk about his life experiences with patients and how fear, lonliness, helplessness and other emotions affect our perception of pain.
I gleaned much from this book and highly recommend it to anyone dealing with chronic pain. So much of the pain we feel is in our minds. There is hope to deal with that and live more fully-even with pain.

Hauling buckets of dirt,
pulling and carrying armloads of weeds,
carrying armloads or rocks,
dragging bags or mulch,
planting bushes,
using lightweight weedwacker.
On the anniversary of last years' rib resection,
this is what I was doing.

All in all, I'm better.
I have learned to adapt.
And I try to adjust my attitude.
To not be a victim.
Life is good.
Don't touch my neck or shoulders-raw nerves!
And on rare days when the pain flares,
I take it as divine signal to slow down,
tune in and readjust whatever I'm doing.

My left side is actually affected more than the right one, with my pulse instantly stopping when I just turn my head toward the right-cuts it right off...but I was having more pain on the right side last year.
Doc recommended surgery for the left side whenever I'm ready.
At this point, I'm not.
More than the surgery, the helplessness was excruciating, for me. (I hate asking for help-being dependant).
Even though I'm good now, mostly happy with my surgical outcome.
Not sure I ever will be ready to sign up for another one.