sensing sensations

I have had a lot of clients wonder if they could ever get enough bodywork that they would no longer have any tension. How many times a week would it take?

I think this inquiry begs a few clarifications. I’m not talking about Pain. I want to distinguish between the discomfort of tension in the body and chronic pain or other neurological disorders. Pain due to tension is an expected signal from the body to the brain that it’s uncomfortable. Chronic pain is when these signals aren’t functioning as expected, in a constant feedback loop of discomfort that typically gets worse as the pain-signal lingers. Discomfort might be interpreted as painful, and the spectrum of interpretation within these very subjective words is vast. This discomfort causes temporary pain, and how we compare this acute pain from chronic pain is how long we endure it, and what ADL’s (activities of daily living) it impedes.

So, back to imagining a body beyond it’s tension. What is your baseline? It is a sticky question because our memory can be inaccurate, and our bodies are dynamic, meaning they are ever-changing, adapting in real time to the actions and stressors of our day-to-day. Often these adaptations can lead us away from alignment, or balance, which can lead to weakness from patterns of imbalance in repetitive motions. Another sticky question, is weakness perceived as pain?

understanding the carpal tunnel

What is the carpal tunnel? Many clients have wrist pain here, but aren't quite sure what the structure looks like, or the pathology of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

carpal bones: scaphoid, lunate, triquetral, pisiform, trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate

The carpal tunnel is comprised of the 8 carpal bones (bones of the wrist) the transverse carpal ligament and the flexor retinaculum (a fibrous sheath of tissue that covers the joint to offer it more integrity). The median nerve and tendons of the muscles of the fingers and palm pass through the carpal tunnel. When the tendons are inflamed from over-use or repetitive use, they swell under the carpal tunnel, pressing on the median nerve.

I often recommend icing or an ice bath for the wrist and hands. And, stretching:

If it becomes a prolonged and severely aggravated complaint, your primary care provider might offer these treatment suggestions:

Cortisone (steroid) shot: This is an injection of the steroid -cortisone- into the joint space. It aims to reduce the chronic inflammation, beginning anew a healing process for these chronic injuries. Recovery with this treatment can be felt immediately to a week or so, and the effects can be felt for months to even years -especially when the source of aggravation is removed or amended.

Physical Therapy: A PT can provide many manual treatments, and often help to address the daily habits that might be aggravating this particular injury. By stretching. strengthening, and either avoiding or altering certain activities, pain can be reduced and recovery can occur.

Surgery: Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is a minor surgery, where a small incision is made in the transverse carpal ligament, which alleviates the pressure on the median nerve. The incision is then stitched back up. There is often a very small scar from the incision which, as almost all scar tissue, improves with massage to decrease the buildup of fibrous tissue. You may feel relief immediately, or within a few weeks or months. Recovery time from the surgery will take a few weeks before you can return to regular, rigorous use of your affected wrist.

knowing your body

I recently had acupuncture. It had been several years since my last treatment, and my neck and arm muscles were feeling particularly taut. She placed needles in my lower leg to alleviate my head and neck tension. The muscles instantly released upon the prick of the needle. My mind drifted, my body rested. This treatment reinforced my thinking around the systemic connection of the body; that one point can hold deeper sense of inner workings.

I must admit, I haven't been taking very good care of myself lately -a lot of working, and planning, and performing, and...not enough revitalization. I am determined to prioritized self-care. I've had massage. I took an Epsom salt soak. I stretched every morning and evening. It takes a lot of work, and after a week of working on myself, I don't feel better -(!!!)- I feel pretty mediocre. There is no miracle, and it takes time and energy. Our bodies are ever-changing, adaptable, and impermanent. When we heal, we don't heal to our former self -our "pre-injury" status- but rather a new status, one that remembers the pain and weakness, yet strives for physical knowledge beyond our past afflictions.