My Physical Therapy Fun

For about six months I have been experiencing some interesting tingling from shoulder right on down to the tips of my fingers. It has increasingly become more dramatic as the months have passed. I had x-rays and an MRI in January, a follow-up MRI in March and since there was no conclusive evidence to diagnose my issue, I was given a referral to Orthopedic Surgery for a consult. That sounded just too serious for me. So I opted to go my own route and investigate into physical therapy. Since May, I have been going to Wellspring Health Center for physical therapy. It's a very cool experience and I believe I am starting to see some improvement with my issue.

I've had laser treatment, percussor treatment, pilates mat work, intersegmental spinal traction (ooh! sounds scary) and next week I will have manual therapy, i.e. massage.

I've been given some tips and tricks to aid in improving my posture, which is really the main physical issue at hand. I find that I am constantly adjusting my posture, sitting or standing as I work to unlearn poor posture habits. I always laugh when the therapists who are helping me through an exercise push down on my shoulders to get them into the correct position. I tell them, "really! they can't go down any further!" Well no wonder I have shoulder pain! My shoulders are always tensed up.

To no one's surprise, it's all about basics. But it's hard work to unlearn what I've piled on in the past couple of decades. And in this new physical therapy journey, I very recently had an epiphany--I believe my physical issues are a direct connection of the stress and depression I have found myself buried into in the past couple of years. I've opted to medicate myself for the mental / emotional challenges and to be functional for my children, but I didn't address the physical aspect of my depression. By making that connection, I am sure if I work hard with the help I got, I will get much better much sooner. Who knows, maybe I'll even be brave enough to discontinue the medication!

So even though the following list has tips you have all heard before, I think it's worth the merit in sharing this stuff again. Our lives are stressful enough. Why not make one little change that could improve your life manifold?

Tips on Stress Management (from Wellspring Health Center):
*Schedule Time for yourself and enjoy a relaxing activity.
*Don't say yes when you mean no.
*Breathe deeply.
*Leave the past behind.
*Exercise regularly.
*Take care of your health.
*Visualize positive outcomes.
*Laugh.
*Don't eat in a hurry.
*Organize your life.
*Take stretch breaks.
*Do what you say and say what you do.
*Practice random acts of kindness.
*Be polite, you'll like yourself better.
*Be flexible, adapt to change.
*Slow down.
*Don't put off till tomorrow what can be done today.
*Step back and observe.
*See a comedy.
*Use affirmations.
*Be still and meditate (or pray).
*Listen more, talk less.
*Simplify, simplify, simplify.

How do you manage your stress? Got any tips of your own to share?