A Holistic Approach to Healing Back Pain

“True power is living the realization that you are your own healer, hero, and leader” -Yung Pueblo

Throughout my journey with chronic pain, I’ve recognized that one of the most important things we can do is develop a better relationship with our psyche. The mind is a powerful thing - in one way it can make us feel invincible and in some ways the mind can wreak havoc upon us when unconscious. 

A huge component to creating any change in our health and lifestyle involves looking deeper into ourselves. Identifying underlying patterns that may be creating some form of resistance or fear. And it takes courage to look at parts of ourselves we easily ignore. 

I’d like to share some of my story about chronic pain and how it led me towards a more holistic approach to healing.   

My life changed dramatically 16 years ago when I started to feel stinging nerve pain down the back of my left knee and leg. While I was unaware at the time, this onset of pain would lead me down a path into the wellness world that has been unexpected and rewarding in ways I could not have imagined. It has shaped the way I’ve related with myself and the world around me. 

I was a competitive athlete in my youth and often pushed the limits of my capabilities. I was extremely focused on achievement and was often caught up in the “not good enough” mentality. This mindset I had at the time propelled me through many grueling experiences and some sweet memories I enjoyed out on the field. 

“No pain no gain” had quite the imprint upon my psyche at the time. I just wasn’t aware of where to draw the line between the healthy kind of pain and the “not good” pain. So I became an expert at pushing through and avoiding signals from my mind and body. After going through enough pain teachings I realized that if I didn’t change, I was putting myself on a path towards an unhealthy future. 

***

As part of the rehab with my injuries, I had the experience of visiting all sorts of doctors and healers. Western medicine was great when I had severe issues and emergencies. It literally saved my life. Where I started to make progress was when I began seeing practitioners who focused on identifying root issues to my injuries. I started to understand the body from a deeper and holistic standpoint. 

From a physical lens, I began to see how intricately linked different parts of the body were to create proper alignment and function. Like how my hip function and foot stability were tied to my knee issues.

From a psychological lens, I started to learn how stress, emotions, and mindset affect the body’s capability to heal and recover. I began working with practitioners of modalities like breathwork, meditation, psychology, plant medicines, ayurveda, acupuncture, qigong, sound healing, and more energy woo-woo stuff :) 

These modalities helped me explore the subconscious and understand how deeper rooted causes of my pain came from beliefs I had about myself or stuck energies like shame and doubt.

I saw that the issues I was having with back pain were much more than just the structural components and function. I was having energetic blockages that contributed to my sense of wellbeing. Working with energy practitioners helped me see that at the root of physical pain is a blockage at the mental, emotional, and spiritual level.

For one, I was repressing a lot of hurt and anger. I was very harsh on myself. I had a lot of negative self-talk when I was an athlete. Replaying stories in my head all the time about the mistakes I made. It only created more rigidity in my mind, and in turn my body. 

By combining the work on my physical body with mindfulness practices and modalities that help me release emotional energies, I started to make tremendous strides in improving my levels of pain and overall health.

***

Having the support and guidance from many talented and compassionate practitioners has been a godsend. While they were able to guide me towards more insight, what took me a while to learn was that I had to take initiative and put the power of healing back into my own hands. I had to show up for myself everyday, do my exercises, and the little things that would start to make shifts in my mindset and physical health. 

For a long time, I was seeking out other people to fix me. In the world of healthcare, we are often told we need the procedure or the pill. While this can help in acute cases, we must remember to put the work into taking care of our mind and body. We must take care of the foundations of our health like eating, breathing, sleeping, thinking, and movement, and most importantly have the belief that we can change. 

Looking back, what I am most grateful for is the wisdom my own pain and suffering has taught me and continues to teach me. And with it, the realization that our greatest power is that we are our own best teachers and healers once we dive into our deep inner guidance.

***

If you are interested in working with me, check out my offerings here.