April 2009 - A Real “Pain In The Neck”

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Do you know someone who is “a real pain in the neck?” Have you ever found yourself saying something like, “I just can’t stomach her!” We’ve all had moments when we’ve blurted out our feelings, or at least thought them.

The truth of the matter is the emotions you’re truly feeling are often reflected in what you say and how those negative emotions are affecting your body. Just as fear creates adrenaline and makes your heart beat faster, your negative emotions affect every part of your body. Your body speaks to you every day and tells you what you’re feeling deep inside.

If you are experiencing stiffness in the neck, or perhaps symptoms of ulcers, remember emotions produce chemical changes in your body, and those chemical changes can manifest as physical illness or pain. What painful emotions are you carrying around or suppressing?

The good news is, simple techniques and practices such as the power of visualization while in a relaxed state (similar to hypnosis) can help you manage pain and accelerate healing. The fact of the matter is your unconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a real or imagined situation or event.

Have you ever had a nightmare and woke up in the middle of the night to find your heart pounding, and feeling short of breath? The dream wasn’t real, but your unconscious mind thought it was real, therefore you had a physical reaction to the dream. Using the same concept, your unconscious mind can imagine wellness and well-being and will work to your benefit.

Dr. Olshan, Ph.D. a private practitioner in Scotsdale, Arizona, and author of Power Over Your Pain without Drugs, states that deep relaxation is the foundation of all the pain imagery techniques. The reason is that when the mind and the body are relaxed, many physiological changes occur, including an increase in the body’s ability to produce natural pain killing endorphins. Dr. Rene Caillier, M.D., is medical director of the physical medicine and rehabilitation department of the Santa Monica Hospital and author of nine textbooks on pain syndromes. She states: “Americans may be spending billions of dollars and subjecting themselves to unnecessary surgery for chronic pain caused by relationships that hurt, and show up as low back pain, migraines, peptic ulcers, or even heart attacks.”

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