Taking Control

We really have very little control over much in life. We can only control how we react. Unfortunately I have always been quick to judge and quick to get mad. It’s something I’m working on. This post is about how I have taken control over chronic pain.

After my knee replacement, in 2017, I was left with chronic sciatica. I have seen 2 different back specialists, a pain management doctor, gone through physical therapy, tried acupuncture, and been to several different chiropractors. I had steroid injections in my back 3 different times. They helped but nothing has given me complete relief. The back specialists and physical therapist all told me to quit riding horses, quit yoga, and quit golf. Those are the 3 physical activities I enjoy the most, of course. I did quit all of those for a while. I was pretty miserable, and pretty miserable to be around. I finally started playing golf occasionally and riding a little bit. When I would golf, ride in the car for long periods or fly on a plane for over an hour I would always use a lidocaine patch on my lower back and they do give temporary relief, the key word there is “temporary”.

Now I have to give some props to my friend Karen McDonald. She told me several times that I should read a book called, “Healing Back Pain: The Mind Body Connection” by Dr. John Sarno. I nodded my head but didn’t give it a second thought. I mean I had seen a lot of specialists and done a lot of therapy and exercises, what good was it going to do for me to read a book? Finally, she mentioned it for about the 10th time and so I ordered the book. Wow! What a difference that little book has made in my life.

I’m not at all qualified to go into detail about what he says and the book is pretty inexpensive. His premise is that unless you have had some major injury or trauma to your back it is caused by repressed anger. I’m sure that those who know me well don’t think I have repressed anger because I’ve always been pretty quick on the trigger to let someone have it. The main thing I initially learned from the book was not to fear my pain. It’s there and some days are worse than others but I don’t fear making it worse. I don’t have structural damage. I was diagnosed with sciatica and degenerative disc disease. From what I read, I think it means I’m getting old.

I have started taking yoga classes again, I play a lot of golf, and I ride horses when I want to. I wish I could tell you that my back doesn’t hurt anymore but it does sometimes. I have just made the choice not to dwell on it or to let it rule my life. The worst thing I can do for my back is to sit or lay around a lot. I do try to walk quite a bit, especially when the weather is good and even though Dr. Sarno would suggest I not do it, because he suggests we ignore our pain, I still do some of the exercises I learned in therapy and I do a lot of stretching of my hamstrings and my back.

His book also addresses other chronic pain issues such as migraines, so if you’ve been told you have some kind of pain, that isn’t from structural damage I highly recommend you read the book and give it some thought. It just might help and it sure can’t hurt.

I have made the choice to do what I enjoy and not let my pain rule my life. Honestly, I don’t think about my pain as much and I’m a much happier camper. I’m going to write another post to accompany this one about something miraculous that happened a couple of weeks ago so be watching for that one. Until then…

I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths. Psalm 30:1