See Archives Below For More Pain Relief Articles       Pain Relief Newsletter December 2003 [ Send a copy to a friend ] Migraines and Insomnia:  Some Coping Skills As each person's migraine is different and treated differently, so are the coping techniques for relaxation and sleeping. Some migrainers have success with the non-medication techniques, others need medication to provide relief, and still others need a combination of medications and non-medication techniques.   Coping skills and relaxation techniques can range from the very simple to the very complex.  (READ ARTICLE)   Experts Say Music Therapy Can Help The Sick If you've ever come home from a bad day at work and popped your favorite CD into the stereo to feel better, you've practiced a form of music therapy. Music makes people relax, energizes them, decreases depression, reduces pain and even helps babies gain weight, according to a recent presentation to the American Psychiatric Association's meeting in Philadelphia. (READ ARTICLE)     Bowen Technique for Acute Back Pain He first suffered an acute back problem about the age of 30.  This was subsequently diagnosed as a herniated disc.  Conventional therapy never seemed to keep this at bay for very long and he lived with a constant dull ache for many years, sometimes with sharp pain first in in the morning and regular bouts of acute back pain and sciatica. Things came to a head several years ago when he slipped coming out of a hotel and felt his back twist as he fell.  The pain persisted for the following two years and gradually wore off in the last month of so.  During that time he felt suicidal and was impossible to live with, partly because he spent most of the time lying on the floor with an ice pack on his back. During that time he tried traction, lumbar puncture with cortisone, physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture, heavy duty prescription painkillers and painkilling injections.  While some of these were effective in dulling the pain, nothing had the slightest effect when the pain was acute. Finally, his back went into acute spasms.  An acquaintance recommended that he try the Bowen Technique.  He arrived at the therapists office barely able to walk, with his back muscles in spasm.  He freely admits that he was very skeptical after all the things he had tried over the years. However, as he lay on the table after the Bowen practitioner administered a few very light touches, he distinctly felt the pain starting to move down the side of his back and the back of his leg. He was able to walk to the bus stop and take a bus home, although he dreaded getting up to catch the bus to go to work the next morning.  He awoke to find that the muscle spasm had entirely disappeared, and over the following week the pain became less and less. Three Bowen sessions seemed to take care of the problem for good.  He continues to return on a regular basis for maintenance treatments.  He still finds it hard to believe that he suffered so badly and for so long that the Bowen technique was able to cure so quickly.     Fibromyalgia - Simple Relief Through Movement  BOOK REVIEW     Fibromyalgia-Simple Relief Through Movement "While the idea of exercise may be laughable to most fibromyalgia patients, especially during periods of flare-up, there are solutions to be found through simple movements. In her new book, Fibromyalgia – Simple Relief Through Movement, author Stacie Bigelow, helps to explain why movement is important, what movements can be performed and how they will help the FM patient. One of the main qualities of this book is that Bigelow is a Fibromyalgia patient herself, which helps the reader to feel reassured that she knows exactly what she is talking about. This is not some self-confessed exercise junkie, urging FM patients to ‘just do it’. Bigelow brings compassion, empathy and expert knowledge to the subject, in a very readable combination."                                                                                                           by Deborah Cooper                                                                          ChronicFatigueSyndromeSupport.com                                                                                                       (READ ENTIRE REVIEW)     Bowen Technique and Neck Pain She suffered a neck injury at work which resulted in a very sharp pain in his left shoulder blade.  She visited an osteopath who unfortunately made her much worse, trapping a nerve in her neck, which affected her hand and restricted her neck movement. She also had physiotherapy and traction, neither of which made her any better.  Then one day her neck locked.  She went to a chiropractor who freed the neck, but aggravated the trapped nerve.  After this, her back got very tight and she struggled to get around in general. She finally decided to try Bowen.  She found the technique very relaxing.  It wasn't until she left the practitioner's office that she realized she was walking freely again.  she was able to move around as she did before the accident, and the pain in her neck and shoulders had vanished. She was okay for about five days, and then the stiffness and pain returned, but not as bad as before.  After her second Bowen session she was out of pain again.  This time she was okay longer. Gradually, the treatments had a beneficial and cumulative affect.  She now gets a Bowen "tune-up" about once a month, and she's back to about 95 percent of how she was before my accident and able to enjoy her life once again.     Describing Pain By Color Could Help Kids A British Columbia toddler who used a system of colors to identify the degree of pain she felt before she died of a brain tumor may help doctors assess how much medication children need. Several hospitals in Canada and the United States are planning to look at how "Amanda's rainbow" can help kids communicate their level of pain to medical staff. (READ ARTICLE)    Miracle Pain Relief - VIDEO REVIEW The Bowen Technique is a breakthrough method from Australia, which has been hailed as an effective tool in the release of tension and the relief of pain.  It ha been endorsed by both allopathic and alternative medicine.  It is taught step-by-step in this training video by Gerri Shapiro, a master practitioner and health educator. Gerri states, "It is hard to believe that such gentle, non-invasive touch can produce such dramatic results."  Reportedly, the results last. This teaching video is simple, clear and easy to use, teaching the basic moves with modifications.  We follow an actual session in process as Gerri demonstrates every aspect of the method.  You have all you need to begin to work on family and friends.  No previous experience necessary.                                                                                                     - Kennedy Hassett, MA, Creations Magazine Newsletter Archives November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002