Common themes amongst the vertebrae include, but are not limited to: ABANDONMENT, REJECTION, PERFECTIONISM, INSECURITY, HUMILIATION, BETRAYAL, FRUSTRATION, SAVING OTHERS, FEELING/BEING BOUND (to or by someone or something). To be clear, I did not invent these themes myself - I discovered them over the course of my studies and, in practice, my clients and I have observed them to be quite accurate. When they do arise in session these themes are never approached from a place of judgment, but from a place of acknowledging the reality of our shared humanness as we ALL experience these themes to a certain extent. Some of us simply have a tendency to hold our mental/emotional/spiritual pain in our back more than others, others who may potentially hold theirs elsewhere. Although no one is immune to back pain, I've noticed a trend; very often, those who come to me for help with their back are the “superheroes” of society - police officers, firefighters, paramedics, teachers, conventional and alternative healthcare practitioners - those who serve the public and must always appear to be strong. Then there are the athletes under pressure, the parents and caregivers who put everybody else first, the bread-winners who provide all the financial support, not to mention those who feel stuck in an unhappy marriage or relationship but can’t seem to leave. Again, these are just a few examples. So while back pain may be triggered by physical activity such as lifting a heavy barbell, lugging kids around, massaging clients, patrolling in an emergency vehicle or sitting at a computer all day, if that pain is more than just fleeting, it is likely trying to tell you something relevant about your life beyond the context of the trigger itself.

Over the years, clients have approached me with neck and back issues of all kinds - from minor tension and stiffness to serious conditions, some of them even stemming from birth. While certain symptoms resolve themselves quickly and others show improvement over time, I have observed that either way, working with consciousness along with the physical brings about significant shifts in awareness which greatly support and encourage one’s growth and one's healing process on all levels.

If you or someone you know is experiencing pain or symptoms in the neck or back, here are some questions for further reflection:

• Do you have difficulty accepting an aspect of your reality or a situation in your life?
  
• Do you tend to “swallow” your feelings? (love, affection, fear, anger, etc.)
  
• Are you rigid in your mindset or beliefs, unable or unwilling to see different points of view?
  
• Are you in a position of providing support to others and often put their needs before your own?
  
• Do you feel stable in life (physically/mentally/emotionally/spiritually/financially)?
  
• Have you felt or been betrayed by someone important to you?
  
• Do you notice ways in which you are betraying or have betrayed yourself?
  
• Have you suffered trauma or abuse (physical/emotional/psychological/sexual)?
• Do you often find yourself frustrated in life?
• Do you feel trapped or powerless under the hold of someone or something?

Again, the questions I ask in these articles and the insight or answers that may arise are just for you, a personal exercise if ever it can be helpful. For anyone who is reading this and curious about my approach, while I do work successfully hand in hand with doctors, chiropractors, osteopaths, kinesiologists, and physiotherapists, l will never manipulate or crack parts of the body in my sessions as that is not my expertise. That said, I am able to work effectively in-person and via distance using safe and non-invasive techniques which address body, mind, and spirit.

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Before I sign off, I just want to say that I sincerely appreciate all the enthusiasm and great feedback I've received thus far about my new blogging venture and hope that my articles continue to provide you with something of value. Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for the next installment...!

To kick off this series I have decided to write about the shoulder, as one of the most frequent requests I get from clients is for help with shoulder pain. As I mentioned in my previous post, years of both personal and professional experience have taught me that every part of the body tells a story and that no matter how symptoms occur, they always arise to ask you to look deeper. So, whether dealing with a shoulder issue such as:

• Arthritis/Osteoarthritis
  
• Bursitis
  
• Tendinitis (acute or chronic)
  
• Tendon Tears
  
• Impingement
  
• Instability
  
• Fracture
  
• Tumour, infection, nerve problems
  
• Any pain due to accident, sports injury, or degeneration

…the theme of the shoulder is RESPONSIBILITY.

Based on one’s personal life framework, experiences, and conditioning, the word RESPONSIBILITY will bring up different feelings and reactions. Although for some, the word responsibility may feel empowering, for many it illustrates a burden – something that feels heavy, such as family or work obligations, financial stress, etc. For others, it denotes the "duty" of living up to a certain image, to perceived expectations of self or other, or to specific standards of performance and achievement.

That said, RESPONSIBILITY is also about one's ABILITY TO RESPOND - how one responds to others, to situations and to life in general. How we respond may be OVERT (shown openly, external) or COVERT (kept secret, internal).

What I've found is that, although some shoulder issues revolve around the shoulder itself, oftentimes the shoulder is compromised because of underlying issues in the neck/throat, back, heart centre, hips or otherwise. Every body part tells a story and reflects certain aspects of consciousness, but as each person is unique and no two lives are the same, WHY the pain is there can be vastly different from client to client. So while responsibility may be a key player in shoulder pain, depending on what that responsibility is tied into, sometimes it is a matter of re-establishing healthy communication between the shoulder and other essential factors for the body to heal itself and for the pain to go away.

A few questions for self-exploration if ever they may be helpful:

• How do you feel when you think about the word RESPONSIBILITY?
  
• What does responsibility mean to you?
  
• Do you embody a maternal or paternal protective role, taking on responsibility out of LOVE/DUTY?
  
• Do you have high expectations of self or feel others have them of you?
  
• Have you set a precedent for performance and achievement that you feel you must live up to?
  
• How do you respond to the events of your life?
  
• How do you respond to others?
  
• Do you inhibit pleasure with self-restraint/self-control?
  
• Do you suppress your anger?
  
• Do you fear being hurt or vulnerable?
  
• Do you have trouble asserting yourself and/or expressing yourself?
  
• Does how you respond overtly correspond to how you respond covertly?

If you or someone you know is experiencing shoulder pain or pain in other parts of the body and would like to try a non-invasive and effective approach as a stand-alone treatment or safely in conjunction with other modalities, I am available for local sessions in Montreal and work effectively via distance to anywhere worldwide. Please contact me here for further details!

Obviously, when we experience pain we become so fed up and frazzled that we just want it to stop – and fortunately, in this day and age, we have a vast selection as to how we go about finding relief. While my role is not to judge you for how you go about treating your pain, my role is to offer help through local or distance sessions, either as a stand-alone therapy, or in conjunction with other methods of treatment. I will never ask you to stop a medication, nor will I diagnose or prescribe, but the balancing that I facilitate will take your physical symptom and look at it from different angles in order to get to the root of what is going on.

Time and time again, clients are amazed to see that by investigating and balancing underlying mental/emotional/spiritual factors, the pain leaves their body and health is restored.

That said, I intend to publish a series of posts about specific body parts and their related themes along with questions for self-exploration. The questions I will ask and the insights/answers that may arise will be just for you – they won't be homework or an obligation, but simply a launch pad for discovery. If ever you or someone you know suffers from persistent pain and wishes to explore with me further, I would be delighted to meet in session!