I always learn something - and get better at my craft - from my clients.
Many come to me in debilitating chronic pain.
"I've Tried Everything. You're Going to Work with Me!"
The first thing they tell me is they’ve tried everything from chiropractic to massage, PT, and even surgery, rebirthing and prayer, but nothing has worked.
In fact, this pain-without-a-fix phenomenon is how I built my movement education business when I first started.
You see, I was my clients' last ditch effort after years of seeking the cure for longstanding pain but most of the time being given a runaround.
(I'd had similar experiences myself when I was healing my own back pain years before.)
Even though I felt some of these people really did need medical attention, they all insisted I work with them.
Results that Surprised Even Me...
The results were quick and dramatic. I taught them to feel for and engage their core muscles in a gentle, nourishing but anatomically correct way.
Within a month, those who did their "homework" everyday returned to activities they had given up on: sports, farming, backpacking and the like - without incident or flare up.
One person even canceled her upcoming back surgery. Last I heard she was taking up running.
This is how I learned to use movement to help people release their longstanding chronic pain.
Pearls of Pain-Freedom Wisdom From Those Early Years
From those early years, I learned (more than) a few valuable lessons:
- While I may not have a cure or fix to offer, I can show a person in pain my management techniques. Often this is all they need to start living fully in their body again.
- For the most part, it doesn't matter whether the pain is the cause of the problem or just a big 'ole contributor making things worse than they have to be. (It's usually the latter.)
What really matters is that using holistic techniques like breathing, awareness, muscle engagement and simple but accurate joint movements may help restore the body to ideal alignment.
That's when clients feel quickly and dramatically better.
Generally, working this way may remove up to about 80% of the pain, but it varies by person.
- We humans tend to look for one-and-done fixes, especially when we're in pain.
But the path to permanent pain release is more subtle than that. It takes repetition, which takes time, but also yields much relief and easeful movement along the way.
It's a personally satisfying and even fun way to work.
Try Subtle Movement on a Huge, Horrible Problem like Chronic Body Pain
One thing most of my initial clients had in common is that they’d attribute their pain to a huge, horrible, catastrophic problem that could only ruin their lives and was impossible to get out of.
But after they tried my subtle movement techniques (combined with a bit of therapeutic exercise), many happily found that not only were they not doomed to a life of sitting on the sidelines nursing pain, but they could function even better than before the pain started.
If you're interested in trying my approach out in a low-cost way, check out my book!
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This book will get you started rebalancing your muscles.
— Your body with thank you for it!
E-book form only. Available through Amazon and many other online book sellers.
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Anne Asher is certified by American Council on Exercise as a personal trainer and health coach, and certified at the 200 hour level as a yoga instructor. She has 25+ years experience using movement and body alignment techniques to help people feel better both physically and mentally.
For over a decade, Anne was also an award winning health journalist for a large website owned and operated by the New York Times Company. Her "beat" was spine and chronic pain management.
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