Chronic Pain Resources

I suffered from chronic migraines and neck/shoulder pain for 20 years… until I healed them.

I suffered nearly daily from neck and shoulder pain that often developed into headaches, starting around puberty. I tried almost every remedy under the sun: yoga, massage, acupuncture, dietary interventions, herbs, pressure-points, medications, you name it — I even saw migraine specialists. Some things would seem like they were helping for a few weeks, but inevitably the pain always returned.

When I first heard about the role of trauma, stress, and nervous system work for chronic pain, I felt angry and resentful — my symptoms were not made up in my head — they were definitely very real, and had an enormous impact on my life.

Years later, when I heard again about the link between trauma, stress and chronic pain, I was more open to it, but the programs I saw sounded like A LOT of work — daily journaling and meditation? Making a list of EVERY trauma I could remember and journaling through them one-by-one? Who’s got time for that?

Finally, in my early 30’s I reached a point where I had had enough. I remember telling my partner, “I’d rather die than continue to live like this” — living with that much pain was untenable. I was finally ready to try something different.

I first read The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk, and was convinced that trauma and stress can cause a range of very real mental, emotional, and physical disorders and problems. But the book didn’t tell me how to treat myself, so I turned to Dr. Sarno’s work. Many contemporary chronic pain programs are based on Sarno’s work in the 90s and early 2000’s, though the programs vary somewhat in their application of his theories.

Below I’ve listed some of the resources I’ve used in my healing journey. It was definitely a TON of work - around an hour per day for several months - but in doing this work I’ve not only healed my chronic pain, I’ve also healed many of my childhood traumas, which has had much farther-reaching effects on my nervous system, my life, and my relationships. I can now do things that I only dreamed of doing in my teens and 20’s. And I can happily say that today I am a different person, in the very best ways possible.

If you’re struggling with chronic pain, I wish for you the healing that I have found in my life. It will take a lot of work, but I believe in you. It takes strength to heal, but it also takes strength to live with chronic pain. You’re a badass, and you’ve got this. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜