Those close to me know that many surgeons recommended spinal fusion after my granite injury (when two slabs of granite fell on me at a granite yard). I have resisted the fusion. Many know I have a strong faith and meditation practice and actually experienced a "white light miracle" that left me pain free for months. But then I had a couple of falls that seemed to exacerbate everything. (Two steps forward, three steps back.)
Ironically, I recently completed a doctoral dissertation on sacred healing as a health psychologist (in addition to my prior work in trauma and grief and graduate degrees in counseling & educational psychology and marriage and family therapy). Thus, I know a lot about systemic interactions, the mind and body connection, and how feelings can manifest as illness in the body; and also how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma can exacerbate our nervous system's response to stress. Still, all my knowledge has not prevented my own chronic pain and stress responses. Worse, my resistance to surgery has felt like a whisper against a tsunami of well-meaning friends and doctors who advise to do the surgery. One woman said I was being too sensitive while another keeps asking, “Have you fixed your back yet?” (That is why I rarely discuss it or post about it.)
Social learning theory helps to explain that we learn from (and are influenced by) the people around us. Thus, it can be difficult to resist surgery when physicians and friends recommend doing complicated surgery. Surely doctors are the experts and pain can be fixed. Yet not always. There is increasing research that many of these surgeries can be avoided - even when magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows spinal problems. Moreover, many chronic pain sufferers have been helped by retraining their nervous systems through a combination of methods guided by a biopsychosocial model. I'm sharing this article about back pain by Curable, yet the Curable app has so much more for people who suffer from all types of chronic pain. They also have a free podcast called, "Like Mind. Like Body" I cannot recommend it enough. It is so inspiring. People of all walks of life and expertise (including physicians) describe how chronic pain made their world small and how they recovered (without more surgery or medications). One woman said it was like AA for chronic pain.
I am so excited about discovering Curable that I have signed up as both a client and a practitioner. I still meditate, bless my chakras, and seek heart coherence (like Joe Dispenza describes), yet the support and validation of others that Curable provides is huge. It's more than meditation and resonates with my scientific training. I'm so grateful to see this in my lifetime, especially in this continuing opioid crisis. We need more than a pill or quick surgical fix (which often doesn't work or is only a temporary fix at best, sometimes resulting in even greater injuries).
Please note, this is not to say that surgery does not help. Many surgeries are essential, yet some may not be as warranted as we thought. The major point is that we need better ways to heal our pain with or without surgery. Curable also indicates that we all find our own path as no two paths may look exactly alike. It is very empowering, and I love how the co-founder (Laura Seago) says, “You are the CEO of your healing journey.”
Finally, opioids are not the only thing people in pain seek. Many resort to alcohol. Alcohol has a long history of abuse for people in chronic pain and those with trauma and ACEs. A painful and tragic example can be viewed in the documentary, “My Name was Bette,” about a retired nurse who died from extreme alcoholism. I highly recommend everyone take the time to see it. Not only did she experience ACEs, I think it is interesting that she fell down the stairs and broke her back and resorted to whisky when she could not get her prescriptions. In a qualitative study I conducted on women in chronic pain who had a history of alcoholism, I found repeated stories about surgical complications and alcohol abuse and repeated relapses. Only one woman maintained her sobriety and said she heavily relied on the support she received from 12-step groups. Thus, Curable may be an additional tool that can be effectively combined with recovery groups. If you are struggling with addiction, you can call the toll-free Alcoholics Anonymous line at 1-800-839-1686 or find a meeting near you at https://alcoholicsanonymous.com/find-a-meeting/. The Narcotics Anonymous toll-free line is 1-800-407-7195 and meetings can be found at https://www.narcotics.com/na-meetings/. Or you can also check out Smart Recovery at https://www.smartrecovery.org/
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