HOW KATIE UNCOVERED THE REAL REASON BEHIND HER CHRONIC BACK PAIN

Katie came to us plagued with constant pain in her lower back. She couldn't pinpoint exactly when or how it began – she hadn’t been in an accident or anything like that, after all. All she knew was that it had crept up on her gradually, and that now she was in constant pain – so much that she felt like it was draining all her energy.

Medically, she wasn’t sick or injured either – doctors had run several tests, including x-rays and MRIs, only to arrive at the conclusion that perhaps the pain was related to muscle tension. They were then prescribed physical therapy… which only proved to be unhelpful and ineffective.

Desperately seeking relief that the doctors weren’t able to provide, Katie tried everything from several detox therapies to an anti-inflammatory diet to acupuncture. NOTHING WORKED.

(And that’s because there was a crucial element missing from her efforts – you will learn all about that later in this module. But for now…)

Katie was nearing her breaking point – she almost started to believe what some doctors were telling her: maybe the pain was all in her mind.

But Katie wasn’t quite ready to throw in the towel just yet, so she finally came to us for help.

THE JOURNEY

Katie’s journey with us began with a basic diagnostic exercise – the very same one that will be shared later on in this e-book.

Through this, Katie made some unexpected discoveries. She was surprised to find that although she had initially complained of lower back pain, her shoulders were the first place she detected pain while doing the exercise.

All over her body, several other tight spots she had never noticed before also made their presence known. And, to top it all off, she could literally feel that her posture was out of alignment!

As it turns out, doctors were somewhat on the right track when they initially jumped to the conclusion of muscle tension… except it ran much deeper than something simply solvable with physical therapy.

Let’s peel back the layers:

Posture problems are commonly due to muscle tension, and in bioenergetics, muscle tension in the shoulder area is associated with the following:

• Suppressed expression of one’s feelings
• Stored tension due to taking too much upon yourself
• Doing things that have nothing to do with your potential or calling (This is why a slave – who literally has no choice in what they do – is often portrayed with a hunched back and a slouched over shoulder region)

So how did all of this apply to Katie?

Well, as a single mom, Katie always felt like "it was all on her": working to provide for her family, doing housework, taking care of the kids… all of it. Still, she felt like this was her calling. Despite finally opening her eyes to the fact that all these obligations she carried were literally weighing her shoulders down, she simply couldn’t see how that was supposed to change.

In fact, in the very few times in the past when she felt like she had set down some responsibilities and dropped the ball, everything fell apart: problems piled up, and it only took her more work to get things back under control in the end. So, sure, “it was all on her”, but it was simply who she was… or so she thought.

However, as we continued the work, there were yet more layers for Katie to unravel.

After some exercises aimed at providing inner insight, she discovered multiple “viruses of the mind” – negative mental programming either inherited from less-than-perfect parents or otherwise acquired from our social and societal environment – that were likely causing issues and getting in the way of healing her back pain.

Apparently, her mom struggled with alcohol addiction. As a result, being the older sister, Katie had often had to assume the role of parent (both to her siblings and even to her mom) from a very young age.

Through yet more somatic exercises, Katie was able to see that, unlike what she had always believed, the role of a controller was NOT her true calling – having no choice, it was just something she had come to accept.

We then focused our approach on exercises to help Katie get back in touch with who she was supposed to be – that five-year-old little girl she had almost lost sight of: an artistic, goofy, expressive, carefree little kid who felt she could take on anything the world threw at her. Bits and pieces of her still remained in adult Katie – the go-getter spirit was still there – but the “overly responsible mother” was not quite her real self.

We included corrective exercises to help Katie start feeling that artistic streak in her again – and, really, even simply start feeling. She needed to reconnect with the joy of simply being, of being able to be who you are without guilt or fear of being judged (whether by yourself or others) every time you make a mistake.

We also did exercises aimed at unblocking the body's holding patterns that restrict your energetic potential. Katie realized that being her true self and giving herself permission to be vulnerable and make mistakes had nothing to do with dropping the ball on her responsibilities. Instead, she removed the blockages that stood in her way: blockages that not only trapped her in vicious cycles of struggles superimposed by other people but also kept her from using her full potential. Katie was finally able to release the suppressed energy, empowering her to accomplish what she believed was right.

THE RESULTS

Ultimately, Katie was finally able to resolve all the pain issues she had struggled with for so long. Without even trying – no strenuous workouts or significant changes in her diet – she was able to lose 20 lbs., also helping her relieve the tension in her back.

Today, she proudly reports significant life achievements for both herself (two work promotions in the span of just one year!) and her two sons (including winning a college scholarship). Katie no longer feels like she is constantly fighting for the waves of life anymore – she is riding them. 

Oh, and the last time she thought about that back pain? Last summer… after moving into the new furniture she bought.