Pain in the Neck

Graston Technique Tools.
They don't quite look like they would take away pain do they?

 All this week I've been thinking about how to write a post about the treatment I've had for my very own pain in the neck.

So many of us live with some sort of recurring pain issue: a bad back, a bum knee, a hip that grates in the socket or is off-balance.  As our bodies age it seems these injuries can just focus themselves and become chronic, ingrained.  We sort of adapt our movements to them, which doesn't help things.

Helpful diagram of the nasty cumulative injury cycle.

I've been suffering from migraines for years, decades even.  They would typically begin in my neck, often in a spasm of pain that would burn and then trigger the pain up one side of my head or the other (though often my right side).  The nausea would begin as soon as the neck pain set in, and then with the pain came the other migraine symptoms: extreme sensitivity to light and in my case, smell.

Last year these migraines became chronic: instead of having one every couple of weeks I started having them weekly, then twice a week, and then even three times a week... so that I felt like I was in a constant migraine (they typically would last 12 to 24 hours, followed by a "wobbly" recovery day).

People often talk about migraines beginning with neck pain, and that was always the case for me.  But when the migraines became chronic the pain in my neck took on a new quality: a burning , searing, constant pain.  I felt like there were little fires all up and down my neck, through to my shoulders.

I decided to go for physiotherapy and massage: enough was enough!

It was just dumb good fortune that I found a massage therapist who specializes in Graston Technique: I didn't even know what it was.  After explaining my pain, and the migraines, I told her about my "neck history".  I had Congenital Muscular Torticollis as an infant, and while my poor parents corrected it with physiotherapy exercises, I've always had issues with the right side of my neck.  It always felt tight and knotted, and while I have worked endlessly on my posture over the years with exercise, it typically felt tight and shortened, a bit higher, off-balance.

My therapist basically told me my neck muscles were knotted, and adhered together, with scar tissue (particularly on my right "Torticollis side"), and that I could benefit from some Graston Treatment.

The tools shown above are typical Graston tools, they are shaped bits of metal, and when applied into the neck tissue they smooth and scrape down the scar tissue.  As you can imagine this can leave quite a lot of bruising!
But it actually doesn't hurt, though it feels a bit tender afterwards.  I did wear lots of scarves to cover my bruises during treatment however... I didn't want to alarm anyone.

So I've had treatment for about three months now and my neck pain is gone.  I stopped having the neck-triggered migraines about two months ago.  I'm now in the maintenance stage, and when I went for my massage this week I didn't even have to have any Graston treatment at all.  I'm now working on strengthening the muscles in my back with careful exercises, this is to create a supportive structure for my neck (so that it doesn't revert to old patterns).

If you think you have any sort of scar tissue glomming up your muscles and causing you pain, I would highly recommend trying the Graston Technique.
It's a bit weird, but clearly it can work wonders!

Are you dealing with chronic pain of any sort?  Is an old injury the cause?

Hope you have a pain-free day!
xoxDani

Toast and Honey

 The first thing I saw when I entered the grocery store yesterday morning was a potted hydrangea so perfectly pink and fresh looking that it looked like Spring itself.

I brought two home with me, one for the foyer and one for the dining room.

 One unfortunate thing about this flu that we've all had is that it is a real appetite-killer.  This is not helpful when it comes to recovering, it just adds to a weak feeling in the body.

As I walked around the grocery store picking up this and that I just felt ill at the thought of eating lunch or dinner, or anything really.
Then I thought, no, toast and honey will be just the thing.

Years ago we spent a night travelling north of Toronto to attend a dinner at Eigensinn Farm, the home of the famous chef Michael Stadtlander.

It was truly an extraordinary evening, made perhaps more so by the care and generosity of his wife Nobuyo, who held six month old Lil' Rascal at various stages during the evening so we could enjoy the seven course dinner!

The next week we were home in Guelph at a cocktail party when our friend John asked me about the night at the farm.  So of course I went into (at times rapturous) detail about the extraordinary food, and the atmosphere, and the presentation, until suddenly John's eyes glazed over completely as he blurted out:
"Yes, but sometimes don't you just want toast and honey?"

Quite right!
This toast and honey combination, above, gets all of the credit for bringing my appetite, and therefore my health, back in line.
I think I'll have it again this morning.
Have a healthy, energetic day today.  Maybe you'll have toast and honey?
xoxDani

Healing Soup... and Cake

 Last evening's shenanigans really began at about 4:00 when Middle Rascal arrived home for the holidays and we popped the sparkling wine.  We had a great time wrangling up the Christmas tree (well, that was mostly the girls once Lil Rascal arrived home from school, while I observed and gave "helpful hints").  We had a fairly early dinner of latkes and then I trotted over to my Serious Book Club where we discussed the ethics of triage while yet more wine was consumed.  Needless to say today will be a day for a healing soup and in order to detoxify my liver I'm going to add a generous grating of turmeric.
The turmeric root can be seen above resting on the carrots, and it's no surprise that it's part of the ginger root family, it has that sort of look.  It has amazing health benefits: detoxifying, anti-inflammatory and the compound within turmeric, curcumin, is a powerful antioxidant.
Sounds good to me!

For this soup I peel and chop several carrots, the turmeric and a shallot before I chuck the lot into my food processor.  There it is chopped finely before being sautéed in olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper.

 I add filtered water (or vegetable broth if I have it, I usually don't, I generally let my soups make their own broth) and simmer for a few minutes before adding in a can of rinsed white beans.  Simmer a good twenty minutes or so and voila, a healing soup that goes well with a big piece of good bread.

Today can't be completely saintly, that wouldn't be much fun, and with the last presents acquired and wrapped yesterday I can now turn to the real business: baking a Christmas cake.  I'm going to try Nigella's recipe for Date and Marmalade Christmas Cake.

I hope you're having a lovely day and that you didn't wake up with a "third-glass-of-wine-headache". ;)
xoxDani