A Holiday Without a Headache!–December 10, 2015

A Holiday Without a Headache!

Until Dina found herself at Kinetic Konnections in early May, the mother of five was living a life of daily headache pain.

“I totally love life without headaches,” she exclaims. “I have been limited for so many years and to now actually go back to doing stuff that I could not do for so long is great. It’s a whole new world!”

A Daily Dose of Pain

Dina had suffered off and on with daily headache discomfort for 20 years and it became the normal way of life. Each day as the discomfort would come on, Dina said she would take a Tylenol and drink caffeine to help subside the pain and get through the day. She learned to adapt, avoiding certain triggers for the headaches. For instance, she stopped doing any lawn work such as, raking or shoveling; or would steer clear of performing any overhead movement while exercising. Even a slight tilt of the head for an extended amount of time such as, looking up at the stars or turning her head to hold a conversation would bring on the pain. “I would go through a list of actions in my head that I couldn’t do,” she said. “It was definitely a pain journey.”

The Other Things She Tried for Help

Over the years, Dina investigated causes. She initially considered dehydration and then later she discovered she had a slightly bulging disc in her cervical spine. The authorizing doctor who discovered the bulging disc, however, did not believe this was the source for the pain.

For several years, Dina worked with a Physical Therapist. She found sporadic relief with therapy and occasional muscle relaxers, but the pain would eventually return. While Dina was taking time off from physical therapy to have her youngest baby last December, she had learned about Kinetic Konnections from her neighbor. Her husband and her decided to go.

Restoring Nano-movements Relieved the Pain

“The first session helped right away,” she said. “I went to the grocery store a couple hours after the session and was walking through the store and felt like I was running because my scapula and chest area was so much more open.”

The Kinetic Konnections team addressed her head stability, visual interactions with movement, and shoulder movements among other things. After just three sessions, Dina was back to performing lawn work and exercising without discomfort.

On their summer vacation, she didn’t even think to pack muscle relaxers or Tylenol! This was the first time in years. “Everything has changed!” she said. “I have tested the limits with movements that would have put me in a tizzy before.”

And for Good Measure, a Concussion!

Feeling well enough to workout, Dina’s world came to a screeching halt. He son pulled the van gate down and it hit her square on the head. OUCH! After a few weeks of headaches, she finally made her way back to Kinetic Konnections. After the first post-concussion session, she could keep her eyes open without light bothering her. After the second, she was back to feeling as well as the summer. Yay!

Comments from Cara

We meet people who have bizarre sets of injuries and events in their lives. Dina was no exception. The two key events for her were a horse riding injury to her right shoulder 20+ years prior and an epidural for labor which required multiple tries creating scar tissue in her lower back. (The epidural scar interfered with a key intersection of many movements which coordinate the head, core, and legs.)

These two events created a twist and strain between her head, shoulder, and core. The strain was relieved as we restored very small wiggling movements in her back. The compression in her shoulder which stressed her head began to “fluff out” as we restored the layers of nano-movements between her arm, shoulder, chest, and back. The hardest part was figuring out the pieces to the puzzle and putting them back in place.

We love to see Dina laughing and smiling again, knowing she is able to enjoy her family this time of year!

Note from Cara

As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the many crazy back stories of the people who find their way to us and end up being amazed as they recover their movement abilities.

My newest Bridging® technique students are also amazed at the insights they gain when they allow themselves to look at stability and the body’s reactions to keep itself safe.

Many of you share your stories with family and friends and we appreciate that.

Enjoy the season’s interlude making sure to include some active moments to your plans.