Writing A Free Distraction From Chronic Pain

Today's post from paincommunity.org (see link below) talks about a form of therapy that won't reduce the painful symptoms of neuropathy but may serve as a distraction and therefore lessen its impact. Not only that but it may help you put into writing (and therefore words) how long-term neuropathy affects your personality and quality of life. The article urges you to start writing! I don't need to say any more than that but if you do start writing and are looking for an outlet, or an audience, this blog will be happy to publish your work. Let me know that you're intending to write something and I'll provide an email address to which you can send your word file, or whatever. Fiction or non-fiction - it's all good and you may be surprised how much positive energy the simple act of writing can give. If while you're doing it, you don't notice your discomfort as much, then it's a win-win situation.

Writing as a Form of Therapy
by The Pain Community | Apr 21, 2017 | Daily Living
by Guest Blogger – Maria Miguel

All of us encounter stressful and traumatic experiences in our lives. We could be fighting everyday battles of anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders. For me, I find a special comfort in the written word. I can read countless novels and teleport myself into the writer’s worlds. The characters come alive on the pages, and I can visit faraway places conjured up in the minds of the author.

As a writer, I use words to relay emotions and thoughts I can’t exactly form orally. Over the years, writing has been the consistent and most therapeutic method to ease my stress. As someone with obsessive compulsive personality disorder, this is sometimes a challenging task. When I am writing, either about my life or creating my own characters and stories, I am able to work through the best — and worst — times in my life. Through this introspection, I find some of my greatest strength. For me, it’s easier to write about how I am feeling versus talking about every single rumination. Writing allows me to collect my thoughts.

Even if you aren’t a seasoned writer, give it a shot. After all, you don’t have to share your musings with anyone but yourself. Writing can help you assess patterns in your behaviors, increase your sense of self-identity and determine goals and objectives. For example, if you have been struggling with depression, writing about your feelings could help you determine that you are depressed because you are in a failing relationship, don’t enjoy your current job or feel overwhelmingly hopeless because you see the world through a loved one’s sickness.

Here are some tips to use writing as a form of therapy in your own life:

Keep a journal.

Write in this journal as often as needed. I recommend writing every day. It’s OK if your journal writing isn’t structured and is more stream of consciousness. Make your journal an extension of your personality. I write all of my dates in French and tend to purchase journals that are vintage, Parisian or “Wizard of Oz” themed.

Write a letter to yourself or someone else.

If you’re in the midst of letting go of something or someone, writing a “goodbye” letter could work for you. If you weren’t able to say what you wanted to say, then this could be a way to get your feelings out in the open without ever sending the letter or email. You will tell your truths in your internal narrator’s voice, which can be extremely therapeutic. You won’t be bottling up your emotions.

Detail your emotions in poetry.

We all probably had to read and write poetry in high school. For some of us, we didn’t understand the stanzas in front of us; however, poets draw from their own experiences and emotions to pen their poetry. If you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, make a list of images, such as in your bedroom, from your childhood days, from a stressful situation, etc. Then, write a list of senses you experienced associated with these images. Write down your emotions related to the images and senses. After this process, write a poem containing these words and images. You will be able to show yourself — and potential readers — how you are feeling without having to put blatant labels on your emotions.

Be prepared to uncover good and bad memories.

During the writing process, your mind could rediscover thoughts and emotions associated with something bad that happened in your life. For example, if you are writing about lost loves, you may think of a former significant other who wasn’t faithful. You may feel helpless as you write about your parents’ divorce. However, you could also relive the best parts of your life, such as the birth of your child, achieving a goal, traveling to your favorite location and more. Using writing as therapy can help you forgive yourself and others. You can reflect on situations and improve into your best self because you have learned from your successes and mistakes.

Write fiction based on your nonfiction experiences.

Often, when we use writing as therapy, we talk about our personal journeys. Use your own story and craft your own characters. If you are uncomfortable writing about a traumatic experience of your own, have your character experience the event. Writing about specific emotions can help you in the healing process. If you decide to share your writings with someone else — or even a mass audience — the works centered on your experiences and emotions could help others going through the same type of situation. This gives you a new role and gives your writings even more meaning that is greater than you.

To figure out if writing could be therapeutic for you and to find more therapy options, seek out a licensed professional to talk with you about your mental health disorder and its effects and solutions.

Marie Miguel is an avid internet researcher. She is fueled by her determination to answer the many questions she hasn’t been able to find the answer to anywhere else. When she finds these answers she likes to spread the knowledge to others seeking help. She is always looking for outlets to share her information, therefore she occasionally has her content published on different websites and blogs. Even though she doesn’t run one for herself she loves contributing to others.

http://paincommunity.org/writing-form-therapy/

SINGLE DOSE NEEDLE FREE EBOLA VACCINE

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that a single-dose, needleless Ebola vaccine given to primates through their noses and lungs protected them against infection for at least 21 weeks. A vaccine that doesn't require an injection could help prevent passing along infections through unintentional pricks.

They report the results of their study on macaques in the ACS journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

Maria A. Croyle and colleagues note that in the current Ebola outbreak, which is expected to involve thousands more infections and deaths before it's over, an effective vaccine could help turn the tide. Even better, taking the needle out of the inoculation process could also help prevent the accidental transmission of Ebola, as well as other diseases, such as HIV, that might otherwise spread from unintentional needle pricks and unsafe handling of medical wastes. Other vaccines are currently under development to fight the virus, but they require an injection. Croyle's team tested an adenovirus-based Ebola vaccine using a respiratory delivery route.

The researchers gave a novel formulation of an Ebola vaccine to several macaques then exposed them to the virus more than four months later. All three of the animals that received the vaccine through the nose and via a catheter into their airways did not fall ill. However, since special equipment and training are required for the current respiratory delivery method, the scientists conclude that further work is needed if this formula, or an under-the-tongue version, is to be used eventually in large-scale immunization campaigns.

Can A Gluten Free Diet Help With Your Neuropathy

Today's post from themodernlucy.blogspot.nl (see link below) is a personal account (with no link to HIV) by a woman with neuropathic problems. She found that adopting a gluten-free diet helped considerably. A gluten free diet is not easy and may not be for everyone but there are certainly considerable numbers of people who's condition has been improved by cutting out gluten. If going the whole hog is too difficult, then reducing your intake of meat and dairy foods may help anyway.

How Peripheral Neuropathy Has Changed My Life
Thursday, June 7, 2012

Since about 4 months after my surgery, I have had peripheral neuropathy off and on. It basically feels like tingling and numbness in all my extremities, numbness in my face, and tingling on my scalp. Most doctors that I saw shortly after my experience felt that it was all psychological, but as time went on, I felt better and better psychologically but still had this feeling. I also had severe digestive issues.

I was told the only way to stop my stomach pain was to have surgery again. And, I was told that nothing would stop the peripheral neuropathy but more and more drugs. I refused both courses.

Today I can say that a gluten-free diet has improved both of these issues. I have tested it now for about the 4th time, and every time I go off the gluten-free diet, my peripheral neuropathy and brain fog get worse, and by the 4th time, they become unmanageable (I could barely get through the day). When I maintain the diet, these issues become nonexistent. Also, on the diet, I have no stomach pain or digestive issues.

Why does gluten-free help? I have no idea. I could be a celiac, but there is really no way to know. I am not willing to eat gluten for long enough to have a biopsy to verify that diagnosis because I just feel so horrible when I eat it. I have always had stomach issues, so it is very possibly that I've always had an issue with gluten. It could be postmenopausal gluten intolerance which is also very common. I plan to take it up with my doctor on my yearly appointment.

The fact that I feel so much better without the gluten is really amazing. I never thought I could get here. I do believe everything happens for a reason, and maybe I needed to have that surgery to get to where I am today with my health.

Our whole family is trying to eat a more whole foods diet. I am working on a new meal plan. I posted earlier about how I had finished a meal plan. Well, that was before I realized how crucial being gluten-free is to my well being, and it was before we decided not to eat as much meat and dairy products. We are now trying out new recipes and working on a new meal plan. I will start posting recipes soon.

 http://themodernlucy.blogspot.nl/2012/06/how-peripheral-neuropathy-has-changed.html

Acupuncture Plus Gluten Free For Neuropathy

Today's post from ndnr.com (see link below) is a look at electropuncture and a gluten-free diet as possible effective treatments for severe neuropathy. There are two points to make here: 1) nothing like this should be tried before consulting with as many professionals as possible to see whether they approve of the idea and see it as a viable option and 2) both sides of the treatment take a considerable time to work (if they work at all in your case) and therefore require an extremely sympathetic insurance company, or sacks full of cash to pay for it. For many people, the latter is already a reason not to go down this route. The article is based on a case study, which makes interesting reading and you may be surprised at the parallels with your own situation. Changing to a gluten-free diet is both a hot topic and a controversial one, as the evidence is not overwhelming that it works in the case of nerve damage but many people seem to benefit from it so it may be something for you but again...with advice.

Acupuncture and Gluten Elimination for Peripheral Neuropathy: A Case Study
By Editor1 Posted July 4, 2013
Lydia Thurton, ND

Abstract

This study describes the case of a 55-year-old male with painful peripheral neuropathy, which was severely hindering his quality of life. Despite numerous pharmaceutical interventions, his pain was poorly managed. Electroacupuncture and a gluten-free diet were successfully utilized, resulting in pain resolution and a return of patient functionality.

Introduction

Peripheral neuropathy is a poorly understood chronic pain condition resulting from the demyelination and degradation of axonal nerve fibers. Neuropathies can be the result of toxic exposures, metabolic conditions, traumatic injuries, or infections.1 In some instances, the etiology cannot be elucidated. A neuropathy is commonly treated with a variety of medications, eg, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, opioids, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants.2 The success of these pharmacologic interventions varies and complete cure is not expected. Recently, there has been growing concern about the abuse potential of opioid medication. With this growing recognition, a need for alternative solutions for chronic pain, including neuropathic pain types, is particularly relevant. This article will present the case of B.F., a 55-year-old male who presented with a case of peripheral neuropathy that was resolved with dietary gluten elimination and electroacupuncture treatments.

Case Presentation

B.F., a 55-year-old male, presented with classic paraesthesia symptoms of neuropathic pain: burning, tingling, and, as he described it, “biting” sensations in his feet, jaw, and fingers bilaterally. The pain began approximately 2.5 years prior to our first meeting in May, 2012. Tests for vitamin B12 deficiency, blood glucose, inflammation, and HIV were all unremarkable. B.F. did test positive for low serum testosterone, which was treated with intramuscular injections. Physical exam revealed hypesthesia bilaterally that was particularly focused on the medial aspect of the first toes. MRI, ultrasound, and circulatory imaging studies revealed only mild arthritis of the first MCP joint. A neurologist conducted electrophysiological testing, and B.F. was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy.

B.F. had a history of alcoholism and working with toxic materials in the heating, ventilating, and cooling industry (HVAC). Alcohol abuse is an independent risk factor for peripheral neuropathy.3 B.F. was prescribed varying combinations of medications over a 2-year duration that included: allopurinol, naproxen, colchicine, prednisone, tramadol, gabapentin, morphine, pregabalin, ketorolac, nortriptyline, duloxetine, hydromorphone, and nabilone. B.F. was also obtaining morphine, methadone, marijuana, oxycontin, and occasionally cocaine from street sources to supplement his pain medication. B.F. expressed frustration with the medications, as he often experienced fatigue, dysphoria, impaired cognitive function and withdrawal effects, while his pain continued to increase in intensity.

Management and Care

B.F. commenced weekly acupuncture treatments. Point selection was based on a combination of his Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and areas of maximal pain. Common points used were LI11, SJ5, LR2, SP2, SP6, GB40 and “well points” on the feet, which are the most distal points on each acupuncture channel. When treatment initially commenced, with a frequency of one pulse per second, the current level was at 24 mA (milliamps). After 10 months of treatment, the current level was reduced to 16 mA as his paresthesia began to heal. The frequency remained unchanged. Neuropathic pain was severely hindering B.F.’s activities of daily living. Activities like playing guitar, sustained walking and standing, and working as a HVAC technician were impossible when he first presented to me. His day-to-day functionality was used as a marker for treatment success, as well as his subjective rating of pain intensity.

After 1 month of electroacupuncture treatment, his symptoms, by his account, had improved by 75%. When B.F. started treatment, a folded towel would have to be placed on the floor because it was extremely painful for his feet to make contact with a hard surface. After 4 treatments, this measure was no longer necessary. After 5 months of treatment, B.F. was able to reduce treatments to biweekly.

Dietary change occurred slowly over the course of months, beginning with increasing his intake of plant-based foods, and progressing to elimination of refined sugar and gluten after 2 months. In the case of B.F., he did not manifest gastrointestinal symptoms characteristic of gluten-based enteropathies and he tested negative for anti-gliadin antibodies. However, by his own account, pain symptoms improved by 90% when he eliminated gluten. Currently, when B.F. consumes gluten in any significant quantity, he notes an almost immediate exacerbation of his foot neuropathy.

Medication weaning was done under B.F.’s own initiative and to date he has been able to eliminate all of the aforementioned medications except methadone. Currently he is participating in a methadone harm-reduction program to safely wean him from high-dose opioid medication. He uses marijuana sporadically and is a member of a marijuana compassion center. B.F. has resumed modified work duties and the day-to-day activities he enjoys.

Discussion

Peripheral neuropathy is a poorly understood but common manifestation of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.4,5 The case of B.F. also suggests that even without the classic serum markers for celiac, adopting a gluten-free diet can assist in nerve pain resolution. Any patient presenting with bilateral sensory peripheral neuropathy should be screened for anti-gliadin antibodies. Neuropathy symptoms can precede or exist without gastrointestinal symptoms. While it is common for anti-neuronal antibodies to be present in celiac patients, serum measurements of antibodies do not directly correlate to subjective patient experience of nerve pain.6

Anti-gliadin IgG and IgA antibodies cross-react with synapsin-1, a ubiquitous phosphoprotein present on both central and peripheral nervous cells. Synapsin-1 is largely responsible for forming and regulating synaptic vesicles.7 Autopsy studies of patients with peripheral neuropathy and gluten sensitivity show destruction of the dorsal root ganglia and peripheral spinal cord columns. Malabsorption of micronutrients may also contribute to derangement of the nervous system in the celiac patient population.5 As gluten-free diets have notoriously low patient compliance, it is important that the attending ND provides dietary planning guidelines that support strict adherence and patient success.

Thanks to the research of Bruce Pomeranz, we know that acupuncture needling has the ability to manipulate nociceptors, proprioceptors and autonomic nerve pathways. Pain relief starts with a cascade of enkephalins, dynorphins and endorphins in the spine, midbrain and hypothalamus-pituitary region. In response to these chemicals, serotonin, norepinepherine, monoamines, and endorphins are released, decreasing substance P and the subsequent pain response. Electroacupuncture serves to add additional needle stimulation.8 Cha et al. (2010) found that electroacupuncture reduces nitric oxide synthase, thereby decreasing nerve allodyina.9 There are a number of research studies that support the use of acupuncture and electroacupuncture as a means of treating neuropathic pain of various etiologies. The most commonly studied neuropathies are those that are chemotherapy-induced, HIV-related, and diabetic.10,11,12,13

Conclusion

While case studies do not provide generalizable data, gluten elimination and electroacupuncture each have their own bodies of research to support their use as treatments for peripheral neuropathy. A limitation of this case, from a research perspective, is that dietary improvement and electroacupuncture were initiated simultaneously, making it difficult to isolate the individual effect of each treatment modality. However, B.F. was able to communicate some distinction. He noted that pain management was the best immediately after acupuncture and it would wane until his subsequent appointment. Furthermore, if B.F. was not stringent about his gluten avoidance, he would experience transient pain flare-ups. While this is a limitation in terms of research, in a clinical setting it is positive that NDs have numerous modalities that work synergistically to achieve patient healing.

Lydia Thurton, ND, graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2010. Lydia maintains a general family practice in Pickering, Ontario and is also the naturopathic physician for the AIDS Committee of Durham Region. Her special area of focus is on African-Canadian, and Caribbean patient populations and she is a regular contributor to the Toronto Caribbean News.







References 
 
Peripheral neuropathy. Mayo Clinic Web site. Updated Novemeber 2, 2011. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-neuropathy/DS00131/DSECTION=causes. Accessed May 10, 2013.
Rowbotham MC, Twilling L, Davies PS, et al. Oral opioid therapy for chronic peripheral and central neuropathic pain. N Engl J Med. 2003;348(13):1223-1232.
Ferrari LF, Levine E, Levine JD. Independent contributions of alcohol and stress axis hormones to painful peripheral neuropathy. 2013;228:409-417.
Hadjivassiliou M, Rao DG, Wharton SB, et al. Sensory ganglionopathy due to gluten sensitivity. 2010;;75(11):1003-1008.
Freeman HJ. Neurological disorders in adult celiac disease. Can J Gastroenterol. 2008;22(11):909-911.
Alaedini A, Okamoto H, Briani C, et al. Immune cross-reactivity in celiac disease: anti-gliadin antibodies bind to neuronal synapsin I. J Immunol. 2007;178(10):6590-6595.
Briani C, Zara G, Alaedini A, et al. Neurological complications of celiac disease and autoimmune mechanisms: a prospective study. J Neuroimmunol. 2008;195(1-2):171-175.
Pomeranz B, Stux G, eds. Scientific Bases of Acupuncture. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag; 1989.
Cha MH, Bai SJ, Lee KH, et al. Acute electroacupuncture inhibits nitric oxide synthase expression in the spinal cord of neuropathic rats. Neurol Res. 2010;32 Suppl 1:96-100.
Phillips KD, Skelton WD, Hand GA. Effect of acupuncture administered in a group setting on pain and subjective peripheral neuropathy in persons with human immunodeficiency virus disease. J Altern Complement Med. 2004;10(3):449-455.
Wong R, Sagar S. Acupuncture treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy–a case series. Acupunct Med. 2006;24(2):87-91.
Schröder S, Liepert J, Remppis A, Greten JH. Acupuncture treatment improves nerve conduction in peripheral neuropathy. Eur J Neurol. 2007;14(3):276-281.
Hwang HS, Yang EJ, Lee SM, et al. Antiallodynic Effects of Electroacupuncture Combined with MK-801 Treatment through the Regulation of p35/p25 in Experimental Diabetic Neuropathy. Exp Neurobiol. 2011;20(3):144–152

http://ndnr.com/pain-medicine/acupuncture-and-gluten-elimination-for-peripheral-neuropathy-a-case-study/

The Spectrum and the Spiral and a FREE sneak peek at the Ladys Slipper home study content!

Actually I think one of the best preventative medicines for the immune system is connecting to the rhythms of the seasons. I felt fall the morning of August 1. There is a deeper calendar in our bodies that lets us know what we need to do to keep ourselves strong and resilient. This is the learning we do as a tribe of re-connectors; plant medicine people, real food makers, and self-employed artists. We give ourselves the room to be gut-led, weather-led, cycle led. 
In this context, herbs seldom fail to work with us.
~~~~~~~~~~~

Greetings and happy Autumn, friends!

----------

Here, the air in the morning calls the mist down from the mountains, the dew sparkles across the knotweed, and the lilting sun is gentle only 'till noon. 

Then it's hot for a fleeting couple of hours; just the window of opportunity needed to collect the wild plants I need for medicine making. 

I've already begun harvesting some roots, and soon will be sassafras, autumn olive and rose hips. 

~~

Are you feeling the season? What does it smell like, taste like, sound like? Our senses are reliable informants. 

Slippery Evening Primrose Roots

Most of my work in life is based on two philosophies. 
The Spectrum, and the Spiral. 

This is, like the doshas and the humors and the 5 element theory, a general direction of understanding in which I can draw insight from. 

The tendency of the spectrum is a kind of holistic polarity, whereby seemingly opposing energies can be harmonized to create homeostasis.

A simple example might be the idea of spicy ginger helping a cold stagnant cough, or the dancer's attitude: where each of the far reaching points of the body are in direct relationship with the center, and both must be equally tended in order to achieve a steady balance and moment of beauty. 

The tendency of the spiral represents all of natural law within the elusive span of time. It's sort of a quantum knowing that we repeat patterns of growth that are similar or same, yet in the moment of time it occurs, it is completely unique; never to be expressed that exact same way again.

The spiral occurs in our lives when we recognize an experience, or a season, a taste, or a feeling. It occurs in our body as it continually regenerates, and it occurs in our perspectives and outlooks on life as we mature and ripen. We walk the spiral and expand each time. 

I say all this not just to evangelize my new-agey ideas, but to offer a way of walking through life with poetic stride, as each challenge comes our way and asks us to become more of ourselves. 

This is the context in which I offer the herbal lifeways taught and activated within the Lady's Slipper Ring Membership. 

Herbs sometimes work on their own. Personal growth sometimes works on its own. However, as we see in the spectrum of polarities, Internal and External work can transform and empower us most deeply and effectively when they are both engaged simultaneously.

Why enroll in the Lady's Slipper Ring? Well, really that is an answer only you can determine. 

If there is even a small voice inside you, calling you to become more deeply connected to your senses, your intuition, your body's innate wisdom, then I sincerely invite you along this delicious journey. 

Here is an offering to you - an excerpt from the home study components!

Remember, though, that this is out of context of the membership spiral, and it will be a spoiler for that month! 

CLICK HERE for the Moon Seven Invitations

and CLICK HERE for the Moon Seven Potions

Need another little incentive?

~~Pay in full members get one month FREE

~~Enrollments before October 14 receive a free welcome gift! 

~~All completing members receive a handmade Lady's Slipper ceramic pendent as a completion gift in the last month. 

~~Free Issues of the famed Herbal Roots Zine, to enrich your home apothecary and plant knowledge

~~But of course, YOU and your richer, more empowered and luscious self will be the biggest reward of all. 

Welcome! 

With Love,

Ananda