My Pain Journey

I became a massage therapist because I was interested in natural methods of pain relief for myself. By the time I was 35 I began to have chronic low back pain. I had been a fairly active kid. Ballet, roller skating, trampoline jumping and cheerleading had taken a toll on my joints.

At 40 I began to skate again with a roller derby league. My aim was fitness fun and friends but instead I got injury self loathing and mean girled. I am truly not cut out for team combat sports. I fell twice in one bout on concrete on my tail. This created a hot spot that kept me from sitting comfortably for almost a year.

I was told that I had early degeneration in all the discs of my lumbar spine, my nerve pain could not really be solved but could be alieviated by a course of injections. Those painful epidural shots were effective temporarily but lead to weight gain. Chronic pain is depressing enough... There had to be other coping methods.

Acupuncture was suggested by a Massage Therapist and I found a miracle. Jan St Germaine and her magic needles eased me into such peace and relaxation. Gradually I found that I was not feeling my hot spot and that most of the related pain had diminished.

Time honored natural treatment had won over the clinical solution. I was hooked!