Healing Chronic Pain

I didn’t know life without pain. 

I couldn’t remember what it felt like not to have constant pain in my body. 

I have knots all over. 

They feel like they consume every piece of me. 

My neck, shoulders and back took the majority of the stress, but the knots were everywhere and I couldn’t find anything that would release them for more than a few moments or a few hours at best.  

My jaw, my head, under my bones, entangled in my muscles, they were relentless and spreading. 

From the moment I woke, the pain would creep in and take over. 

Sometimes, it was so bad that I froze. I literally could not move. It felt like a hot knife piercing all the way through my shoulder. 

My ribs have a constant, pulsating ache. 

My brain would get overwhelmed with all the pain receptors constantly going off and left me absolutely exhausted. 

I searched hard for external answers. Someone had to be able to tell me what this was from, but every appointment I went to ended with a new referral or a long term- excessive appointments – treatment plan that would never fit my schedule or my budget. 

I didn’t want to be on pain medications either. 

Nobody had any solutions that aligned with me. 

I was getting frustrated and losing all of my hope. 

If I never had answers, I would never have solutions. 

No matter what I tried, nothing changed. 

I got stuck in this loop for a long time. 

Then I started working from the inside out. 

While I made a lot of progress- I was still experiencing a tremendous amount of pain daily. 

Then one fateful day Soothe and Renew in Bettendorf, IA was brought to my attention. The words Myofascial massage changed my life.  

I didn’t have a clue what that meant but I knew I wanted to try it. 

Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine walking out of that appointment pain free, but I did just that. 

I felt weightless. 

I felt free. 

I wanted to cry on my way home,  so I did. 

I didn’t know how long this would last, but I was soaking in every second of it. 

One day turned into two- into three- into four – and before I knew it, a week had gone by and while I could still feel some pain as the week went on  – it was NOTHING compared to what it had once been. 

I also was surprised at how much easier it felt to use my voice and communicate clearly (something that I have struggled with for a lifetime). 

My awareness was off the charts and I felt connected within more than I ever had before. 

Colors were brighter, sounds were clearer, my body was calmer, my relationships felt better. 

I wanted to cleanse my space and I sprung into action. 

Sarah Michelle’s Myofascial Massage changed my life. She did what I thought was impossible. 

—

Today, I went in for a second session to see if the magic was a one time thing. 

It wasn’t. 

Sarah Michelle’s unique ability to combine gentle touch, reiki, and energy work with her experience, knowledge and natural knack for healing – is unmatchable. 

I cannot sing this loud enough. 

Not only did she change the trajectory of my life by drastically improving the quality of my life – but she also changed my entire perspective on pain, gave me the opportunity to experience life without overbearing pain – and gave me insight on what has most likely been the culprit of decades of pain. 

Myofascial Pain Syndrome. 

I checked every box. 

Every single symptom I have been trying to explain – right here, in front of my eyes, and yet I had never crossed paths with this term before. 

With a name for it, came a slew of solutions, and proof after my appointment at Soothe and Renew – that these solutions work. 

To everyone dealing with chronic pain – I write this now with the hope that if you haven’t heard of any of these things before today, you do now. 

I hope that this opens your world as much as it has impacted mine. 

I pray that it leads you to something absolutely beautiful, as it has for me. 

I hope that it helps you hold onto the faith that this too can pass. 

And to Sarah Michelle, I hope that this shines a light on how impactful you and your gift to this world truly are. You are constantly changing my life in the best ways and I am forever grateful for you.