Here’s what happened.
When my pain first began, I was told things like, this wont be your new normal.
And once people started throwing around the term chronic pain, what I heard was you are unfixable.
No ice pack, pill, or stretching routine could alleviate my discomfort.
I came to learn later that this feeling was nerve compression.
I was told that with two weeks of physical therapy, Id be good as new.
Daniella Deutsch is a social worker and the co-founder and director of content at the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center in Los Angeles.
But, relief didnt come, so I finally sought a second opinion.
At this point, I had the sense that something was really wrong.
I finally felt heard and had faith she would fix me.
TOS is adiagnosis by exclusion, or by eliminating other options.
I presented the information to my doctor, got the required testing, and the TOS was confirmed.
I finally had my hard-won diagnosis.
In fact, no one in New York City performed it, at least at the time.
Without a doctor to perform my surgery, I had a destination without a map.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
Daniella Deutsch is a social worker and the co-founder and director of content at the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center in Los Angeles.
The pain was unrelenting, and no one could seem to take it away.
I wish my story ended there.
The six months following the surgery was a slow unraveling.
Somehow, I felt even worse, which was a reality I was not prepared to accept.
He recommended that I start seeing a pain-management specialist.
The night following that recommendation, my pain was at an all-time high.
Before I knew it, I was being taken to the emergency room.
When I arrived, my brain was too overloaded to form sentences.
Each time a doctor asked me a question, my brain wouldnt let my mouth say anything.
I was admitted and tested for a stroke, which came back negative as my disorientation subsided.
I resented the idea of pain management, because the name itself felt like admitting defeat.
I felt extra broken.
So, thats what I did.
It was a lot, and ultimately, nothing gave me long-term relief.
After my second pain management visit, I actually had a week when I felt almost no pain.
This left me feeling more stressed out than ever.
My mind was spinning:When is the pain going to come back?
What if I do something to make it come back faster?
Am I sitting in this chair the wrong way?
At this point I realized, my brain had completely changed.
It finally hit me: Maybe Iamamong one of the50 million Americanswho suffer from chronic pain.
I almost had to laugh as I listened along.
But what if your brain makes a mistake?
What if your brain thinks that youre in danger all the time?
The result ischronic or neuroplastic pain, or the idea that the brain can generate pain without structural damage.
PRT is asystem of techniquesrooted in neuroscience that helps people interpret sensations correctly, says Deutsch.
Although PRT is still fairly new, it is slowly becoming more accessible.
Since I began pain reprocessing therapy in January 2022, Ive made some incredible strides.
As of now, my number one intention is to just keep going.
But, thats what faith is.
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