THE CHANGING MEDICAL PARADIGM

I have been struggling with what I wanted to write next on this new blog.  I started to share some easy vegetable recipes with you the other day but then a technical issue erased what I’d written before I could publish it and I thought perhaps that it was for the best since I had dedicated the blog to John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Method (JFB-MFR).  Today I read an article that John published on Massagemag.com entitled, The Myofascial Release Perspective—50 Years Ago and it brought home for me again how multi-faceted authentic healing actually is.  You can read the entire article at :

http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=10100&catid=62&title=therapeutic-insight-the-myofascial-release-perspective50-years-ago  

But here are a couple of quotes that stuck out for me (emphasis added).

·      Fascia must be viewed by practitioners and patients not as static, but as enervated, alive, functional, fluid and self-regulatory. Involving the patient or client in the process of manipulation of fascia and its embedded tissue enhances the response of the tissue and the patient. (Schleip R. Fascial plasticity–a new neurobiological explanation. J. Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2003;7(2): 104-116.)

·      With myofascial release, the extracellular matrix softens from “gel” to “sol” allowing the fascial restriction to melt and release pressure on pain-sensitive tissue, and to rehydrate to allow for conduction of flow of photons and vibration. (Twomey L, Taylor J. Flexion, creep, dysfunction and hysteresis in the lumbar vertebral column. 1982. Spine 7(2):116-122). It is hypothesized that this action facilitates the cell to cell communication required in homeostasis and self regulation, and thus facilitates the body/mind’s ability to heal itself. (Pert C. Molecules of Emotion. 1997; NY. Simon and Schuster/Touchstone.)

After reading this article the realization struck me that although this blog is dedicated to JFB-MFR that what JFB-MFR really addresses is a change in our medical paradigm, one that I have been in the middle of since an auto accident in the late 1970’s.  It’s that paradigm that says, “Here, take this pill and it will make everything better,” (as long as you don’t mind the side effects) or “There is no cure for your pain/illness, you will just need to learn to live with it,” and best of all, “That (organ of your choice) is not functioning properly so let’s just cut it out.”

Patients are rarely consulted for their opinions as our doctors always know more and know best.  Our bodies and medical care is compartmentalized and the right hand rarely even talks to left hand so it’s no wonder so many people die of pharmaceutical complications.  And although it is a known fact that all of the systems in our bodies work together to maintain homeostasis we continue to treat each system as if it were an entirely separate entity.  Seems to me, we need to start looking at some Whole Body healing and quit the Woo Woo name calling that goes on in medical circles when talking about alternative therapies.

The fact of the matter is, I feel better now than when I was in high school and I graduated in 1973, so you do the math.  But it wasn’t until the last 15 years or so when I happened along the non-traditional healing road that things started really coming together health-wise for me.  Suffice it to say that from personal experience I know (whether there is scientific proof or not) that by giving equal attention to the healing of my Mind, Body, Spirit and Emotions that significant health progress has been made for myself.

So this blog is really about Self-Healing and the road less traveled that I am going down, so yes I will share recipes along with what else may be catching my interest, which may be scientifically based or from personal encounters.  I welcome all who are interested in observing my journey and kudos to those of you that are ready to walk out on this same road.  Know that you will not be alone, as there are many of us traveling out here and we have been waiting for you to join us.  Welcome!

Becoming a Forayer

 I have been waiting for this day to come for months (years).  Outside my window I can only see about fifty feet away to where my world appears to end in a thick blanket of grey fog.  It is cold and windy outside and I am glad to be inside next to the warm wood stove. There is nothing in particular for me to do except take care of my physical needs, as all of the things I usually fret about have been taken care of or conveniently forgotten.  Why even my husband Michael, is sleeping in today which gives me full use of the Mac Laptop I purchased a few months ago.

The weather here in Garden Valley, which is in the Sierra foothills about an hour outside of Sacramento, California, has been unseasonable.  First it was unseasonably cold and we had expected snow here at 2,000 feet in November.  Then it turned unseasonably warm and last weekend we attended our first Christmas in Coloma event, wishing we had worn tank tops instead of long sleeves and jackets as we stood around squinting in the sun watching the kids' snow pile melting.  The warm weather makes me want to go outside even if all I do is sit on the porch and feel guilty for say, not transplanting the iris and tulip bulbs or getting Michael motivated to help me fix the fallen fence before the rain turned the area around it into a swamp.

But today the weather is just perfect for foraying into the world of blogging and learning how to get all of these thoughts inside of my head out into the world.  I see how this world can be useful for those of us that tend to be introverts.  I get to take my time finding my words, reviewing and editing. This way I eliminate blurting out loud such things as "Nobody can MAKE you feel anything!" or "How much television can one person watch in a day and still be considered ALIVE?"

I have discovered a very judgmental voice inside of my head these days.  My head used to just be inhabited by my Inner Enemy (IE) batting me around, but now that I am not listening to him as much these days a new entity has popped up.  This voice is just as fault finding and critical as my Inner Enemy (IE), but his one is completely outwardly directed at most everyone and almost everything  Not much is sacred from this voice which I call the External Enemy (EE), she might as well be wielding a flame torch, searing everything that gets into her path.

These are some of the issues we may explore as I share with you my insights while studying the Enneagram with the University of Earth, watching my husband embark on a "Fix Your Brain" 6-week program that he purchased from a PBS fund drive, developing a Co-Creative garden with Nature and studying and practicing the John F. Barnes method of Myofascial Release.  So let's walk together down the yellow brick road, shall we?  You never know who you will meet or what you will find On the Road with Claudia, in the wonderful land of Oz.