Life's Emergencies When Your in Chronic Pain

Several weeks ago, while walking down the street, I encountered a man with schizophrenia who suddenly became violent. This is not a blog about the homeless problem in Hollywood, and thankfully, some police officers were nearby and I remained unharmed. But that sudden shot of adrenaline through my system from the fight or flight mechanism had a lasting effect on my RSI and that's what I want to talk about.

As you know, I advocate for greater body awareness when it comes to any illness or injury. I’ve been successful with some of this, but not all. It seems to be an on-going journey, my own Fantastic Voyage. But I have enough awareness now, and the particularities of the incident, meant I could isolate the effects of stress from physical pain for the first time. I had foggy brain for about 48 hours and only as it began to wear off did I feel a sharp ache throughout my body, even in places I don’t have lasting damage from repetitive strain. By day 4, I had an upset stomach, common for me when I’m afraid. And then my neurological system began over firing, as it still does cyclically as an end stage complication of my injury, effecting sleep, digestion, pain and mood.

Thankfully, this time, being aware of what was happening in my body, I was able to help return my biological processes to homeostasis. I took short walks a couple of times a day, drank homemade juice of carrot, apple and ginger to reduce inflammation, and took hot baths even though Los Angeles was enjoying an early summer heat wave. The walks helped move the lactic acid that had built up in my system from the hi-jacked fight or flight response, the juice restored my adrenals, and the hot bath soothed my neurological system. Still, in all, it took a week for my body to return to normal. And that's what chronic pain does to you. Even though I’m largely able to keep pain levels to a tolerable amount, any little thing can throw my entire system off balanced, causing weeks of reduced functionality.

Hope this helps you in some way.

@JillGambaro is the author of The Truth About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome . She advocates for patient engagement and employee engagement to resolve carpal tunnel syndrome and keep everyone working healthy. Follow her on LinkedIn, Blogger, Facebook and Twitter.