alternative treatments – Skillfully Well & Painfully Aware

book review_memory of health

I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.

I was recently given the opportunity to review a new book by Edie Summers called Memory of Health. Edie Summers is both a wellness coach and chronic illness patient expert, with 20 years of experience in the alternative health field.

If I had to sum up Memory of Health in a sentence, I would say that it is essentially a manual of self-care for people living with chronic illness. The approach that Edie Summers takes to health and healing is truly holistic, which I think is perfectly summed up by a quote she includes: “Health, wholeness and holiness … all three share the same root word and all three share the same state of harmony or disharmony (Deepak Chopra).”

So what can you expect to find in this book? First, Summers shares her personal journey living with chronic illness, including how she recovered. She emphasizes the power of storytelling for well-being. Many of us with chronic illness can feel very alone in our experiences living with these conditions. Connecting with each other over our shared experiences is empowering. From making us feel less isolated in our experiences, to learning from each other, storytelling is very impactful. And there is much to learn from Summers’ story. One thing that really resonated with me was her relentless detective work to find what helped her to heal. The other was how Summers identified mental, physical and spiritual causes that contributed to her illness, and then made changes to effect her recovery.

Secondly, this book covers a wide range of factors that may contribute to chronic illness, and how to address each in turn, including:

identifying and removing environmental toxins that may exacerbate your condition
causes of chronic fatigue, including changes to the thyroid, anemia, microbiome, immune health, inflammation, depression, etc.
improving nutrition, restorative movement, relaxation, mindfulness, improving sleep etc.

In covering all these topics, Edie Summers keeps her focus on the systems that keep the body in balance. In her own words: “This is why I’m fascinated with systems biology which notices patterns, watches for the surfacing of self-organizing models, and observes healing from a holistic point of view. The thing is, nature is a dynamic system, which learns, evolves, and grows (p.120).”

In the final sections of Memory of Health, Summers provides a roadmap to self-care in order to help readers improve their well-being. The book includes detailed summaries of tips to improve physical health including diet modifications, supplements, super foods, relaxation, de-stressing, sleep support, yoga and many other important topics.

I think the most powerful section of the book is dedicated to mental, emotional and spiritual healing. Summers writes “The problem is, you cannot heal if you are not present in your body. This is your first step: get back into your body and stay there. It bears repeating: health resides in your body (p. 336).” Summers believes the road to greater presence is founded in self-love. Finally, she emphasizes connection– to loved ones, to activities that give us joy and to a sense of purpose.

Ultimately Summers sees all these different threads of wellbeing being woven together to effect synergy. She explains: “Synergy, then, is how health occurs, when the total is greater than the sum of “its” parts. A great example of synergy is the experience of listening to a symphony orchestra vs. hearing each individual instrument played on its own (p.280).”

At times I found reading this book challenging because the way it is written is very dense. Some sections interweave scientific explanations, personal observations and spiritual reflections in a way I sometimes found hard to digest all at once. I think the best way to read this book is to focus in on the sections you think are most applicable to your situation, rather than trying to read the entire thing in one go. There is a very detailed Table of Contents to help you identify the sections that you feel are most relevant to you, which is very helpful.

The other caveat is that all of these suggestions are based on Edie Summers’ personal experiences and should not be taken as medical advice. Make sure you consult with a healthcare practitioner before trying to implement any of these tips.

So, ultimately, who is this book for? I think it is ideally suited to anyone living with a chronic illness who feels like they have tried everything and nothing has worked. Memory of Health opens up many new avenues to pursue and can provide hope to people who feel stuck. It is also an inspirational read. If you are feeling in need of guidance on how to live with more purpose, joy or connection, even if you have a chronic illness, then I think this is the book for you.

Click here to see more reviews on Amazon

Click here for a 40% discount on Memory of Health from Lulu.com

Click here to visit Edie Summers’ website

If you have fibromyalgia, could massage be the effective, natural and drug-free treatment you have been looking for to treat your muscle pain?

If there is one hallmark symptom of fibromyalgia, it has to be sore, aching muscles. Chronic body-wide pain is one of the most limiting features of this chronic illness, because it reduces our ability to participate in the activities we love. Unfortunately, muscle pain is also one of the more difficult symptoms to treat. Medications for fibromyalgia offer only partial relief from pain. So with no magic bullet available, many patients consider alternative treatments. I don’t know about you, but painful muscles often lead me to think about massage. But is massage therapy an effective treatment for fibromyalgia?

For someone who doesn’t have fibromyalgia, that might seem like an odd question. The reason people with fibromyalgia are cautious about massage is because of another common symptom called ‘allodynia’ – painful sensitivity to pressure or touch on the skin. If putting on a blanket hurts you or wearing clothing feels like sandpaper on your skin, then you probably experience allodynia. In cases where this is severe, massage is probably not the best treatment option.

However, a common misconception is that when it comes to massage, the attitude should be ‘no pain, no gain’. This is untrue. It is entirely possible to have a therapeutic massage that is also gentle. In fact, research shows that “Manual therapy, and any exercises prescribed as part of it, should … take into account the fact that our bodies react strongly to sensation. Basically, they should be gentle and appropriate to what we can handle without increased symptoms.”[i] If you can tolerate light pressure, then massage might well be the effective, natural and drug-free treatment you have been looking for to treat your muscle pain.

Personally, once I found the right therapist, massage became one of my go-to treatments for muscle pain. It’s crucial that you find a practitioner who has the right training and experience. In this article, I’m going to share the different types of massage and the essential questions you need to ask in order to get the most out of your treatment session.

Infographic on massage for fibromyalgia

What are the Different Types of Massage Therapy for Fibromyalgia?

Swedish massage: is the most common type of massage therapy. It is based on Western medical concepts of anatomy (compared to the focus on energy therapy in Asian forms of massage). Swedish massage uses techniques like ‘effleurage’ (long smooth strokes), as well as kneading, rolling, circular and rocking motions.

Shiatsu massage: this Japanese form of massage incorporates acupressure points from traditional Chinese medicine.[ii] Essential life energy, called ‘qi’ (chee) is believed to flow along channels in the body called meridians. Acu points are mapped along meridians. Stimulating acupressure points restores the flow of qi along the meridians, improving the health of the individual.

Deep tissue massage: this type of massage focuses on knots, or adhesions, in the deeper layers of muscles, which are associated with chronic pain or injury. Techniques include deliberate strokes or friction across the grain of the muscle. As the name implies, this form of massage uses a greater degree of pressure, so fibromyalgia patients should communicate closely with their therapist to ensure that the massage is not painful.

Myofascial release massage: focuses on muscles and fascia – the connective tissue membrane that encompasses your muscles like a sheath. When the therapist feels that myofascial tissue is tight and constricted, including finding trigger points (painful contractions of muscle tissue), they use techniques to lengthen and restore elasticity using stretching and manual pressure.[iii] In my personal experience, this kind of therapy can be intensely painful if the practitioner applies direct pressure to trigger points. However, finding a practitioner experienced in treating fibromyalgia makes all the difference – in my case, the therapist used gentler, more indirect techniques, making the massage much less painful.

What are the Benefits of Massage for Fibromyalgia?

In general, massage increases blood circulation, encourages cell oxygenation and nutrition, relieves muscle tension, and releases natural painkillers like serotonin.[iv]

Massage has been found to improve pain levels, sleep and mood in people living with fibromyalgia.[v] One study found that levels of a neurotransmitter, called substance P, which stimulates pain receptors in the body, were reduced after twice-weekly massage therapy sessions over five weeks. As a result, the “patients’ physicians assigned lower disease and pain ratings and rated fewer tender points in the massage therapy group.”[vi]

Another study investigated the effects of shiatsu massage for managing fibromyalgia symptoms. It found that participants who received a twice-weekly 40 minute shiatsu massage for eight weeks had reduced pain intensity and decreased sensitivity to pressure, as well as improved sleep, compared to a control group .[vii]

Researchers have also investigated whether myofascial release massage improves fibromyalgia symptoms. A randomized, placebo-controlled study found that the experimental group (who received massage) had improved anxiety levels, quality of sleep, pain levels and quality of life, as compared to the control group (who did not have myofascial massage). However, six months after the study concluded, only sleep quality remained significantly better for the experimental group than the control group. This suggests that massage needs to be continued on an ongoing basis to see the full benefits of the treatment.[viii]

How Do I Find a Qualified and Experienced Massage Therapist?

Finding the right massage therapist is the key to getting the most benefit from this treatment for fibromyalgia. I have had healing, therapeutic massages and painful, flare-inducing massages. Through trial and error I learned that the primary difference was the training and experience of the massage therapist. Training matters because regulations for massage therapy vary across states in the US and provinces in Canada. Unfortunately, some massage practitioners have very little training or clinical experience and could do more harm than good if they treat you.

However, in order to increase standards and build consumer confidence, a number of professional massage therapy organizations have created certifications with a higher standard of training and clinical experience. In order to receive this certification, therapists voluntarily meet these standards. Before seeing a potential massage therapist, make sure you ask:

(In the US) Are you board certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork? The NCBTMB is the regulatory authority for massage therapy professionals in the USA, and responsible for ensuring that massage therapists follow best practices and uphold the codes of ethics, quality and legality. A helpful website is NCBTMB.com, where you can locate a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist in your zip code.
(In Canada) are you a member in good standing of your provincial massage therapy professional organization? Massage therapy Association self-regulate standards of practice in six Canadian provinces, while four have established massage therapy as a regulated health profession. You can utilize provincial massage therapy association websites to find a therapist near you.

Broadly speaking, I have found that massage therapists often focus on either relaxation, sports medicine or injury rehabilitation/chronic pain. Spas often employ a ‘masseuse’ for relaxation massage, who are typically poorly trained in therapeutic massage techniques. Sports or athletic focused massage therapists often use more aggressive techniques. This makes sense, given that athletes are anxious to get back on the field, but it is not appropriate for fibromyalgia patients who have a high sensitivity to pressure or touch and a low threshold for pain. This makes massage therapists who have experience in rehabilitation and treating chronic pain the best choice for people living with fibromyalgia. Always ask:

What is your experience treating clients with fibromyalgia?
What type of massage do you practice?
Inform them that you are looking for a gentle therapeutic massage, not a painful or intense massage

As we have discussed throughout this article, each individual with fibromyalgia has a different level of sensitivity to touch. It is critical that your massage therapist asks for your continual feedback to ensure that they use the right intensity and amount of pressure for you. Once you’ve selected a therapist,

Ask that they use light pressure during your first appointment
Tell them that it is important that you have an ongoing dialogue about whether the pressure or technique is comfortable for you
Don’t be afraid to speak up if something feels painful or uncomfortable!