Every day, millions of people experience pain. Headaches, body aches, joint aches, sharp stabbing pain, dull achy pain, pain that comes and goes, and pain that comes and seems to stay. Billions of dollars are spent for pain relief; and sometimes at best, it's a crap shoot as what to pick to try to relieve it. Being in pain and not knowing what it is or how to relieve is frustrating, annoying, and it can just plain make you cranky.

I'd like to speak to five myths - underlying common beliefs that keep you stuck in pain so that you can start to clear the brush that fuels that fire. Today we're going to look at the first two.

This myth is, in my opinion, the largest underpinning of collective thinking that feeds the decline of one's health over time. 

•  First, it constantly feeds the mind with the expectation of decline

•  Second, it deflects all personal responsibility for how one has tended their body/mind during the    course of life

•  Third, it assumes that the cause has no basis in anything one has control over

I offer these ideas for your consideration instead:

•  The mind and body are in constant exchange; what the mind directs, the body follows and vice      versa

•  Whatever you feed your body/mind daily has a cumulative effect on your bodily experience later    in life

•   Your body/mind has infinite intelligence built right in, and you have the power to work with it

This myth is constantly being perpetuated by pharmaceutical ads that run ad nauseam. Take a look at these facts as reported in an article on 3/23/15 from The Washington Post Wonkblog:

•  In 2014, drug makers spent 61.6% of their advertising budget on TV advertising, up from 52.6%   in 2011 

•  Drug makers spent $4.5 Billion in 2014 marketing prescription drugs to the public, up from        $3.5 Billion in 2012

•  Drug makers spent $24 Billion marketing directly to doctors in 2012

Having that constant barrage of messaging permeate your psyche precisely when you are vegging out, increases the suggestibility and recall of the message. To me, the danger lies in the "if you have this symptom, you must have this syndrome" linking in your mind that automatic assumption to be triggered later if you do experience one of the symptoms for which they are targeting their product.

There are many reasons why you might be experiencing pain. There are many holistic options that may relieve that pain without affecting your whole system. Taking a drug for one symptom affects the rest of your trillions of cells, with potential harm, as the very long list of drug side effects attest.

Next week, I'll address myths 3-5:

Myth 3 - If Pain Lasts for a While, It Means It Will be Here Forever

Myth 4 - I'll Just Have to Learn to Live with the Pain

Myth 5 - If Tests Show No Physical Cause Then "Nothing" is Wrong, and I Must Just Be Crazy. 



My mission with this blog is to provide information that supports holistic pain relief and self-care that encompasses all of who you are - body, mind, and Spirit.

About the Author: Kathleen Gramzay

Kathleen Gramzay, BCTMB is Body/Mind Performance Expert, 20-yr Board Certified Massage Therapist, and Developer of Kinessage® Self Care and Mindful Resilience. Her mission is to empower people to release their stress, chronic tension & pain to live more joyful, productive and healthy lives.  If you would like to learn more about Kinessage® Self-Care or the Mindful Resilience programs, contact Kathleen