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Rosen Method Bodywork as a treatment for fibromyalgia

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Theresa-color-200x300Little did I know how profound a Rosen Bodywork Session with Theresa Garcia would be–after all it just felt like a very gentle massage session. But in the hours following I felt exactly like I do after an acupuncture session–like my body (and mind) were being reorganized. I felt tired and spacey in the hours after the session, but the next day I felt so wonderful. I was relaxed, my mind was clear, my muscles were less tense, and I had great energy. So what had happened during my Rosen session?

Listen to Theresa explain;  “My work is all about Embodied Presence. I am a CAMTC Somatic Therapist and passionately believe that unconscious muscle tension is where our deepest attitudes and beliefs live and hide. I use Rosen Method Bodywork sessions and Rosen Method Movement classes to help you connect with new possibilities for living in your fullness.
The 60 minute Rosen Method Bodywork Session is designed for people who want an integrated way of getting both relaxation and inner-connection with themselves. It’s for people looking for a different avenue to personal growth that includes their whole self.
It is a private, one-one bodywork session that some people say looks like massage and feels like psychotherapy, sort of like psychotherapy for the body (but I’m not a psychotherapist and my work is not a substitute for psychotherapy, but a great complement to it). Clients leave feeling deeply relaxed, and often connected to elements of themselves they didn’t know needed connecting. Sometimes the results are as simple as relaxation, other times the results are profound realizations of how they live in their lives.
When you are lying on my massage table, there is virtually nothing for your muscles to do. So, we might ask, what are you doing in there with all those tight muscles? What are you working so hard on, while the table is holding you up? What is so important that you are giving your precious energy to it without conscious purpose? Plenty! Unconscious muscle tension is where our deepest attitudes and beliefs live and hide. This is fertile ground for gaining self-awareness, connecting with our modes of self-preservation, and stepping into new possibilities for living in our fullness now.
My belief, my philosophy, my passion is that extra effort in our bodies translates to extra effort in our lives. When we connect with chronic muscle tension, chronic ways of holding ourselves together that were necessary at one time, then our nervous systems can come to a new place and ask ‘do I need that’ and let go of old habits and beliefs that make life a lot harder than it needs to be. My work is all about allowing ease in your body as a path toward more ease in your life. It’s very much about cultivating embodied awareness, honoring our vulnerability, and giving space to our deepest truth. All through the body.”
“I’ve tried many different types of bodywork, but nothing compares to The Rosen Method. I have had profound emotional breakthroughs during a session. I usually feel lighter, more at peace and about two inches taller every time I get off the table. I can’t say enough positive things about Theresa. She is kind, attentive, receptive, highly intuitive, very knowledgeable about the workings of the body, and extremely gifted at what she does”. KM in SF
Call me at 415-812-9917 or Email me at ttygarcia@aol.com to schedule a session.
Invest in your vitality with an Embodied Presence session: $150

Exercise in Fibromyalgia: You know you should, but how? Expanding your “Energy Envelope”

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Many new fibromyalgia patients tell me; “My doctor told me to exercise, but every time I go to the gym or work out at home I either wind up so exhausted I can’t move for days, or in so much pain I NEVER want to think about exercise again!”

It’s true that consistent aerobic exercise is a critically necessary part of your recovery from fibromyalgia. Consistent aerobic exercise increases energy, decreases pain (often as well or better than pain medications), improves sleep and mood, and can even improve cognitive function. In fact, most of us fibromyalgia specialists know that if our patients do not exercise they will not feel better, no matter what other therapies they are on.

Many doctors recommend fibromyalgia patients follow a “graduated exercise program” where they follow a prescribed exercise regimen and increase the amount they exercise every week even if they are exhausted and sore. Instead I have found  by adapting the concept of the “energy envelope” coined by Leonard Jason PhD et al (see link below) to my fibromyalgia patients I can often get them exercising and feeling better. Dr. Peter Rowe recommends this approach for pediatric chronic fatigue patients, but I have found it works well for kids and adults with fibromyalgia.

Here’s how to do it: you always need to stay within the boundaries of your energy level–your “envelope.”  If you are very symptomatic then your energy envelop is quite thin. You need to figure out how much exercise you CAN do without bursting through the envelope and crashing. So you walk for 5 minutes every other day for the first week. By consistently doing the exercise that does not stress your body, you stay within the envelope and actually expand it so over time you can walk for 6 minutes then 7 minutes, then 8 minutes in a session–the goal being to get at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 4 times a week. Your energy envelope has then expanded so that has lots of room inside! You slowly and gently get in shape by adding about a minute of time to your routine every week.

You can read the article here:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3596172/

Do you want to get all the benefits of exercise? Start by doing what you can do on a regular basis (4 times a week) and then slowly add a bit more time every week. Swim, walk, bike–your choice. Give yourself the benefits of exercise PLUS enjoy active time with family and friends. See you on the trail!

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My Thoughts on the JAMA article: “Fibromyalgia: A Clinical Review” by Daniel Clauw MD Part 1

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On April 16, 2014 the Journal of the American Medical Association published “Fibromyalgia: A Clinical Review” by Daniel Clauw MD.

What I love about the article:

1. The fact that JAMA published it at all–the last time JAMA published an article on Fibromyalgia was in 2009! The review article notes that fibromyalgia is common (2% to 8% of the population) so it’s about time JAMA published an article about a condition may affect 16 million or so people in the US alone (using 5% of the population).

2. The pain we are feeling is real. Dr. Clauw notes that studies show we “feel more pain than would normally be expected based on the degree of nociceptive input.” That’s right. We feel it. We are not making it up. Just because people without fibromyalgia do not feel pain at lower thresholds doesn’t mean WE  don’t actually feel it. Our pain sensations are real.

3. Don’t withhold the diagnosis from us. Dr. Clauw states “some believe that a label of fibromyalgia may harm patients. However, studies suggest that the opposite is true: a diagnosis of fibromyalgia can provide substantial relief for patients.” Spot on. First we need a diagnosis. Only then we can figure out how to get better.

4. Kids have fibromyalgia too! Dr. Clauw writes; “Fibromyalgia can develop at any age; including childhood.” So true. I treat many children with fibromyalgia, and most of the time they respond to treatment very well and very quickly. Now if only pediatric rheumatologists would get more comfortable making the diagnosis then thousands of children could get treatment sooner, sparing them months to years of worsening symptoms.

5. Your doctor’s toolbox better contain more than just pain meds. Dr. Clauw states; “If clinicians treat fibromyalgia or other chronic pain conditions with drugs alone, they will fail.” So true.

Click here for article.

Stay tuned. Next week my blog will detail what I do NOT like about this article.

Brain Over Pain?

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I just finished reading a wonderful book by Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD, entitled My Stroke of Insight. Jill is a neuroanatomist who had a massive left hemisphere stroke. She stayed conscious during the stroke and due to her training, is able to brilliantly describe what was happening inside her brain during the evolution of the stroke. Her recovery was long and arduous, but the book chronicles the many insights she gaining into the working of her brain, and the way she now views the world. When faced with a choice, she makes a conscious decision to look on the bright side, and lives each day joyfully.

What she says about pain makes me think. Jill writes “physical pain in a physiological phenomenon that is specifically designed to alert our brain that tissue damage has occurred somewhere in our body. It’s important that we realize that we are capable of feeling physical pain without hooking into the emotional loop of suffering. I am reminded of how courageous little children can be when they become extremely ill. Their parents may hook into the emotional circuitry of suffering and fear, while the child seems to be adapting to his illness without the same negative emotional drama. To experience pain may not be a choice, but to suffer is a cognitive decision.”

Well, I know how easy it is for me to start to enter that circle of suffering and fear, which of course only makes pain worse. But the idea of having SO MUCH conscious control over pain is fascinating. Jill got the “opportunity” to know how her brain works in minute detail different functional areas came back “on line” during her recovery. Jill is now able to consciously avoid painful situations by choosing to focus her brain on more positive thoughts and actions. This prevents her from “suffering.” I am going to use my brain to think about how I can more often make choices that reduce stress, rejuvenate me, fuel my passions and be more joyful.

I’ll keep you posted on what tools I find helpful along my journey.