Tai Chi and Chronic Pain

Multiple sclerosis, MS is often seen as an immune reaction.  However researchers surveyed 1,349 MS sufferers.  The respondents were asked to reveal any allergic reaction to food, environmental factors or drugs, only those with a food allergy suffered more frequent relapses and had more severe pathological changes related to MS. It is not yet know whether an allergy can cause the MS in the first place, but researchers do know that sufferers often experience a relapse after a reaction to food.  This suggest that MS isn't just an immune reaction but is more closely assocated with gut and inflammatory responses to foods.  This discovery by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston ties in with earlier observations that people with MS seem to suffer relapses after an allergic reaction - but nobody has been sure it was a reaction only to food. Researchers concluded there is a strong link between MS and food allergy.  The common factor seems to be inflammation in the gut. Reference Fakih R, Diaz-Cruz C, Chua AS, Gonzalez C, Healy BC, Sattarnezhad N, Glanz BI, Weiner HL, Chitnis T. Food allergies are associated with increased disease activity in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2019 Jun;90(6):629-635.    

Previously I have written my guide to foam rolling parts 1 & 2.  Now I want to explore the uses for another self-massage tool, the spikey ball.  I would recommend you use both a foam roller and a spikey ball the reason is that for some parts of the body it is easier to use a spikey ball, for example: Releasing the feet Stand on one leg use a chair or the wall for balance.  Roll one foot at a time over the ball for a good few minutes.  Include the heel, the outside edge and the instep.  Push down stronger into any area to deepen the intensity.  Do each foot separately. Between the shoulders A common area of tension with modern postural habits is between the shoulder blades.  You can easily reach this area with a ball placed anywhere between the shoulder blades and move up and down against the wall.  One tip to stop the ball dropping it to put it in a long sock or stocking, drap it over your shoulder and then hold it in your hand. Lower back - Under sacrum and glutes You can use the floor of resistance to press your weight into or when lying to let gravity give you a help in hand.  Simply lie on the floor, bend your knees but keep your feet flat on the floor.  Then place the ball underneath your sacrum – the large triangular bone that forms part of your pelvis.  Now move just gently move your sacrum and glutes all over the ball.   If it feels safe to do so your can bring your knees into your chest to add additional pressure.  This will help release off your lower back.

It is reported that period pain affects two thirds of women ranging from mild discomfort to pain at some time or other.  Period pain happens because of contractions in the uterus, or womb, which is a muscle. If it contracts too strongly during your menstrual cycle, it can press against nearby blood vessels. This briefly cuts off the supply of oxygen to the uterus. It’s this lack of oxygen causes your pain and cramping. The cramping can be felt in the lower belly or lower back or both.  The intensity of the cramping can very from mild to severe. In addition to cramping women can get leg pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or extreme fatigue. When period pain has no obvious cause, it is classified by the medical profession as “primary” while pain caused by an actual condition e.g. endometriosis, fibroids, PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) is called “secondary”. In the next few blogs I want to share some tips on assisting those women like myself who suffer from primary period pain. I personally have found that placing a hot water bottle on your lower back/belly or taking a warm bath may provide some relief.  If you are at work, you can put a hot pad on the area.  One of the things that got me hooked on reflexology was that it helped it reduced my PMT and I felt that my periods were less painful too.