10 Years Later

Yesterday was the ten year anniversary of when SJ was diagnosed with profound hearing loss.

I wrote about that day in 2012 in a post called “Processing the Diagnosis

Then in 2015 I wrote a post called Living in Holland (thought from a  special needs mom) and if you have a special needs child you are probably familiar with the Welcome to Holland poem.

In that blog post from three years into our hearing loss journey I posted this graphic and said “We spent just over two years living in the old normal, there was probably a year of living in shock and just doing my best to stay afloat. The last two years have been transition and we’ll be here for a while. I feel pretty darn close to “New Normal” but we still have such a long way to go.”

Then four years later in 2019 I shared how I almost missed the anniversary of her diagnosis. This was a time of year that was always a major trigger for me so the fact that I didn’t even think about it was a big deal. I was processing that reality and described how it felt like a new chapter and that maybe we had reached the new normal.

Now here we are another three years have passed by and we’ve had a lot of significant breakthroughs recently.

SJ told us she wanted to be baptized.

She accompanied me in a sign language video we posted on YouTube and people we would never be able to reach in person watch it everyday.

It’s not at all viral, but I know from my YouTubeanalytics that there are new views from people in other countries every day and to think about that kind of impact is really cool! A friend of mine saw the Gratitude video and invited SJ to be a part of a ballet performance incorporating sign language and worship. She will perform at two locations this week! It’s so awesome. I can’t wait to share more about that.

SJ also graduated from speech and language therapy and is no longer on an IEP. This is huge!

Then in a couple of weeks she will be on an alumni panel from her deaf school to answer questions from parents and students who are about to transition into public school. The privilege of watching the Lord move in her life and use her story to touch so many is priceless.

Today I was listening to a podcast. Full disclosure, it was a true crime story. I am one  of those weirdos that listens to select true crime podcasts. Anyway, they were talking about how this heinous crime split time for this small community into two parts, before the tragedy and after. I immediately thought of how I used to think of SJ’s diagnosis that way. I heard another mom whose child is blind describe it that way. There was life before diagnoses and after. It’s two different worlds.

Except I don’t see it that way now. I see SJ as our little girl who is courageous, talented, beautiful, thoughtful, and deaf. I also see her as an equal part of our whole family. If I were to describe my life as two parts it would have to be life before kids and life after. That feels like two different worlds to me, but to think of SJ without hearing loss now is an incomplete puzzle or a warped photograph.

I feel like it’s been important for me to write about this entire process the past ten years. It helps me, but I really hope that it’s helpful to others. I forget the rawness that I felt in those early days of this journey and when I have it in writing it gives me empathy. Maybe someone will stumble upon this blog post who just had their world split in two, before diagnosis and after. Maybe this blog post from a mom ten years down the road will give them hope.

By |2022-05-02T12:16:55+00:00April 30, 2022|Special Needs, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Enjoy St. Thomas on a Budget!

I just returned from an incredible three day trip in St. Thomas with my mom and my two sister-in-laws.

While I have told everyone that the four of us could have gone anywhere and had a great time this was a fabulous location for so many reasons.

First of all it’s the Caribbean so it’s gorgeous.

Also, when it comes to tropical islands it’s one of the more economical options. You don’t have to have a passport. You can spend money on all kinds of activities or you could just go to the beach for free.

Everything on the island is going to be pricey so we brought our own snacks and breakfast items.


We ate out at several different restaurants and aside from terrible service at one (which I believe was a fluke) all the food was DELICIOUS. If you are searching for a good place to eat I have a few recommendations.

Iggie’s beach bar and grill was the first place we ate at. It was walking distance from where we stayed and, as with all of the places went, it was open air with a gorgeous ocean view!

We also had pizza at Sapphire beach bar. There were a few wild chickens roaming around which was fun and it really had that relaxing resort feel.


Lanai at Limetree beach was my favorite restaurant. It was soooo good!!! If you go, you have to save room for dessert. We were a little more dressed up because we went in the evening and most people around us were too.

 

 The Airbnb at Bologna Bay comfortable fit all four of us and was reasonably priced for all that was included. I would give it five stars! We had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, multiple TVs (which of course we didn’t need) and a pool (which we also didn’t need).

 

It also had crazy amazing views from the master bedroom and main room and patio area.

Every time my eye caught a glimpse of the view I was reminded of where I was and it was blissful!

 

There are several scenic overlooks on the island and plenty of nature to discover.





We saw so many fish, crabs, snails, and more .

The coolest sighting was the sting ray and two sea turtle we saw. I will never forget it. Brewer’s Bay is perfect for snorkeling.

When we arrived my sister-in-law rented a car and while we knew she’d be driving on the left side of the road we were all shocked that the steering wheel was also on the left.

So basically it’s like having an American car in Europe. Lindsey did phenomenal, but you may want to opt for an uber  if you don’t feel confident with that scenario.  So that’s the whole trip in a seashell (get it? instead of nutshell).  I wouldn’t change a thing!

By |2022-04-19T12:43:24+00:00April 19, 2022|Frugal Living|0 Comments

SJ’s Water Baptism

Today was a really special Sunday. SJ was water baptized.

I was crying before we even made it to the platform. My family was there to watch and support her. One of her best friends was there to give her a hug immediately after she came down from the stage. I got so many encouraging text messages from friends and loved ones speaking words of truth over SJ. I am so proud of her and thankful for what God has done in her life.

At our church they do baptisms as part of the worship service. SJ was the first one to get into the tank this morning and the song the worship team was playing was “Who You Say I am” by Hillsong Worship.

We haven’t sang that song in a really long time so I know it was the Lord that orchestrated the whole thing. I wrote a blog post back in 2018 called “The Healing I Never Saw coming“. In it I shared how I was asked to do sign language during worship on this one particular Sunday because we had some deaf individuals in the congregation. I don’t want to shine a spotlight on me at all, but I can’t help but share how good God is so here is an excerpt from that blog post from October 5th, 2018-

 

That Sunday I stepped up to the x on the stage and as the band began to play I took that music that I heard and I formed it into a visual with my hands. It was incredible. The beauty behind American Sign Language is amazing to me.

I was completely overcome with emotions as I felt the Lord healing me in areas that I didn’t even know it was needed. He did though. This was a full circle moment that I would have never envisioned in a million years. I let my hands sing as I signed the words

“I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who you say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who you say I am.

Who the son sets free is free indeed. I am a child of God, yes I am. In my father’s house, there’s a place for me. I am a child of God yes I am”


When we were in a dark place after leaving our home in Texas we felt lost and confused about who we were.

When we had to choose how to help our daughter by either fully emerging in the signing community or having the cochlear implant surgery we felt lost and confused about who we were.

When I was asked to sign in worship but felt completely unqualified those same emotions were back, but as I motioned my hand back and forth to form the words “I AM WHO YOU SAY I AM” I knew it to be true.

No matter what obstacles or lies we are up against we can stand firm on the truth about what His word says about who we are and who He has called us to be.

I am chosen!

There is a place for me!

I am a child of God!

Who knew how this story would play out, the daughter of a worship leader profoundly deaf did not receive the supernatural healing prayed for.

It sounds bleak, but instead, God took us on a faith journey like no other. A journey that at times seemed so dark I felt like I had accidentally stumble into a pit. I had no idea where we were headed.

That Sunday as I stood next to my husband while he played the guitar and led the congregation I interpreted the words into sign language and it was like I had an aerial view of the journey and I saw how God’s hand was at work all along.

Here we are almost four years later and you can imagine how blessed I was to hear that song as J baptized SJ in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. I know that at 12 years old God is already using SJ and I can’t wait to see what all He has in store.

By |2022-03-13T17:49:10+00:00March 13, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Life Happenings

It’s been several weeks since I’ve posted and I hate that because this blog is such an incredible outlet for me and I usually get to write weekly. I have a really good excuse, or two, or TEN. Life has been very busy. 

I love the quote about how
“Adulthood is saying “But after this week things will slow down a bit” over and over until you die.” That’s a joke obviously, but I relate so much to that statement. J and I were exhausted after spending two weeks in Texas for the holidays and on the way home we talked about the next few months and how we wouldn’t have that much going on. Insert major eye roll here because Z’s robotics competitions started in January so almost every weekend was booked.

Add to that we decided to start a kitchen remodel. For context here is a picture of our kitchen at the beginning of the year.

What was originally going to be a new sink, countertops and a quick and cheap flooring cover-up turned into astronomically more. I’ll get into the details of  that another time, but trust me it was and IS a complete overhaul.

It’s still under construction, but phase one is complete and the kitchen is functional. J and his brother have been working around the clock for weeks, but it was time for a break. So for now I have  a new ceiling, new LED lights, new butcher block counter tops, new garbage disposal and farm house sink, and new flooring. What you can’t see is the updated electrical wiring and subflooring. We weren’t planning on getting in that deep at the time, but it was desperately needed and I’m glad it’s done now.

So that’s the biggest thing, but we also had a birthday in the house recently (SJ is TWELVE. What!?).

I know it’s crazy. I thought I just announced her birth here on Messy Mom. Also, she is getting baptized this weekend. YAY! And Z’s robotics team is going to the state championship… also this weekend (thankfully not at the same time). As you can see, we’ve been spinning some plates. It’s all good things though, thankfully.

Hopefully I will get to start blogging more after this week when things slow down a bit (wink wink).

By |2022-03-09T12:43:15+00:00March 9, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

ASL Signs for Gratitude by Brandon Lake

I am so excited about this video I recently posted.  A little background if you are new here, my daughter SJ was diagnosed with severe hearing loss when she was two years old (almost ten years ago). She can hear and speak now thanks to cochlear implants and hard work, but it was a very long journey.

I started simple signed language when she was a baby before I knew that she was deaf and when she was dianosed I knew I needed to find a way to communicate with her immediately. So I devoured every resource I could on American Signed Language. One thing that helped me learn ASL was to worship in sign. Several years ago I had some friends who are deaf that started coming to the church where my husband was the full time worship leader and while I certainly could NOT interpret the message (I am nowhere near fluent) I could interpret  and lead in sign during worship.

When the song Gratitude by Brandon Lake came out it resonated deeply in my soul so I did what I always do when I want to learn the signs, I googled it! Except there was no interpretation online anywhere. I felt like the Lord led me to be the one to post a video of the interpretation so I did and I had my daughter join me.

 

I know there are many ways to interpret, especially music. I did receive help from a deaf friend who is fluent, so between my friend, SJ, and myself this is what we came up with. It’s an expression of worship in the first language that my daughter and I spoke to each other with. Fun fact, she is left handed and I’m not so our signs are a mirror image of each other, which I feel like makes it even more special.

So there is the full back story to this video. If you are interested in learning the signs to the song Gratitude line by line I will leave the gloss below. Glossing can be used for any language and it’s when you do a transcription of the words instead of a translation. So I will type out the signs that we used, but keep in mind a lot of this goes deeper than just a direct word for word translation, it’s facial expressions, body movements, and reactions that express the full message of the lyrics. It’s one of the beautiful aspects of ASL that made me fall in love with this language.

I could go on and on, but for now, here are signs-

All words fail

I have nothing new

How I show my gratitude

I can sing

I often sing

but every song ends

you eternal

*throw hands up*

praise again again

all I have hallelujah hallelujah

I know not much but I have nothing for king

but  heart sing hallelujah hallelujah

I have one response

I have one strategy

*spread arms wide*

I will worship you

come my soul don’t *shy (but we did more expressive movement)

lift song

I lion inside breathe

lift up praise Lord

I’m simplifying big time here, but I know something like this is helpful when learning. I would encourage anyone interested in ASL to learn about the full structure, culture, and nuances of the language, but you have to start somewhere. My heart is that maybe someone who is learning about worshiping in sign, or is homeschooling, or even in ministry of some kind that maybe this blog post would be helpful. It was a fun first time experience to share this expression of worship with my daughter.

By |2023-06-12T06:23:55+00:00February 15, 2022|ASL, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Supporting Your Kids’ Home School Needs

How has your experience with home school been? Maybe you’ve got on really well? Or maybe some ups and downs? Home school has been a bit of a mixed bag for all of us, and that’s why we need to talk more about how to support your kids through it. After all, whether your children are being home schooled by choice or by necessity, it can be hard to support their academic needs from the comfort of your living room. 

 

Even when your child is in traditional school and requires a bit of outside support, you can still tear your hair out over what to do! But that’s why we’ve collected together the tips below; sometimes all you need is an idea to find the right solution for your child. 

 

 

Vary the Schedule

 

Kids need routine and structure, of course, but every now and then they also need something fun and spontaneous to do. So make sure any home schooling schedule you put together has some free spots on it; save these for special days, like Mondays and Fridays, when your child is going to have a lot more energy to waste. 

 

In these ‘free spot’ segments on the timetable you could do activities like storytime, or watch an educational program, or take them down the park as a little treat. You could also get them into the kitchen to do some hands-on practicals, whether you build a volcano together or simply bake a cake. Just do something different! 

 

Download the Right Software

 

It’s hard to be everything to your child at all times, and sometimes you’re going to need qualified, outside help to really support their schooling needs. So don’t be afraid to get online and see what kind of help is out there; it usually exists in the form of remote software, often recommended by your child’s teachers themselves. 

 

Indeed, kids tend to respond better when you’re using laptops and tablets to teach K-12 classes, so liberally apply this principle to your own home school classroom. Your child will be able to connect to subject tutors outside of your own areas of expertise, whether for mainline schooling or simple homework purposes. Better yet, they can do so whenever they need to. 

 

Keep an Eye on Your Child’s Natural Passions

 

What does your child really love to do? Play soccer? Draw and color? Maybe they’re a fan of going for a walk and picking up every leaf and bug they see? Well, if you want to refine your home school syllabus a little, make time to include these beloved activities. 

 

When you support your child’s natural passions, they blossom in so many more ways, simply because you take time to cater towards their interests. As a result, they’ll be far more willing to complete ‘boring’ subjects, such as Math or English, because they’ll have more energy for the school structure as a whole! 

 

Supporting your kids’ home school needs just takes a bit of thinking!

 

By |2022-02-08T15:58:34+00:00February 8, 2022|Education, Family, Motherhood, Parenting Tips, Schooling|0 Comments

Raising Kids in the Digital Age

I recently watched a movie on YouTube called Childhood 2.0.

A lot of the information shared was a reminder, but some of it was new and eye opening to me. ALL of it was very important. I have been recommending this free resource left and right since I saw it. Honestly, I feel like every parent needs to watch this!

I know it looks like it’s a fear mongering documentary, but it’s really about awareness and how to be on guard. I can’t shield my kids from everything, but I can be proactive about some of the imminent dangers that they face as kids and teens that I never did. Also, some of it helped me to see where I am struggling myself with addiction and insecurities that are social media based.

The video is an hour and a half long and I know how hard it is to carve out time for something like this, but to me it’s worth it. So much so that I watched it again and took notes. Side note, there are some “icky” images that they put in there to show how bad things are. Some of them are blurred, some aren’t. I could do without seeing that stuff personally, but it’s no different than what you would find on billboards or magazine covers.

My biggest takeaway is that most parents of teens grew up in the 70s or 80s (like myself) and it was a different era. We lived in a world where we spent most of our childhood playing outside. We learned about stranger danger and physical threats. Many parents are now using devices to keep our kids safe from those physical threats by location tracking or having 24/7 connection to them, but statistically speaking our world is much safer outside than it ever has been. Those physical dangers in most neighborhoods are much less likely to happen than the dangers that are happening online. As is stated in the film “We have traded a false sense of safety and security for actually putting our kids in riskier situations”.  

The movie talks about cyber bullying, suicide, pornography, depression, anxiety, addiction and more. One eye opening analogy that was shared was about pornography online. 27% of all video content on the unfiltered internet is pornographic. Imagine a coffee table that had four magazines on it and one of them was pornographic and three of them weren’t. Now imagine a parent had this in their home and just hoped that the kids didn’t look at the wrong one. That is what the unfiltered internet is today, only it’s in their pockets and it’s far worse than anything the former generations were ever exposed to.  

Again, this isn’t about fear or helplessness and I am not anti-technology or screens. My husband is a computer programmer who works on apps for a living. I am a blogger/influencer and it’s been my passion and side hustle for 14 years. My oldest son is a programmer in VEX robotics and competes in Esports which are video games!

We are the quintessential tech family, but I’m in the trenches trying to send out a signal flair to other families and younger generations. The hazards of kids and the internet are real but there is hope! There were several different experts that shared in this documentary. One of them was Patti Agatston, PhD, LPC who said “The best [content] filter that your child will develop  is in between their ears. So having an adult that they can go to that they trust is critical.”

Also Detective Richard Wistocki who works specifically with cyber crimes said,

“There is no bigger God’s gift than a mother’s intuition. When a mom knows something, feels something- there’s something wrong with their kids. God has given this gift to moms to protect their children.” 

I smiled at the end of the movie when it was noted that we have so many more resources than we did even five years ago! Many of the logos that popped up where resources I am very familiar with and can personally vouch for.

Protect Young Eyes

Bark

Fight the New Drug

Common Sense Media

Wait Until 8th

Also, the childhood2movie.com has a great community and discussion guide. Another one not mentioned but I get their newsletter and have one their books is Defend Young Minds.

I’ll end with a quote that is alarming but hopefully a wake up call. It comes from Joel Stoddard, MD MAS Pediatric Mental Health expert, he says

“Right now we’re effectively living in an experiment. How is this going to affect us? We’ll find out with the current generation.” 

By |2022-01-26T14:21:54+00:00January 26, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Grateful for 2021

My word for 2022 is Gratitude.

I felt the Lord dropped it in my heart when I was feeling extra grumpy. It was a dreary day at the end of December and I was thinking about how I had such high hopes for redemption in 2021. What I was specifically hoping for was that the pandemic would be over. I thought for sure with the vaccine being out and so many people having natural immunity we would see most of the news, rage, and restrictions subside, but not much changed. I even went to my first Covid related funeral. So it’s been pretty gloomy year. In that moment of despair I also felt like I was personally failing in all kinds of ways. So I started in on the whole “woe is me” bit that I rehearse in times of weakness. I was ready to just cross off the past year and consider it a dud. Then I felt a little spark of gratitude in my spirit and the Holy Spirit give me a nudge to make a list reflecting on what was good about 2021. So I pulled out my phone and began to type out some of the good things that I accomplished in 2021. Here is what I came up with

  1. I finally got my hemoglobin on track after years of being anemic. This was huge!
  2. I successfully concluded a year of homeschooling and my kids are doing great (I was so worried that I was failing them).
  3. I finished the first draft of my memoir. This was also a major breakthrough for me!!!
  4. I launched a successful life group that is still growing strong and building lasting, edifying friendships.
  5. I got to see Guy Raz at a leadership conference which was kind of bucket list dream of mine. 
  6. I threw four super special birthday parties (to make up for a year of no big parties). 
  7. I upgraded my camera and photo editing software. It was expensive but I’m grateful for a side hustle that can cover those costs and capture beautiful memories for my clients.

Those are just some of what I feel like I accomplished. There are so many other major breakthroughs and joyous times that happened last year. Even though the enemy tried to back me into a corner with feelings of fear and inadequacy I can see for myself that 2021 was in fact a healthy, productive, and blessed year!

I love the song “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake. According to Spotify it was one of the songs I listened to the most in 2021. I really wanted to learn the sign language to the song and usually what I do for worshiping in ASL is google a video of someone that has already interpreted it. Only, in this case there weren’t any videos! That’s when it occurred to me that maybe I should be the one to fill that void. So I interpreted it over Christmas break and even got some help from a  dear friend of mine who is deaf and ASL is her first language. SJ and I have both been practicing and hopefully next week we’ll be ready to record a video and post it.

After all this focus on gratitude I got a belated Christmas present from a friend in the mail and I got choked up when I opened it.

It was a candle with the word gratitude on it. She had no idea that was my word for this year. The candle smells amazing by the way. It’s from a place called Thistle Farms which helps women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Definitely go support that ministry! It’s amazing. But sorry, as of now (01/20/22) the gratitude candle is sold out!

So there is one more 2021 recap while we are still in January. I know I already shared my goals, but I wanted to share my word. Gratitude. It’s significantly shaping my outlook for this year.

By |2022-01-20T14:02:12+00:00January 20, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

New Years Results and Goals 2022!

I love New Years Goals you guys. Nothing like vision casting on a blank canvas! Last year I had four main S.M.A.R.T. goals

I wanted to have the kids in age appropriate grades by the 21/22 school year. I am so happy to report that they are all doing fantastic in school. Some subjects are harder than others and obviously they all have strengths and weaknesses, but they are working hard, having fun, and getting all the help they need. Parent teacher conferences were so reassuring. I can put a big check mark next to that 2021 goal.

Another goal from last year was to continue our health journey. I had very specific things I wanted to achieve and let’s just say we did not limit our treats in 2021. I did exercise though, so that was a serious achievement since I have never consistently worked out. Ring Fit Adventure on the Nintendo Switch was what got me on track in terms of fitness and I wrote about that already.

I also went to the doctor for a physical for the first time in years. That ended up leading me down a path that eventually resolved my ongoing issues with anemia. That is a long story and I will blog about it eventually, I promise.

I also wanted to read 21 books which I exceeded and wrote about them in the blog post “21 Books in 2021” .

Lastly my goal was to cut back on phone time and I failed miserably at that one. There is a feature on the iPhone that can set limits on certain apps and phone usage but it doesn’t work on my phone! That’s no excuse though. This goal is going to roll over into 2022. I can do it!

As far as this year’s goals, I really want to focus on my writing. My book is my biggest goal. I know I have talked about it plenty! I’ve poured my heart into this memoir for years and writing a book is a lifelong dream of mine, so this is big. I wrote the whole first draft in 2021 and I was pumped, but I did hit a little bump in the road back in October and haven’t really gotten my momentum back since. I don’t want to loose steam though. My goal was to have to it done before my birthday (in June) and I am still aiming for that. So that is why publish book is NUMBER ONE priority for me in 2022. I also hope to have a website reboot for Messy Mom which is a big undertaking and to have new headshots. Don’t even get me started on how awful I have been about keeping up with that stuff.

I guess in short I would say my goals are

  1. Less phone time (see last years post for more details on what that looks like)
  2. Finish my book
  3. Build a new website

There are a lot of other things I want to work on and accomplish, but those are three I want to highlight. To be honest, I am nervous about 2022, not because I’ll be “over the hill” but I am not looking forward to year three of COVID-19 (insert anger emoji here). I know the past two years have taken a toll on all of us! I’m choosing to stand on the truth and 2 Timothy 1:7 where it says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” I looked into this verse which was written in a letter from Paul to Timothy when their lives were in imminent danger. I think the pandemic is stressful, but I can’t imagine how they must have felt as christians in a time where they were persecuted for their faith and methods of persecution were gorey and gruesome! It puts the verse in perspective.

Yesterday at dinner I had to announce to the kids that masks were mandatory again. I read them the email with the subject line *URGENT*. They all groaned and we had some discussions and we have continued to pray. Last year I thought for sure things would level off and that we would no longer be in panic mode. So far that doesn’t appear to be the case for 2022. I’m going off an a  tangent, here but even with all of that there is still so much to look forward to and be thankful for. Bring it on 2022. I am ready.

By |2022-01-12T13:16:05+00:00January 12, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Pain-Relief Strategies That Work (And Don’t Rely On Pills)

Many people find themselves living with pain for one reason or another. For some, it’s illness; for others, it’s surgery. But, it’s always a big problem. 

 

Here’s the issue: when you’re in pain, it’s hard to enjoy your life. You can’t be exuberant and care-free because there’s always this background tension in your body. You simply can’t enjoy yourself.

 

Pain-relief medications don’t really work either, as pointed out by experts, such as Sunshine Behavioral Health. They might numb it for a while, but create dependencies and addictions in the process. 

 

The trick here is to live naturally and find alternate means to dealing with pain, particularly if it is with you long-term. Medications should be a short-term strategy to see you through, not something you depend on all the time. 

 

Are you experiencing pain right now? Here are some of the things you might consider trying:

 

Therapeutic Massage Sessions

 

Some people experience pain because of chronic muscle tension. Either the muscle is firing when it shouldn’t be, or it can’t clear out waste products at a sufficiently high rate. 

 

If this sounds like you, you might want to experiment with therapeutic massage sessions. Masseuses use special techniques designed to help muscles recover and restore normal function. Some people find it extremely beneficial, but it depends on the condition. 

 

Music Therapy

 

 

If you’re experiencing pain after surgery or an accident, you might also try using music therapy. This involves listening to sounds played at certain frequencies through headphones, designed to help mask the pain centers of the brain and make you feel better. Generally, music therapy is distracting and encourages the pain to go away. 

 

Cold And Heat

 

Cold showers and saunas are good for your body in general. However, there is also ample evidence that alternating between cold and heat is good for pain management too. 

 

Cold has a numbing effect on the body. You’ll notice that if you take a cold shower, it hurts at first and then stops being as painful after a minute or so. This happens because your body essentially uses up all of its pain receptor chemicals quickly. 

 

When you apply cold compresses, it reduces inflammation, cutting swelling. 

 

Heat is also soothing. It’s often nice to apply heat after a bout of extreme cold. Heat gets deep into the muscle and helps to prevent it from becoming too stiff. 

 

Move More

 

 

Exercise is critical in most forms of pain management, particularly arthritis and fibromyalgia. The more you move, the better you feel. 

 

Lack of exercise can lead to a vicious cycle. You become too sedentary, and that makes pain conditions worse. 

 

If you really want to build flexibility into the body, do yoga and tai chi. These are spiritual practices and affect how your body functions. You find that you’re better aligned and more in touch with yourself when you engage fully in these activities. 

 

In conclusion, pain relief doesn’t have to be chemical-based: you can use many other strategies. Try these first before reaching for the pillbox under the direction of your doctor. 




By |2022-01-10T13:16:44+00:00January 10, 2022|Natural Living|0 Comments
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