Powerful Relief For Chronic Pain

        About six years ago, I was in karate class, practicing roundhouse kicks against a very old, smelly, leather heavy bag.  It felt good to be exercising.  But my left hip hurt, I had a bunch of bruises all over, and my knees were sore.   

        These pains were the least of my problems.  The bigger problem was that I was beginning to think that all of my pain was normal.

        The other karate students had their aches and pains from time to time too.  I had myself convinced I wasn’t much different from them.  But there was a big difference – their injuries went away in a day or two.  I was getting hurt more often, and my pains were starting to blend together and reinforce one another.  It was taking me longer and longer after each class to recover, and in fact, some of my pain zones seemed to never leave altogether.

        Pain was becoming a constant -- sewn into the fabric of my body and my consciousness.

        Within the past few years, I had had a low back attack that left me walking with a cane for days, sciatica, chronic stiff necks, near-constant spinal pain, insomnia, anxiety, and depression.  Finally, I could no longer ignore reality.  What was wrong with me?

        I asked my acupuncturist if I had fibromyalgia. "Oh, definitely!" she said, pressing into one of my more prominent tender points.   I was glad to have a diagnosis, but as I would come to learn, the term “fibromyalgia” is more of a description than it is a roadmap to a cure. 

        I tried a lot of remedies that alleviated my pain a bit:  rest, good nutrition, massage, exercise, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, and even an occasional glass of wine.  But nothing seemed to change the basic nature of the problem. 

        That changed when I first went to see Dr. Ron Lavine.  His Neurofascial Therapy was unlike anything else I had tried.  (And I thought I had tried everything.)  Neurofascial Therapy relieved the pain, and much more.  It seemed to get at the root of the problem.  The benefits continued even between visits, since Dr. Lavine's therapy seemed to teach the tissues of my body, and my stressed-out nervous system, how to continue the healing process in a holistic way.

        At last I felt my health being restored, one level at a time.

        Given the hectic pace of my life in New York, I still sleep too little and work too much.  I get an occasional strain in my back and shoulders, but now, at age 54, I feel that the level of my health is much better. I recover faster and feel stronger.  I miss kicking that old heavy bag in karate class, but I’ve found other ways to maintain my fitness.  When I need to I can sprint and run for the bus, without feeling achy afterward. 

Mariana Romo-Carmona