It took Dr Michelle years to find resolution to her incredible foot pain. The pain was so bad that she could no longer walk on her feet and had to hobble to the dance floor and have someone else demonstrate the steps. The journey to health and wellness began with foot pain and expanded as the body began to unravel its best kept secrets for pain points.

Relief from Plantar Fasciitis took years of talking to experts and working with body workers to discover that through the Touch for Health techniques many clues could be resolved.

The pain of Plantar Fasciitis can be on the top of the foot, under the arch, in the ball of the foot, on the heel. Relief is often sought with hot or cold compresses, having a foot guard at night, magnesium, foot soaks, foot stretches and muscle strengthening exercises. Often this can bring some relief, but the pain can go on for months.

In Touch for Health we can determine if all the muscles in the legs, back and shoulders are working and supporting the foot. Through Tai Chi movements we can determine where blocks in movement may be happening. Through muscle monitoring we can determine what the priority need of the body is to start the healing process.

Very often the calf muscle is not firing correctly, or at all. The posterior tibials and the peroneus are not coordinating with each other, the hip may be misaligned, and the spine may not be turning correctly. All this can lead to foot pain?!?? YES!

In a Touch for Health session we can identify emotions that may be charged and holding tissue hostage. We can release a pattern of movement that has been adopted and is not supporting the foot correctly. We can find out if there is a bully muscle that is turning off a series of muscles and causing movement challenges through the hip, leg and foot.

Within minutes we can have pain released and a proper gait underway. Those people who work one-on-one with Michelle know that she loves to empower her clients. She offers exercises and activities that can be done at home to self-empower healing.

If you are suffering from movement challenges, pain that keeps you from doing what you love, or emotional burdens, consider how time in a session could trouble shoot the real cause and put you on the road to recovery instantly.

You can learn more about Michelle here. You can discover more about a one-on-one session here. You can join the A.M.E. for Greatness Project here and gift yourself a series of sessions to really get the body back into running order with mental and emotional relief too. And, if you want to have the powerful tools for your wellness toolbox, consider signing up for Level 1 Touch for Health – class starts on Tuesday.

The post Plantar Fasciitis Revealed! first appeared on Greenwell Center for Holistic Health.

Old Ideas about Inflammation

Have you suffered from inflammation in the gut, joints, muscles, or lungs?  Perhaps you have felt stiffness or limited range of motion?  Do you have deep pain and tender spots along a line in the body?

We have learned a lot about inflammation over the last few years as marketing campaigns for health and wellness have urged us to decrease inflammation by eating anti-inflammatory foods, getting more rest, taking stress off of joints, changing emotional patterns, and more. Has this approach worked for you? Have you made progress?

New Ideas about Inflammation

What if inflammation was just a symptom, and the fatigue, malady, tension, and unease that is being experienced is the effect of the body winding up too tight?

In Tai Chi, we move through different movement patterns that spiral and stretch at the same time.  Our deep breathing is engaged, and our diaphragm is pulled and moved in all directions, as are our organs and fascia.  These movement patterns create space in the joints, lengthening of the spine, and ease of movement.  Participants in Tai Chi quickly experience feeling lighter, less sleepy, more emotionally balanced and revitalized.

One-on-One Sessions are Enlightening

With a client session this week, we evaluated the depth of pain she was experiencing in the “plantar fasciitis” she had been diagnosed with.  When we followed the pain, it went up the leg, over the hip, up her back, and to her shoulders.  So, the question then becomes, is it coming from the feet, or are the feet the result of challenges elsewhere?

This client had been resting her feet and trying to ice the inflammation for months, to no avail.  We decided to stay within the framework of a Touch for Health Balance as You Go protocol, the very first balance we learned in Touch for Health. 

What did we Discover about Inflammation?

Through the Touch for Health assessment of the muscles related to each organ system, we discovered that her feet and leg muscles were all functioning as they should.  What? How could that be with all the pain and inflammation? Instead, there were muscles in the upper body that were not engaging.  We rubbed a few NeuroLymphatic Points to re-engage those muscles, and along with those muscles working as they should, miraculously, the pain in the feet subsided. What does that say about inflammation?

To re-assess we had the client take a walk with all the muscles now engaged, she was able to put her heel on the floor and move through her foot.  This was something she had not been able to do for months.

Homework is Empowerment

We then discussed ways of empowering the tissue throughout the body to work together, and did the Seated Foot Exercises – Set A, found on my YouTube Channel in the Tai Chi Wellness playlist.  The pain throughout the body decreased to almost nothing, and her walking gait improved some more.

Lastly, we added a little spine rotation exercise to bring more space and flow to the center of the body, to the postural reflex patterns, and to the fascia and tendons, and in just a few more minutes we eliminated the pain to just a light sensitivity.

The Results are Clear

A miracle of speed and depth, the pain this person had been experiencing for months was reduced to a light sensitivity within an hour of our focus on releasing and letting go. 

How long will this last? That is a good question.  When the body finds a signal that you are listening to, it likes to keep messaging through that signal.  So, it may not be that the pain came back, but rather that things are out of balance and will need an adjustment to find harmony again.  Going to the exercises that you know work and respond the quickest can be helpful.  This new body wisdom provides self-care tools that can be instantaneous for relief, and this is self-empowering.

Was it Inflammation?

The question then is, was that inflammation that she was working with and had been diagnosed with, or was the tension in the body so strong that it tightened up the tissue to create the look of inflammation? Were rest and relaxation the response that could support unwinding the tension, or was a movement to re-educate the tissue the opportunity to create the fastest and most long-lasting results?

With my knowledge of how the body loves whole-body movement, and the language of love through movement like Tai Chi and somatic dance, I have witnessed countless instantaneous changes from students and clients. I am always in awe because as Kris Carr, award winning author of “Crazy, Sexy, Kitchen” says: “Listen to the body, it always knows the right answer.” With Touch for Health we have a way of listening to the signals and prioritizing how to bring balance and flow back for pain relief.

How can you take action?

Dr. Michelle Greenwell is a movement specialist who enjoys finding the pieces to the puzzle of pain and stiffness.  Her four decades of movement education and exploration have provided her with experience and tools to help others be their self-care advocate with actions that are available and successful.  A private session, message here, with Michelle can bring clarity and focus to the challenges at hand, as well as tools to continue the improvement at home with your care.  The A.M.E. for Greatness Project is a second approach that provides 9 sessions with three facilitators using different supports and educational tools to help release chronic challenges. Michelle’s online and in-person classes, workshops, and events are all designed with the bioenergetic wellness formula to help you through a group setting to get the relief and the healing you desire. 

What are you waiting for?  You deserve to live with energy and vitality daily enjoying the pleasures in life, without pain as your guide for how to live your day.  Take action today and join in with the programs.

Be sure to check out the Teas in the shop too, they offer intentions on each package and can help support the healing journey, as do the Books, Cards, and Videos in the shop. Many of the herbs found in the teas are supportive for symptoms of inflammation, and there is a small symbol on the right hand side to indicate the level of antioxidants available in the blend. Regular tea sipping can be a great addition to your self-care plan as the herbs support your wellbeing practice.

Do you want to learn more about Tai Chi, check out this episode from the podcast with Tai Chi Expert, Bill Douglas, on the Be Well with Dr. Michelle Greenwell podcast.

The post Do you have inflammation?  first appeared on Greenwell Center for Holistic Health.