What
Factors Affect My Progress in Feeling Better?
By
Sunny Cooper, M.S., M.Ed.
This is an important question to ask yourself and your
practitioner. You have control over some factors, and
others you have partial control. No doubt, some factors are
outside your control. There many be some which you never
before realized could help your condition or never thought
of as something you could control. Share this article with
your massage therapist or other practitioner!
Factors You
Totally Control
1. Monitor your expectations about the outcome of
your healing. It is important to have optimistic,
positive expectations (as opposed to "hopes") about your
health and the therapy you are receiving. At the same time,
you must be realistic. Do not look for perfection, but look
for your condition to improve to the fullest extent
possible under the circumstances. No practitioner is a
"miracle worker", but most people can begin to feel
significantly better with a few sessions of bodywork. Talk
about your goals for therapy with your massage therapist or
other practitioner.
2. Increase Your Knowledge about your
condition. Ask questions and actively seek
answers. Explore alternative health literature to discover
how foods, your emotions, your mental processes, and
environmental factors may be contributing to your problem.
Also learn about the physiology or biochemistry of the
problem. Not everything is for everybody, but there is
SOMETHING for everybody.
3. Take Full Responsibility for your Condition and
for your Progress. Your health care professionals,
mainstream and alternative, are consultants, advisors, and
helpers in your process. They are not someone who is going
to "fix" or "cure" your problem. Mindfully follow any
homework or other recommendations they may give you.
For many people, the healing process will continue for
quite a long time. Be patient and learn to respect and
listen to your body's signals. When you begin a new type of
therapy, give it plenty of time to work. Many alternative
therapies, such as bodywork, chiropractic, acupuncture,
dietary therapy, yoga, herbal therapy, hypnotherapy, and
others, will take some time as your body changes its
internal harmonies. True healing is not a "quick fix" or a
"magic bullet".
Factors
Which You Have Some Control
1. Genetic Tendencies: If a serious illness runs in your
family, learn as much as you can about it. When there is a
predisposition towards a condition, it is even more
important for you to take charge and learn how to prevent
or manage it.
2. The effectiveness of your therapy sessions. It is your
job to participate fully by giving needed information,
providing feedback, asking for what you need or want,
showing up for your appointments, and doing homework your
therapist may suggest. Their skill and knowledge, of
course, is outside your control, so you must select your
therapist carefully to maximize your results.
Factors
Beyond Your Control
1. Age- of course
2. Family history and cultural background
3. Permanent damage from injury, illness, or surgery: Parts
which have been removed, cut, or permanently changed will
yield less improvement. However, many people assume that
nothing can be done for many conditions which, in fact, may
be helped by methods of natural therapy.
Three Free
Therapies- Use these every day!
1. Healthy Diet
2. Appropriate Exercise
3. Relaxation with sleep and meditation
The factors you can control provide areas of leverage in
your healing journey! Work with them every day!
Have a
Massage!
