Day 310 - Probiotics

“Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestines. The normal human digestive tract contains about 400 types of probiotic bacteria that reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system. The largest group of probiotic bacteria in the intestine is lactic acid bacteria, of which Lactobacillus acidophilus, is the best known.

It has been suggested that probiotics be used to treat problems in the stomach and intestines. But only certain types of bacteria or yeast (called strains) have been shown to work in the digestive tract.

In most circumstances, people use probiotics to prevent diarrhea caused by antibiotics. Antibiotics kill "good" (beneficial) bacteria along with the bacteria that cause illness. A decrease in beneficial bacteria may lead to diarrhea. Taking probiotic supplements (as capsules, powder, or liquid extract) may help replace the lost beneficial bacteria and thus help prevent diarrhea.

A decrease in beneficial bacteria may also lead to development of other infections, such as vaginal yeast and urinary tract infections, and symptoms such as diarrhea from intestinal illnesses.”

*http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/probiotics-topic-overview

Those of you who regularly read my blog will know that I write a new post either when I have explored a new avenue as a possible cause for my headache, or when someone has suggested looking at a specific factor that may be contributing to the pain.

I have now run out of avenues to explore. I have not come across anything else, whether this be through research or by talking to others, that I have not looked at.

I am still clueless.

But I am still taking my supplements, and feel that the probiotics the kinesiologist suggested taking are somewhat alleviating my pain. Having said that, I do not know if it happens to be a coincidence that my headache seems to have been alright for the past couple of weeks or if it is actually better because of the probiotics themselves. I did take them a few months ago and, if I am not mistaken, I did feel better during that time.

My zinc drops that I ordered over three weeks ago have, nonetheless, not arrived thanks to the postal strike. Thank you Royal Mail.

On the low pain days I feel full of life and energy, ready to live the day ahead to the max. One temporarily forgets about the severe pain, and it’s not until it returns that you realize just how bad it is.

The other day somebody told me that - strange as it may sound and difficult as it may be - I have to start to befriend my pain, as this will help me come to terms with it. It may also help me get less worked up about it as the pain itself causes stress. Given that I have no answer and am not able to justify what I am living through, it angers me, thereby making me stressed.

I now have to try and befriend the pain and almost treat it as if it were one of my peers - given that I need to spend all day and all night with it, it’s best if I consider it a friend as opposed to an enemy. I have tried, and it’s not as easy as it sounds, especially when the pain intensifies and all I want to do is bang my head against the wall and tell the headache to stop tormenting me...

Day 103 - Kinesiology

"Kinesiology (pronounced kin-easy-ology) primarily uses muscle testing to gather information about the body's physical, chemical and emotional function and identifies any imbalances. In doing so, kinesiology can then aid the body's natural healing process by helping to correct these imbalances.

Kinesiology proposes that each muscle has a connection to an organ and also to energy that flows around the body through pathways (known as meridian channels). If a muscle test highlights an imbalance in the muscle, there could be stresses placed on the related organ and a blockage in the flow of energy. This affects a person's physical and emotional well-being.

American chiropractor George Goodheart is considered the father of kinesiology. In 1964, Goodheart proposed that muscle testing can be therapeutic as well as diagnostic. His 'Applied Kinesiology' used muscle testing methods and also utilised the Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy of meridian channels. Goodheart's kinesiology system uses correctional techniques, massage and nutritional advice to create a holistic therapy."*

*http://www.gotosee.co.uk/therapies/Kinesiology.htm

The osteopath emailed me the other day, reassuring me that I am “not in the age group for this [fibromyalgia] condition”.

Although it has become apparent that I do not have fibromyalgia, the initial shock of possibly having the illness has really affected me. As a result, I feel hurt and let down by him and am therefore more than happy to move on and go ahead with another treatment.

A very close friend told me that her boyfriend suffered from a persistent headache for over one year when he was only 16. He did innumerable blood tests, scans, and saw doctors who were reputedly amongst the best in the UK. The story sounded familiar.

He eventually managed to fight his headache through kinesiology.

This morning I went to see his kinesiologist, who he zealously recommended.

Once again, I recounted what I have been through in the past few months. I was relieved when I was cut short and asked to lie on the bed.

Just the thought of recounting what I have done or who I have seen due to the headache is exhausting. Furthermore, the story gets longer and more complex as time goes on.

The kinesiologist worked on my back and explained I had two vertebrae out of place. I was surprised the osteopath hadn’t noticed, as a misplaced vertebra - let alone two - is not exactly something easy to overlook.

He then ‘muscle tested’ me, whereby he examined which internal organs were weak, or not functioning properly, by making me exert pressure on my arm or leg muscles.

“Each muscle is related to an internal organ”, he explained to me. “When your arm or leg weakens as I exert pressure on one of your organs, your body is telling me it is weak and needs strengthening. Basically, that part of the body needs help.”

The kinesiologist believes my headaches are somehow related to my gut.

He has suggested taking some supplements to correct and alleviate the headache, including Vitamin C, lactose free probiotics and oil supplements.