Managing Pain

Recently I got rather carried away with my hiking. Enjoying the culture and countryside of Rhodes, I walked over 5 miles per day for 7 days in a row. I'd been pain-free for so many years, I'd almost forgotten that I used to have problems with my feet.

Once back in Devon I organised a walk on Dartmoor for friends and family. The walk was lovely, but everyone seemed to have issues that day - they were either tired, grumpy or distracted. It felt strained and I was struggling a bit with the pace set by the youngsters.

After my walking holiday in Greece, doing another 5 miles, while inadvertently feeling a bit tense, triggered my old plantar fasciitis injury for the first time in 17 years.

And now I'm suffering boohoo :(

I could dwell on the 'what if' and the 'poor me' but instead I choose to treat it as a reminder to 'stay up'. Every step I take, I consciously lighten up from the ground instead of pulling down into the pain and fear - and it helps loads!

I'm also taking all the practical measures I've learned over the years: ice, rest, taping, anti-inflammatory gels and pills, trainers, more rest, massage, stretching, vasodilators etc.

It's full-time pain-management and it will help in time.

The biggest thing though is attitude - physical and emotional. I have to replace any fearful messages to myself with positive ones - I know I can recover because I've done it before!

And I have to practice Alexander Technique very carefully, non-stop.

It's conscious, constructive mind and body control.

My phrase which I think over and over is:

RISE ABOVE IT !