If you have ever been to Body of Health, you will see that our motto is “Hurt less, Heal quicker, and Have a better Quality of Life”. “Quality of life” is one of those phrases that most of us take for granted. We really don’t think about it on a day-to-day basis. We just get up in the morning, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to work, maybe work out, walk the dog, do evening routines, and go to bed. But, if you ever get sick or injured and need the help of another, then the quality of life is changed.
Those little things you use to do by yourself, you can no longer do. For example, if you have a shoulder injury, you cannot lift your arm to brush your hair, or you have a knee replacement and you cannot reach your foot to put on your shoe. And then there is the big wake up call, the diagnosis of cancer. With all of the treatments, you lose muscle mass, risk blood clots, have multitudes of doctor appointments, lose energy and appetite, and the list goes on. Talk about a major change in the quality of life!!
I wanted to share with you some wonderful success stories that have happened at my clinic that have restored just a little more quality of life into people’s lives. It is the little things that give hope and independence to those that are suffering. It is not rocket science. The oldest medicine in the world is “touch”.
I had a client come to me who had broken her wrist. Surgery was needed in order to set the bones and physical therapy was done to restore muscle strength and mobility. Unfortunately, she did not fall into that typical six-week window to heal and, by the end of two months, she could not make a fist or hold small objects much less attempt to cook or fold laundry. This was a change in the quality of life. After just a few sessions of scar therapy, lymph drainage, and massage, she was able to regain movement of her hand and start doing the normal day to day tasks. You see, she needed to release the scar adhesions, reduce the thickened, swollen tissues, and release tight, guarded muscles in the hand and arm.
Another example of quality of life would be a client I had that experienced loss of sleep, anxiety, pain, and inflammation from fibromyalgia. She had seen several doctors and was taking multiple medications. With fibro, the nerves in the muscles continue to fire and cause inflammation and fatigue. It is also an immune disorder. With several sessions of lymph drainage and light message along with tissue work, this client was able to sleep through the night for the first time in a long while. Her appetite increased and she was able to get through the day with very little fatigue and pain. By paying attention to the soft tissues, and clearing the immune function (lymph), this client was able to experience a much greater quality of life.
Lastly, I want to share a client that had lymphedema in his legs. This was brought on by lymph node removal due to cancer. Both legs were so swollen that he could not bend his knees enough to get into his small sports car. His tissues felt like they were about to burst open due to the swelling and his legs felt like wooden pegs. After multiple treatments and rerouting the edema, this client drove up to our office in his sports car!! Wow, that is quality of life restored! The range of motion in his legs was greatly improved and he was able to play golf and work full time with no pain.
What does quality of life mean to you? You do not have to suffer so much. Be proactive and make the changes necessary to live a wonderful quality of life!