Welcome to No Pain, All Gain! My name is Andrea and I have found a way to greatly reduce the pain I live with due to Fibromyalgia, and I want to share it with you. Although my experience has been with Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia, I know this will help anyone with chronic pain to be able to live a vibrant life. Let me tell you a little bit about myself, so we can get acquainted.
I am a Christian wife and mother of 2 great kids, and we live with our 2 dogs and 3 cats in Southern Alberta, Canada. I was born with hip dysplasia, which is a condition where the hip sockets are not fully formed yet. A very diligent Doctor noticed this immediately after I was born, and I spent the first 6 weeks of life in a special splint so my hip sockets could create the curve necessary to keep the balls of my hips in place. The splint did its job, allowing me to crawl, walk, and run as any child would. The only reminder of the hip dysplasia is the occasional slipping of the ball out of socket, which I learned to maneuver back into place with stretching exercises. It was also discovered that I have mild Scoliosis, which is a curvature of the spine. It was recommended to my parents that I start ballet classes to help support my posture and strengthen the muscles to minimize the effects of the Scoliosis.
I was a very active child, despite these health challenges, so my mother did her best to keep me busy in whatever activities we could cram into our very busy schedules. I did dance from the age of 3 until I was 15, played basketball, cosom hockey, volleyball, and track during elementary school years. I even participated in basketball and track during high school. This was in addition to many other extracurricular activities like swimming and skating. With all this physical activity, the occasional injury was inevitable. As we all know, the joy of youth is being able to get back up again after injury and keep going as if nothing happened. As we get older the pain from those injuries tends to come back and remind us of those care free days, whether we want to remember them or not!
Over the years I have tried countless ways to reduce the pain, from over-the-counter medications, massage, chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy, acupuncture, and alternative therapies. Although I am still a great supporter of massage, chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy, and alternative therapies, I no longer use over-the-counter drugs because of the side effects and the councils given from God through Ellen G. White. God created our bodies, and through the Bible and Ellen G. White, He gave us instructions on how best to take care of them. It is through exercise and God’s Health message that I have found a way to greatly reduce the pain I experienced on a daily basis and be able to stay active with my family. When I am staying true to my diet and exercise routine, I can honestly say that I am pain free. It is only when I start to move away from these routines that the migraines, joint pain, and digestive issues come back with a vengeance. Refocusing on my diet and exercise routines causes the pain to subside again, so I know without a doubt that this works!
If you are interested in finding out about how to reduce the pain and enjoy your life again, please join me as I break down what has helped me get to where I am today. May God bless you as you start to follow His plan to enjoy your life with the healthy body and mind that He intended for you all along.