Recovery Lab
Perspectives on persistent pain, the mind-body connection and freedom from pain.
26 articles
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Have you ever considered how chronic pain in the workplace impacts not only your employees but also your company’s overall productivity and bottom line? According to the National Library of Medicine, Chronic pain affects an estimated 1 in 5 adults. The impact of chronic pain extends beyond personal well-being, posing a considerable cost to employers […]
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Doctors and other medical professionals often see patients who don’t get better with usual treatments. Many people deal with ongoing pain issues like headaches, back and neck pain, and conditions like fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome, among others. These health issues can also lead to things like chronic fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety, and depression. When […]
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If you’ve found yourself battling with anxiety or chronic pain, you’re not alone. Many of my clients share a common thread beyond their specific struggles – they’re self-professed people-pleasers. In this week’s blog post, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of people-pleasing and how it intertwines with anxiety and chronic pain. So, sit back, relax, […]
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Are you struggling with persistent pain? If yes, you’re probably already doing everything you can from a medical point of view. You may have seen doctors or specialists, your possibly taking medication and you may have even considered surgery. By now you’re probably frustrated going around in circles, feeling helpless and no closer to finding […]
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This blog post is a first-hand account of one of my clients, Hermione, who has been dealing with persistent pain for over a year. Throughout her journey, she has learned valuable lessons about life, mortality, and the power of the subconscious mind. Despite the challenges she has faced, Hermione has come a long way and […]
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When pain strikes, it can be hard to know what to do. It can be overwhelming and leave you feeling helpless. But there are things you can do to help alleviate the pain and get back on track. This blog post, will explore four things you can do when pain strikes. For instance, the other […]
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When physicians are not able to find the root cause of our chronic pain, the next step is almost always to have an MRI or CT scan. But should we? Before blindly being led down the Western medical route this article will help you to question what is right for you. MRI and CT scans […]
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Let’s explore the very real impact of supporting someone with persistent pain both at work and at home. During a podcast interview with Ryan Tyack from Potential is Human, I was asked me about how my husband, Chris, dealt with my chronic pain for so many years. I realized what a huge topic […]
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In this post, I will be sharing the 4 steps to healing chronic pain, a topic that affects many people and can be frustrating to deal with. It’s not uncommon for those experiencing pain to feel overwhelmed and hopeless, especially when medical professionals are unable to provide a clear diagnosis. About 1 in 4 […]
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You’re tossing and turning. It’s another sleepless night. Predictably… Fear kicks in. What if I don’t sleep again? What will happen tomorrow? What if this keeps happening to me? Before long we’ve developed a fear of not sleeping which only makes matters worse. Did you know? Some birds sleep with one eye open. Why? […]
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Back in 2016, I was a full-time working mum living abroad. I never stopped and was trying to balance a million things. I was attempting to be a Super-Mum, a Perfect-Wife and a Full-time Director of HR Sadly, I was also in physical pain and had given up most of the sporty things I loved […]
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I wish I didn’t have so much empathy… I wish I wasn’t such a people pleaser… I wish I didn’t overthink everything… What do you wish? Every day I meet someone who wishes they were more like someone else. If there was such thing as a personality transplant, they would take it. One of the […]
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I realized four years ago that I needed to de-stress if I wanted to heal my pain. And this is what happened… I tried relaxing. I didn’t have time. I tried meditation. I failed. I tried to work less. I didn’t. There was always something addictive about having so much going on. So many people […]
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What’s wrong with your personality? “I know I shouldn’t be such a people pleaser” “Everyone tells me I have too much empathy” “I wish I were better at handling confrontation” These are just some examples of things I often hear from clients. Are we all secretly ashamed of being ourselves? Dr Brené Brown, a […]
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“The problem is I have too much empathy…” This is something I hear all the time from clients. But is this a bad thing? What if ‘empathy’ was one of your greatest strengths? In this article we will explore what is empathy and why you should stop telling yourself (and others) that you have […]
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When we feel stressed our bodies are on high alert. When I’m stressed, I feel as though I’m holding my breath, my jaw is tense, and I feel as though time is slipping away. Although everyone experiences stress differently, we are all wired to be on the lookout for danger. Why? Because million’s of years […]
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When we are stressed, we crave control. The easiest way to feel in control is to default to what we do best. What feels most familiar. If you’ve have taken the Clifton Strengths assessment you know what your top 5 strengths are. The problem is when we are stressed, we may use one or two […]
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As a Clifton Strengths Coach, I’ve always loved Gallup’s Clifton Strengths Assessment. But it wasn’t until I realized my on-going back pain was due to stress that I discovered the true magic and simplicity of the tool. Discovering and using my natural strengths dramatically reduced my stress levels and was a pivotal part of my […]
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I don’t mind admitting that this past year has made me overly sensitive and just a bit more judgmental. Under stress, our differences seem to be exaggerated which causes more stress. So… let’s dig in and see why this is the case and what can we do about it. Look around at the people in […]
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There was a time, not that long ago, that I would have done anything to get rid of my back pain. And I mean anything! My insurance had just denied my request for surgery and I was tired of having steroid injections only to have the pain return a couple of weeks later. I had […]
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I healed 10 years of persistent back pain using the mind-body approach. Now my life is even better than before. Although this story is about my back pain, I encourage you to read the story and consider your own symptoms and life events. The mind-body approach can work on so many symptoms, even if the […]
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Journaling was one of the main tools I used to empty out my pressure cooker of emotions which caused me years of chronic back pain. Yes… this technique does help with chronic pain but it’s also fantastic for anyone who wants to: Release the buildup of daily stress Clear your mind for extra clarity Sleep […]
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Imagine if there was a way we could de-stress that was free, quick and effective? Guess what? There is. It’s called journaling. And all you need is a pen and paper. Journaling is probably not what you’re thinking… The journaling i’m talking about has no resemblance to a teenage girl’s diary full of happy memories, […]
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Have you ever snapped in a situation and then wished you didn’t? Yes? Me too! The sad thing is that I tend to snap with those I love the most. Why? Maybe it’s a numbers game, the probability of them being on the receiving end of my snippy comments is higher. Maybe it has become […]
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Are you an Expatriate trapped abroad because of Covid19? I was totally unaware that Covid19 was about to strike when we said our goodbyes to my family in the UK at the end of 2019. Almost a year later international travel is still on hold. Having missed our summer trip to the UK and now […]
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Once upon a time there was a little princess that worked in the Human Resources Department (it was me)! I believed like Mary Poppins that I was ‘Practically perfect in every way’. Because I was so perfect I knew that everyone else was the issue! My boss was always focusing on the past. My counter-part […]
