Do you suffer from chronic pain? Many people do. Today I’m happy to have  Janet Komanchuk, as my guest. She’s a retired schoolteacher who has experienced the miraculous remission of chronic, debilitating fibromyalgia, which was the result of many overlapping stressors and unresolved issues throughout her life. While weathering extreme fatigue and pain, she’d tried everything from traditional Western medicine to alcohol consumption and various holistic treatments. It wasn’t until she experienced the healing work of medium and healer Andrew Overlee, http://www.joyofhealing.com and his wife, Tamara, a dedicated spiritual counselor and author, that she was able to regain her life. She is now pain-free without any use of prescription medication. She is an educational writer and public relations assistant with Joy of Healing, Inc., in Valrico, Fla.

3 Questions Chronic Pain Sufferers Should Ask Themselves
By Janet Komanchuk

The numbers involved in America’s problem with chronic pain are staggering and probably larger than most realize. More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, costing nearly $600 billion annually in medical treatments and lost productivity, according to the Institute of Medicine, which adds that the total surpasses that of all people affected by heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined.

Despite the immense scope of the problem, very little is spent on research to find better ways to manage pain. Chronic pain has become a disease in its own right for many patients.

I suffered from fibromyalgia and was dealing with so much pain that, at age 52, I faced with the prospect of spending the rest of my life in a nursing home. Fibromyalgia syndrome is a complex, chronic condition of widespread muscular pain and fatigue that often includes sleep disturbances, impaired memory and concentration, depression and other debilitating symptoms.

When medical leave, morphine patches, codeine and myriad pharmaceuticals brought no relief, I took an early retirement and tried a different approach in combination with medical treatment. After finding an alternative healing therapy that works for me, I’ve  enjoyed more than 13 years of pain-free and prescription-free living.

Chronic pain sufferers who cannot find lasting relief should ask themselves the following three questions:

•    Have I really tried everything? I had been to orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, rheumatologists, psychologists, underwent MRIs and took all manner of medications for my unbearable pain. In a narrow sense, it would seem as though I’d exhausted all of my options – until I looked beyond traditional Western medicine. Alternative treatment led me to recognize the layers of stress throughout my life, which I believe was a primary driver of my pain.

•    Am I overlooking dietary triggers? The medical community continues to learn more about the benefits of healthy eating and specific diets for people with certain conditions, such as a gluten-free foods for those with sensitivities to gluten. Likewise, it can take years for someone to realize that they are lactose-intolerant, or have other food allergies. If you can’t pinpoint the source of chronic pain, and no treatment is working, find out what is healthy for your body. Eliminating wheat, sugar and many processed foods helped me.

•    Are your mind, body and spirit in balance? I thought I was living the life I was supposed to live, accumulating wealth and possessions, and I had a narrowly defined expectation of others. In reality, however, the priorities guiding my well-being, which are based in the mind, body and spirit, were skewed. Fueling a person’s physical experience of pain is often a cauldron of unresolved emotional issues.

At the height of my suffering I often said, “If every part of my body that hurt was bleeding, then you could begin to understand what I’m feeling.” I want to urge the millions who are struggling with chronic pain to never give up – and, to keep an open mind for treatment!
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