WE’RE BACK AGAIN – WITH AN ‘OLYMPIC’ EDITION OF THE 2012 FIBROMYALGIA CONFERENCE & PAMPERING

by Jeanne Hambleton©

The good news is the southeast Fibromyalgia Conference with Pampering will go ahead next April 2012.

I was offered loads of real help and support for the Folly Pogs FM Cause for a Cure research fund (my passion), so I told myself the male members of my family who raised the most objections to more work and more conferences were wrong. I rewrote our rulebook. It now reads we should do it again, and possibly again and even again, as long as the delegates enjoy and support the conference. Backed by the FMS SAS Sussex and Surrey charity trustees who are now involved with the work with Folly Pogs, we have a date to keep next Easter.

THE CONFERENCE
The Fibromyalgia Conference & Pamper Weekend will happen April 6/9 2012 (Easter weekend) at a hotel in Chichester. Our original venue was fully booked for 2012 so we had no choice but to move. We appreciate it is the first Bank Holiday of the year when families get together but why not bring your partner/sister/mother and dad with you. There are loads to see and do in Chichester, Portsmouth and Brighton and you know where the beaches are – Bracklesham Bay and West Wittering.

The venue offers in-house pampering for a fee, with free use of the spa, steam room, great ‘warm’ indoor pool, comfy beds, en suite, TV, tea making, telephone etc. We even have a special vacation offer for couples who want to stay on for an Easter break until the following Friday with a list of tourist attractions to visit.

THE PROGRAMME
We will again offer a full programme of interesting and keynote speakers, workshops and some exercises plus therapies, books and a modest exhibition – all being well. Plans are underway. The weekend – 3 nights 4 days from Friday to Monday will cost £179 per person sharing a double room.

FOR THE ROMANTICS AMONG YOU
We also have a special bridal suite and two bedrooms with four-posters available for the ‘romantics’ among you. We only have the three so payment secures your choice. Sadly there are no single rooms and the hotel requires a £50 single supplement, so bring a friend and share. This time we only have 70 rooms – beds for 150 people – less accommodation than usual – and already more than half these are booked. So hurry and get in touch if you want to come and learn about your condition plus enjoy the fun.

WHAT DOES YOUR MONEY BUY
Your fee (£179) for the weekend pays for accommodation, full board, 3 meals plus tea and coffee breaks, a choice of approximately 12 speakers, 12 workshops, exercises (some of this may be subject to change depending on the availability of those providing the presentations etc.), evening entertainment, some laughs and giggles.

Many delegates who came before are already booked to come back to Chichester. The Fibro Fillies Race Night is back too – horses to name and races to sponsor for research…. and the raffle for research too – prizes always welcome – thanks.

It will be another memorable weekend to make new friends with like minded folk, the chance to speak one to one with our speakers, learn more about your condition, join one of the informal workshops where you can ask questions and relax, and take part in fun competitions – the Easter Bonnet Parade; the Fibro Duck with Appropriate Owner competition (FDAO); and the ‘Olympic’ challenges when we have worked these out. Any ideas? These may be a bit challenging but nothing too hard for a fibromite. One might include knitting squares for a good cause – how quick and how many maybe? Stella Bernardi will highlight knitting as a diversion from pain in one of our workshops.

For more information and a conference booking form email me at jeannehambleton@me.com with CONFERENCE in the subject line please.

A big thanks to Pam Stewart – without her input we might still be floundering and wondering what to do and I would not have a new family rule book. Hooray. Thanks Pam – your heart is in the right place. We all appreciate what you do for the FM community. Also big thanks for the FMS SAS charity and it’s trustees for its help and support.

WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?
After expenses remaining funds will be donated to the Folly Pogs Fibromyalgia Research Uk (Cause for a Cure). I believe we all need a cure – if only for the next generation as it is hereditary.

Statistic already show 2.7 million folk in the UK have been diagnosed with FM and we believe the same number have our pains which many GPs cannot diagnose due to lack of training in fibromyalgia. It can take two years to get a diagnosis. Stress is our enemy and a prime trigger for fibro flares which may put fibromites in bed for a week. The USA claim fibromyalgia is reaching worldwide epidemic proportions.

For some fibromites coming to conference can be an escape from their four walls, plus depression and isolation which so many fibromites suffer apart from the pains, chronic fatigue, sleep disorder, cognitive behaviour, IBS plus 50 other nasty symptoms. Thanks must go to a number of UK Rotary Clubs who so graciously funded the conference fee and trip for several fibromites on benefits at the last conference. You made a real difference to those gloomy lives. A big thanks to those Rotary Gents on behalf of the FM community.

Hope to see you at conference. Get in touch for a booking form. Take care. Keep well. Jeanne

FM CONFERENCE AND PAMPERS 2011 ANOTHER BIG HIT

By Jeanne Hambleton ©

The Fibromyalgia Conference and Pamper Weekend in April on the south coast was another great success inspite of cancellations by the Americans. Described as a ‘coalition’ conference many Group Leaders played a major part in collecting stage payments at group meetings over several months, to enable delegates to come to conference. Without the support of those Leaders, many living on benefits would have been unable to come. Others found their local Rotary Club willing to help fund their visit to the conference. So many people pulled together to make it happen and during the ‘fond farewell’ it was clear that they all enjoyed themselves.

The conference brought together two major charities, FMA UK and FMS SAS (Surrey and Sussex) to work with FibCon independent conference Folly Pogs team, striving to raise funds for research to find a cure. The success of the event was due to those who supported us and a few dedicated people who desperately want to see a cure for fibromyalgia.

It was another ‘win win’ event for delegates with 14 speakers, 14 work-shops, with many presentations provided by fibromites with a story to tell. There were also exercise programmes and good evening entertainment. Delegates are still talking about the fibro fillies horse racing and racing pigs with knitted woollen jockeys, the Friday highlight. Saturday saw the Cockney Barrow Boys with a sing-along of London songs and a mini re-enactment of an air raid with siren, which brought memories flooding back to some. On Sunday the conference was entertained by a team of four mediums, with humour, bringing messages from loved ones and the return of a favourite comedian who entertained us in 2010 – Paul James.

COMPETITIONS
Some 19 delightful Fibro Ducks were entered for the Best Dressed FD competition with three winners – Debbie Wilson, Maggie Stewart, and Orla Desmond – all winning first place. I am guessing the surnames are right as no one gave their full name. Judges Pam Stewart, Nichola Bond and Simon Stuart found it hard to make a choice. The Fibro Pearly Queen, the first prizewinner, was Maggie Perry, fibromite, who runs a Bed and Breakfast business in Kenilworth in the Midlands. Running a close second were the Pearly Prince and Princess, Ahmed Benallegue and Orla Desmond from Reading, who had also spent hours stitching on Pearlie buttons, to the delight of Cockney Jim, the Pearly King of Camberwell and Bermondsey.

PROGRAMME
Due to the unexpected late cancellation of the American doctors it was difficult to find replacement keynote USA speakers. But UK Dr Kim Lawson, international researcher, from Sheffield University, was among the favourite speakers with two presentations. Dr Nick Avery (CAM) returned and was well received again. Following her success in 2010 Dr Nina Bailey returned and after her presentation spent the day talking to fibromites about their problems. Dr Mark Cropley from Surrey University, a sleep specialist, also visited conference to network, to meet delegates and hear the speakers.

Dr Ian Rubenstein, a GP, had some humourous stories to tell and brought light hearted entertainment to the speakers’ room with his medical and mediumship re collections. Other speakers included Dr Thierry Conrozier, a French consultant rheumatologist; Dr Ruolin Sun, a Chinese herbalist and acupuncturist; nutritionist Joanna Majithia from the Institute of Optimum Nutrition; Mary Jane Burgess, a clinical hypnotherapist from Mind over Matter; Sue-Ellen Nicholls and Nicky Stoddart, pain management consultants; Andy Pothecary, a Special Rheumatology Pharmacist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro; Rebecca Richmond, creator and author of Forget Fibromyalgia; Steve Porter and Heather Gale who spoke about titanium technology and the new healing Black Wand; and Ken Murishwar from Midhurst who told his audience being healthier is simple, with just juice and 5 a day.

In the workshops mainly presented by fibromite, Suzie Oulton told her proto-col story from wheelchair to back to normal and offered tasters of her ’green magic’ which looked suspicious but was quite tasty; Jane Russell the dental hygienist who was a big hit in 2010 was back with more information and dental goody bags; Caroline Hinkes spoke about the Tried and Tested group, HeartMath practitioner and training; Kristina Richardson offered inspired coaching for getting back to work. Kit Stapely gave a talk and laughter workshop, and describing how laughter helped her recover from cancer. Marie-Caroline Scheid-Pickford described her very cold experience at -135o Celsius with cryotherapy (Kriotherapy) at Champneys.

Stella Bernardi, FMS SAS Co-Chair had prepared her work for the power point presentation on Computers for Beginners. But due to a fall she landed in hospital two days before conference and did not make it to conference. Our best wishes for a speedy recovery Stella. Instead Ray Brunton from the Worthing FM SG, an IBM computer buff, stepped in and ran the workshop. A big thanks Ray. With another last minute cancellation due to illness Nichola Bond GL from Worthing FM SG stepped in with ‘How to Start a Group’. Delia Mead with her Family History workshop in the coffee shop was a great success and was busy all morning with her magazines and ‘how to’ brochures.

The exercise workshops were provided by Roz Macarthur who did dance and tone and Pilates, while Chris Milton taught Tai Chi and Qigong mediation and breathing. Anna Moorby, visiting from London introduced the new Healthy Steps – a mixture of dance and exercise introduced as the Lebden system. Sunday saw tables and stands with pamper therapists, mind body and soul readers, art, handicraft and products.

FMA UK and FM SAS both had information stands available throughout the weekend and helped each other and many of the delegates. There was lots of talking to like minded folk, joy, laughter and delight at meeting friends from last year and as well as quite a bit of problem solving. Chairman of the FMA UK Trustees Pam Stewart and SAS Trustee and Worthing GL Nichola Bond and were answering FM questions all weekend – a great opportunity not often available.

THE FUTURE
I am under ‘family orders’ to stand back and give up the conference, but I have heard whispers that the conference is expected to go on possibly in April 2012, so watch this space. As South Downs, the present venue, is already fully booked for 2012, the conference would have to find a new venue. I am told a few folk are hoping to keep the conference going and make this happen again in 2012. Somehow I think I may be disobeying orders, as I cannot believe I will be able to stand back and not share a tip or two.

THANKS
Our thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the event such a success. Special thanks to Glenda and Martin and their two ‘apprentice film makers’ Sophie and Aruna Murishwar who were volunteered by Dad to do some filming. Only two speakers did not wish to be filmed. What we have we will share with you once the film is available. But please be patient as this may take some time due to health, namely fibromyalgia. Meanwhile work is going ahead on finalising the DVDs from the 2010 conference with Prof. Choy and other key speakers. We are all still reeling from the 2011 conference and pressure of work but as soon as these are available we will let you know.

A sincere and very big thanks to the following folk in no particular order – Heather Butterick, GL Nene Valley who was OC in the speakers’ room and did a grand job of keeping everyone running on time with the help of her dear husband, Roger; Simon Stuart our techno wizard who looked after the equipment in the speakers’ room for the two days of presentations and the race night; thanks to the Wittering Freemasons – Bill, Brian, Stuart, Peter, and wives Pam and Pauline for organising the race night and tote and to Glenda and Martin who helped out on the tote. A big thanks to Lorely who picked and deliver back to the Station, speakers who came by train; Leanne Daniel GL Horndean who took copious notes of the presentations along with Denise Rhodes. Thanks to Jenny Oaks, Pauline (co GL Chichester), Glenna and Arthur who all did long stints on the front desk dealing with enquiries. A big thanks also to those who worked behind the scenes writing letters, Helen and Suzie and my gratitude must go to my family and to my dear friend, Sarah who fished me out of deep water, got me back on dry line and working once again. Without this support we would not be recalling happy moments at the conference.

THE VENUE
Thanks also to all the staff at South Downs who did a grand job – kitchen dining room, entertainments and admin – I personally did not receive one complaint. My bed was comfortable, the food was good even though I was often late and the service was excellent -some said better than a 5 star hotel. From the response on Monday morning I think most of you enjoyed the weekend.

Thanks to everyone who came and supported the conference – without you there would have been no fun, laughter and help for each other. Thanks to those fibromites who gave presentations, did workshops, signed their books. To those who gave their time selflessly to make the event happen, my personal thanks. Also our gratitude to the entertainers, speakers, therapists and Tranquility, who all helped to make the weekend a big success.

FURTHER INFORMATION
The contact details of most folks who entertained were printed in the programme. If you need information and no longer have the programme a short email with FIBCON 2011 INFORMATION in the subject will bring whatever details I have, back to you. Email me at fibrowhat@me.com.

WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?
I wish I knew – the bills seemed to be higher this year – maybe it was petrol costs, rising prices or perhaps we just wanted more this time. Who knows, but our money did not buy as much as it did last year. Apart from Labrha, the French company manufacturing Fibromyalgine, who sponsored the conference bags, there was no other sponsorship. I made at least 12 grant applications all without success – I believe this may be because we are not yet a registered charity and the effects of the current cut backs in the voluntary sector. But we are working hard to get registered. Donations or fund raising for the Folly Pogs research fund are always very welcome.

As before we begged, borrowed and stole short term, to get the show on the road, supported by the Folly Pogs (FM Philanthropists Research Fund). We had a handsome donation from Cherry Cull of Horndean, also a very respectable donation from an anonymous local fibromite. The proceeds of the race night and the raffle will be added to the research fund. I am hoping all those folks and groups who raised money for the Americans’ non-visit will agree these funds should find their way to research to help find a cure. Thanks to Marie-Caroline for her help and support and the £313 sponsorship from her 100-mile walk she has now donated to research.

We will be talking to Dr Kim Lawson, one of our keynote speakers, about research and hope in the future to sponsor some research through him. We do need to raise some mega bucks before then. We already have around 8 would-be trustees willing to help when we become a registered charity – so we live in hopes. All donations gratefully received – we all want a cure – contact me at email address below- and thanks.

2012 CONFERENCE
I said in a weak moment I could not do it again – but guess what – the conference lives on. There will be another April conference and pamper weekend in West Sussex during Easter weekend – Friday to Monday supported by the Folly Pogs and FMS SAS. Details are yet to be arranged but we only have half the accommodation, so it will be first come first booked. To stake your claim write to jeannehambleton@me.com with FibCon 2012 in the subject please.

Meanwhile take care and look after yourselves. Fibro hugs Jeanne

UK Fibromyalgia Conference & Unique Pamper Weekend

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton

With just weeks to go to the final booking date, fibromites from all around the UK are rushing for places at a weekend filled with laughter, fun, relaxation and learning.

Believed to be the first Fibromyalgia Conference in the south east of England working under the FMA UK umbrella, influenced by a yoga teacher working with fibromites, Sarah Owen, the event is offering pampering as a unique part of the programme along with leading speakers in the field of fibromyalgia.

Between 20 and 30 pamper therapists are expected to give free tasters allowing fibromites to try complementary therapies they have not previously experienced prior to booking one to one therapies at reduced cost at conference.

While many visitors are coming for the pamper experience, lots of fibromites have admitted they want to meet like-minded people from other groups with the view to twinning with other UK groups. Living in a world that does not understand fibromyalgia, those suffering with FMS enjoy the company of others suffering with the same condition. The idea of twinning has prompted one small Tee group with just 12 members to be the first group to enlist in a twinning programme with a partner group.

Others are anxious to listen to the speakers, attend workshops and try new treatments in the exhibition for those with disability and needing pain relief. The event will include scooters, adjustable beds, tilt and rise chairs, walk in baths, walkers, wheelchairs, fancy walking sticks and much more.

Dr. Ernest Choy, a consultant rheumatologist from Kings College Hospital, London, who specialises in fibromyalgia, who will travel from the annual meeting of the British Society of Rheumatology to join the conference. The Doctor will talk about new advances in the understanding of fibromyalgia. Other speakers will discuss sleep, pain management, digestive problems, chronic fatigue syndrome, food and mood, nutrition, benefits, and the controversial lightning process used by Esther Rantzen’s daughter for her ME/CFS.

Social highlights of the weekend will be the Fibro Factor, a chance for fibromites to have their moment in the spotlight. Following a gala dinner there will be the Folly Pogs Ball with posh frocks and dickie bow ties or fancy dress options. On Sunday the audience will join a charity auction of donated gifts to raise funds for fibromyalgia research.

Among the visitors will be Pam Stewart, chairman of the board of trustees for FMA UK, who is also the Vice President of the European Network of Fibromyalgia Association. Pam is looking forward to meeting newly diagnosed fibromites, members and group leaders.

“We have every intention on over dosing on laughter, which is the best medicine and has no side effects,” said who is one of the main organisers.

For more information email jeannehambleton@mac.com.

Pets for Depression and Health

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton (UK)

By Kathleen Doheny – Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD – WebMD Feature

Can your depression problems improve when you interact with your pet?

Traffic was unbearable, the workday was long, and the boss unreasonable. But minutes later, as your pet dog wags his tail and yips his welcome, your symptoms of depression lift.

It is not a coincidence, according to psychologists, veterinarians, and researchers, who concur that pets can be good for our mental and physical health. A pet cannot cure symptoms of depression, of course, nor is a pet a substitute for medication or talk therapy. But a pet can help to improve mild or moderate depression in many people, experts agree, as well as provide other benefits, such as better sleep and overall health.

Pets and Depression: What Therapists Say

Pets offer psychological and physical comfort, says Teri Wright, PhD, a psychologist in Santa Ana, Calif., who keeps a parakeet and two hamsters in her office to break the ice with children she treats — but finds that adults like them, too.

Pets, she says, “Just feel good to hold on to.”

Psychologically, she says, “They make you feel important, like you matter.” How, for instance, could you not feel better when your dog wags his tail and pants upon your return, even if you have just returned from a half-hour errand?

Wright has two guinea pigs, Dex (for Dexadrin, the ADHD drug) and Zac (short for Prozac), and feels pretty important when they squeal upon her return home. “No one else gives them parsley,” she says of their favorite snack.

The Power of Pets for Improving Your Mood and Health

The power of pets in improving mood can be summed up in two words, says Alan Entin, PhD, a psychologist in Richmond, Va.: “Unconditional love.”

Dogs, in particular, are always glad to see you, he notes. “When you are feeling down and out, the puppy just starts licking you, being with you, saying with his eyes, ‘You are the greatest.’ When an animal is giving you that kind of attention, you cannot help but respond by improving your mood and playing with it.”

Besides unconditional loves, a pet relieves loneliness, Entin points out. Depression and loneliness can go together as people withdraw. “For many people pets are the only relatives they have. It relieves their loneliness. People with animals tend to relate to them and they feel better.”

Having a pet takes the focus off the owner’s problems, Entin says, since having a pet is a commitment–you need to feed and care for the pet. “When people have a pet in the house, it forces them to take care of another life,” Entin says. With the focus outward, he says, the pet owner may not dwell on their depressed mood as much.

The pet does not have to be a dog or a cat. British psychiatrist Camilla Haw, in fact, recommends pet parrots as ideal pets for some patients with symptoms of depression.

“I have kept pet parrots for 20 years and can recommend them for the house bound, the lonely and patients with depression, especially middle-aged women suffering from the ‘empty nest syndrome,’” she writes in Psychiatric Bulletin. The birds can be loyal, loving, and provide good companionship, she says.

Pets and Depression: Veterinarians Weigh In

Pets often serve as confidantes, says Bonnie V. Beaver, DVM, a professor of veterinary medicine at Texas A&M University.

Pets also can increase social exposure for their owners — another good way to boost mood, she says. Dogs need walks, and that gets their owners out with other people, inspiring social contacts.

“People talk to people with animals,” she says, more so than people without pets.

Easing Stress With Your Pet

Pets help your mental health primarily by decreasing your stress, believes Richard Timmins, DVM, of Camano Island, Wash., and director of the Association for Veterinary Family Practice. Just petting your animals can be soothing, he and others say.

Having a pet in the house can change the entire ambience, as Timmins has discovered. His parents, when they were both 83, decided to adopt a “boutique mutt,” a shih tzu-bichon mix. Timmins and his four siblings were concerned that the puppy would be too much work.

“My mother had difficulty with mobility and we worried the dog would trip her,” he says. “My dad had had cardiac problems and a hip replaced.”

Turns out, the dog was anything but a problem. While his parents were not depressed, they had become less interested in activities, Timmins says. The dog changed all that. “Now they are outside walking the dog a couple times a day. It has given my mother and father topics to discuss with golf buddies.”

Pets and Health: The Research

Studies about the mental health and physical health benefits of pets abound. Among the more recent findings:

The overall health of dog owners is better than those who do not have dogs, according to a study that evaluated women ages 25 to 40 in China. Half of the 3,031 women owned dogs and half did not. Those who had dogs exercised more often, slept better, reported better fitness levels and fewer sick days, and saw their doctors less often. The study is in Social Indicators Research.

Pets provide opportunities for social contact, according to a study in Social Science & Medicine, and that can be good for someone down in the dumps. Researchers asked 339 adults in Western Australia about their social contact and pet ownership. The pet owners interacted more with neighbors than non-owners.

Having a dog — and petting it — may be good for your cardiovascular system, although this research has yielded mixed results. In one study, however, pet owners had lower blood pressure and blood fat levels than non-owners, researchers report in the Medical Journal of Australia. Other research has not found a difference in blood pressure levels among pet owners and non-owners.

Pets and Depression: Caveats

Pets help most when symptoms of depression are mild or moderate, psychologists say.

“If you are already so depressed you cannot take care of yourself, having an animal is going to make it worse,” says Wright.

Another caveat: If someone is not a “pet person,” getting one is not likely to help improve their life, says Timmins.

“There are some people who have not had that pet experience growing up,” he says. “They have never had a relationship with an animal. They would be less likely to benefit.”

“But if the conditions are right, pets can help mental health,” he says. “The benefits have been shown for all kinds of pets,” he said, not just dogs and cats. Even watching fish in an aquarium has been shown to help reduce muscle tension and pulse rate, he says, citing research published nearly 20 years ago.

SOURCES:Alan Entin, PhD, psychologist, Richmond, Va., Teri Wright, PhD, psychologist, Santa Ana, Calif., Richard Timmins, DVM, executive director, Association for Veterinary Family Practice, Camano Island, Wash., Bonnie V. Beaver, DVM, professor of veterinary medicine, Texas A&M University, DeSchriver, M. Anthrozoos, 1990; vol 4: pp 44-48., Wright, J. Epidemiology, September 2007; vol 18: pp 613-618., Wood, L. Social Science Medicine, September 2005; vol 61: pp 1159-1173., Anderson, W. Medical Journal of Australia, Sept. 7, 1992; vol 157: pp 298-301., Haw, C. Psychiatric Bulletin, April 2007; vol 31: pp 154-155., Headey, B. Social Indicators Research, June 6, 2007; vol 87: pp 481-493., Reviewed on December 12, 2008.

© 2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
(http://www.webmd.com/depression/recognizing-depression-symptoms/pets-depression?ecd=wnl_dep_042409)epressikon and Health

SEE http://jeannehambleton77.wordpress.com for a fibromyalgia dog story

Enduring chronic stress can destroy brain cells

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton (UK)

COURTESY OF KELOWNA CAPITAL NEWS – bclocalnews.com

By Annie Hopper – Kelowna Capital News- April 18, 2009

Does stress damage the brain? Accumulative stress not only affects your ability to remember and learn but research scientists have now discovered that chronic stress actually damages and kills brain cells.

Eliminating sources of stress and finding ways to reverse and minimize the effects of stress is our number one health challenge.

Stress is much more than feeling uptight about life.

Unhealthy forms of stress can be emotional (consistent fear, anger or worrying), mental (obsessive thought patterns, negative self talk) or physical (like a car accident, accumulative chemical exposure, virus, infection or chronic pain).

Is it possible that these stressors are at the very root of many life ailments?

The answer here folks is an undeniable YES.

Accumulative stress, in all of its forms, can have a damaging effect on brain function and structure.

This results in faulty brain wiring that not only causes impaired brain function, but can also manifest as a variety of health challenges as well as a maladapted response to stress.

A surprising consequence to brain function as the result of stress is that it can impair the normal neuronal sensory input and the circuitry in the brain can become interrupted or cross-wired.

What this means is that the regular function for a specific part of the brain becomes impaired somehow. The degree of impairment is directly related to how the brain has “crossed its wires” so to speak.

In the case of chronic pain this can mean that the pain signals keep occurring despite lack of a trigger or tissue damage.

We literally get stuck in impaired brain pathways that “feel” real.

Travelling down this impaired pathway also triggers us to think in specific ways in order to protect the perceived injury.

Our thoughts become consumed with how we can avoid pain, and worrying about what might happen if we trigger the pain.

This “protective” thinking strengthens and reinforces this abnormal pathway.

This protective thinking can also set off a cascading effect of stress in the body that not only causes more pain, but can also set off a cascading effect in the body.

Chronic stress also effects immune system function.

The good news here is that the brain has the ability to change and heal itself.

This is known as neuroplasticity and it is the greatest breakthrough in neuroscience in the last four hundred years.

Through practiced mental and behavioural training we have the power to act back on the brain and alter the neuronal patterns that are at the root of many illnesses. And I am not just talking about learning how to meditate here, although meditation is always a valuable tool to have in your wellness tool kit.

I am talking about tools that will help you retrain your brain, transform your health and reclaim your life.

Tools that will assist you in creating your personal health makeover—both internally and externally.

On May 8 to 10, I will teach a three-day brain training workshop called the Dynamic Neural Retraining System at the Hotel Eldorado.

In this workshop, I will show you how to promote radical, positive neuroplastic changes in the brain and how to decrease the body and brain’s stress response.

I consider this workshop extremely valuable for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndromes, multiple chemical sensitivities, electro-magnetic sensitivities and a host of anxiety disorders.

Seating is limited to 10 participants.

Please contact me for more information or to register. Early bird registration is until April 27.

Annie Hopper is a Core Belief Counsellor in Kelowna. 250-862-1766. http://www.anniehopper.com

© Copyright Black Press. All rights reserved
(http://www.bclocalnews.com/lifestyles/43195802.html)

SEE: http://jeannehambleton77.wordpress.com for more health stories