Hi all,

In my experience: When I was a teenager, I was overweight and stuff. I lived
abroad for a few years. I lost weight, and walked miles everyday. I was in
GREAT shape. Every time the weather changed, I knew it in my joints and stuff
even though I was in GREAT shape.  I got sick with an illness (reoccurring
tonsillitis) for close to a year in my mid-20's. Since then, I have been
struggling with weight issues (again, sigh!!!!) and food allergies. By the
time I was 31, I was living with constant pain in my ankles, told to get a
walker because I had "osteoarthritis, or osteoporosis" and I was going to
need it soon. I couldn't seem to lose the weight no matter what I did.

I went to a nutritionist who diagnosed me as having food allergies, I lost a
ton of weight on the diet within a short period of time. I did GREAT for
about a year. Sine then, I have noticed that certain foods trigger the joint
pains which will go away as soon as I stop eating certain foods. I am almost
back to the weight that I was when I started with the nutritionist, however,
I don't live in constant pain like most of you.

I have a lot of energy. I ride horses 3 days a week, have gained back a lot
of range of motion  and flexibility in my body because of the riding therapy.
I walk much straighter and taller than I have in years. My Rolfer is sooooo
impressed with the improvements that I have made in the past few years. She
can't get over it. She has known me for over 20 years.  I no longer walk in
the crouched position with my knees bent all the time. My upper back pain is
going away. (I have had a vertebrae or two out of place for the past 7 years
or so.) It is slowly returning to its place more and more without popping out
all the time. I am now working on changing my gait which when it becomes
permanent will be a lot more "normal" and take a lot of stress off my lower
back.

These changes are occurring because I am doing therapeutic horseback riding,
neurofeedback, Rolfing, and the NACD program. I also go to a chiro on a
pretty regular basis. I am also taking nutraceuticals products which are
helping my body cope as well. So do I think that you can help your body heal?
Yep, you bet!!! I am living proof of it. Do you have to believe that once you
start "falling apart" there's nothing you can do about it? NOPE!!!


The last ortho I consulted with told me that I didn't have "osteoarthritis or
osteoporosis" but that I have very limited range of motion in my feet due to
the surgeries that I have had which led to a "naturally fused bone" in my
feet which further reduces the range of motion available in my feet. I was
spraining my ankles on a regular basis trying to get some range of motion in
them that I don't have. This "naturally fused bone" is one that they wanted
to fuse in a "triple arthethosis" when I was a teen. I, of course, refused
this surgery among others and still don't need it. He told me that if I ever
had to have anything fused, it might be one bone, at worst two.

However since I started the NACD program and got wedges put in my shoes, my
ankles look less like they are ready to collapse and are straightening
themselves out because I am using those muscles more properly. I am no longer
wearing orthotics. I wore UCB orthotics which come up to the ankles.

Like I mentioned last week, I am getting INCREDIBLE results because of the
neurofeedback. I am much looser when I am consistent with it. Just some
thoughts of my own experience on how much control you really have over your
mind and body's abilities. Sorry for this being so long-winded and stuff. :-))


Dina