You are not your diagnosis

As a massage therapist, I see a lot of people with a variety of “issues” or “diagnosis”. From scoliosis to neuromas to anxiety, all of these things can be addressed in a number of ways, and massage therapy can assist in some way with all of them. But what I can often see in people is the finite outcome that a diagnosis can sometimes give them. In the right timing and through appropriate conversations and connections, I will often challenge people that these diagnoses don’t have to define them or limit their life in all ways.  

It is intriguing to me that you can have three different people, all with the same diagnosis, and yet they can all have three different experiences. That means varying symptoms, a difference of limitations can occur for these individuals, and affect their physical and mental in different ways. Because we are all so unique in our bodies, I like to look at the person as a whole, regardless of diagnosis, and meet them there. What are they feeling in their body, how does it present physically, mentally, emotionally and from here was can make a treatment plan to help them along their journey. I cannot fix these diagnosis’, but I am here to help aid in the healing process, or help pivot them into a different perspective, as sometimes a different diagnosis means a difference or change in the body and we need to make a change in our lifestyle to ease pain or adapt to a new way of being.  

Sometimes a diagnosis can feel heavy mentally and emotionally. You might be told to “stop” doing this or that you need to do all of these protocols to keep going. In certain cases, this can be true, but from what I have seen in my practice and experienced in my own body this does not have to be the case. Our bodies are incredibly smart and adaptable, and with the right knowledge, help and guidance we can continue to live our life in the ways we like. When someone comes to me with a diagnosis like a scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine) or a herniated disc in their spine, I really like to emphasize that this diagnosis doesn’t mean that they have to stop what they are doing physically. It might mean that for some time we might have to adapt a few things, but it is not necessarily grounds for throwing their beloved activities away. As a therapist, a diagnosis is a great tool for me to help my patients further understand their body. It gives us the gift of trying new things, or getting my patient re-acquainted with their body and allows us to work in a different way to overcome some obstacles. And, oddly, the same can be true for NOT having a diagnosis. I also see it all the time where people have pain, they get medical imaging done and “nothing” shows up on a scan, or it looks “normal”. These outcomes are all a path for one to get to know their body on a deeper level. To look past whether there is “tissue damage” or not, and to look within and see yourself as a whole being, and to honor that information your body is telling you. So if you are experiencing pain or dysfunction, have a diagnosis or not, know that not always do you have to stop the things that you love to do. It doesn’t always mean that the worst is to come. With the right mindset, and some good help from medical professionals and/ or people you trust and who will support you, you can and will change. Try showing up for yourself, and if that feels too hard right now, reach out to someone or a medical practitioner you trust and have the conversation to get yourself on the right path for your body.