Testimonial -Fibromyalgia - Bikram's Yoga Vancouver

Date of Birth	1947
Occupation	Elementary School Counselor
Hobbies/Activities	skiing, dancing, used to bike and swim, used to read (now fall asleep)
What condition have you been diagnosed with?	Fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, neurologist found herniated cervical discs impinging on the spinal cord (MRI), C4-5 on left, C5-6 on right, level 4 response on reflexes, abnormal Babinski, thought I needed surgical fusion of cervical spine.
How long have you been diagnosed with this condition?	9 – 10 years
How would you explain your diagnosis?	-Hurts worst lying in bed at night. Since it hurt as much lying down as doing things, I chose to do things – fortunately, so I am still functioning relatively well, just don’t do things that I know make me worse. - Worst pain in yoga – rabbit and shavasana. -My experience in my body is like I have a tight elastic bathing cap around me. Sometimes, it is less tight and thick, like a Lycra girdle. Where tendons and ligaments meet, it is like thick knots in a ball of wool. -My hips, shoulders and neck hurt all the time. I had severe TMJ and was lucky to have injections that relieved that – unfortunately, the doctor who did that moved to Saudi Arabia. -My right side is more damaged – I have pain and weakness down my neck, around and through my shoulder , down my side, in my groin, knotted at my abdomen,/waist, knotted through the iliopsoas, sharp pain around my sit bone, keeps me from sleeping. -React to cold, air conditioning with intense tightness – have to wear warm clothes on an airplane, museum, hockey game etc. -I have spasms, especially in my hands, and have no strength in my hands, especially my right hand, it hurts to write.
What kinds of things about your diagnosis affect you:
- Physically?	-lots of things I can’t do, e.g. ride bike, swim, open a pop bottle, wash a window, pull or lift things, do house cleaning, carry things, lift my arm above my head, climb stairs or walk uphill, interferes with gardening (fortunately, my husband and son help me, so I can still enjoy my garden). -Lot less energy. Sometimes, I just collapse, need to rest. -Fatigue easily. -Can’t wear even low-heel shoes – have to wear flat shoes, or my hips hurt.
- Psychologically?	Worst thing is that people don’t understand/believe, so I don’t tell most people, just try to cope. Also, whenever I get better, I think “I’m cured”, but inevitably, I get worse again – sometimes as a result of something like a long flight, sometimes from some little movement. I just seize up again. The general trend has been improvement over the years, but the last year or so, I don’t seem to progress much, I think it may have something to do with age.
- General Quality of Life?	I don’t cook any more, I can’t do simple things like chop onions, my husband does most of the cooking, but he’s not as good a cook as I am (shhh, don’t tell him!). I rest more, don’t have energy. I spend a lot of time having massage and chiropractic treatments and doing yoga. I never needed medication before – now I take a muscle relaxant during the day (used for m.s.), and at night, a stronger muscle relaxant, sleeping pill, and pain killers (used for m.s.)
What Treatments are you receiving & how were they working?	I have tried several varieties of massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, physiotherapy, osteopathy, energy healing, local anesthetic injections, probably more. Several, but not all, have helped. I now have chiropractic treatment 2ce a week and massage once. They help maintain me. If I go without, I get worse.
How did you hear about Bikram Yoga?	I don’t remember, but I was one of Lisa’s first customers, so I am one of her oldest customers in years with her as well as plain old years.
Did you have any fear or tendencies about the yoga?	I stay very focused on alignment. I don’t do forward rolls – I end up in severe pain and need many chiropractic treatments to recover.
How long have you been practicing the yoga? How often per week?	About 7 years. I started off almost daily. I now usually do Bikram between 1 – 3 times a week.
What changes have you noticed in yourself that you believe are a result of you practicing the yoga?	I’m much looser and in less pain. When my pain increases, I increase yoga. Stretching at the joints is particularly helpful. Also, my digestion has improved, my skin is great, I get tons of compliments for my youthful appearance.
Has any of your conventional treatment changed since practicing the yoga? (i.e. discontinuation of medication)	Unfortunately, I seem to need medication. When I have discontinued pain killers, I ended up in severe pain. The upside is, I haven’t needed to increase medication (except for my very mild daytime muscle relaxant).
What would you like to tell people who are feeling hesitant about trying the yoga?	Yoga has amazing healing qualities. You just need to listen to your body, because “you are your own best teacher”.