It is estimated that around 2 million people in Switzerland suffer from rheumatism. They all have pain that can sometimes severely impair everyday life. Fibromyalgia is a special form of rheumatism. Fibromyalgia is a chronic, non-inflammatory rheumatic disease that is difficult to diagnose and treat. The best chance of alleviating the pain and the accompanying complaints lies in a multi-layered treatment programme. Shiatsu with its holistic approach can make an important contribution in this context, as a practical example shows.
A practical example
The story of suffering of Andrea*, now 58, is shared by many people with rheumatic diseases and the chronic pain associated with them. In the case of the curative teacher, the complaints began after the pregnancy and birth of her children in the form of severe pain in the area of the head, pelvis and back. Her first step was to consult her gynaecologist, who referred her to a physiotherapist. However, several treatments hardly brought any improvement in the complaints. Andrea tried to continue functioning in everyday life until the constant pain triggered a depression of exhaustion. She then attended an eight-week intensive course at the Mindfulness Switzerland (MBSR)1 association. To this day, what Andrea learned there is an important part of her stress management and helps her deal with the chronic pain. She experiences no relief from the pain during her period, neither while sitting, standing nor lying down. Only painkillers and a warm bed bottle bring her relief each time.
Late diagnosis
What she really suffers from, Andrea only found out later, like many fibromyalgia sufferers, from a specialist in rheumatology and general internal medicine. Active osteochondrosis, facet joint arthrosis and fibromyalgia were diagnosed using laboratory values, MRI and pain pressure points. As a result, she was recommended selective strength training, physical and yoga exercises to counteract morning stiffness, as well as weekly swimming and daily cycling. The situation, which recurs month after month, puts an increasing burden on her and impairs her quality of life. At the same time, she resists taking painkillers frequently. Then she gets to know the complementary therapeutic method Shiatsu.
Stability found with Shiatsu
However, a key moment in the treatment of the many pains that Andrea had to endure in recent years was Shiatsu therapy. The complementary therapeutic method was recommended to her by her psychiatrist, who was treating her at the time for her exhaustion depression. With Shiatsu, Andrea found for the first time a form of therapy that appeals to the body, soul and spirit. During the treatments she feels seen as a whole and supported in her recovery process. The targeted, Shiatsu-specific touches, stretches and rotations allow the life energy (Ki) to flow freely again throughout the body. Andrea experiences deep physical and mental relaxation in Shiatsu, which has an immediate pain-relieving effect and softens the body. Through the careful, very fine touching of the tense and painful areas and the accompanying words of the therapist, the active perception of one’s own body is trained, which later in turn serves Andrea’s self-regulation in everyday life. Andrea sees all of this as an “activation of her self-healing powers in the best sense of the word”. The additional awareness and breathing exercises that her therapist recommends also support her self-reflection in everyday life.
Less pain, more serenity
For Andrea, Shiatsu has become a reliable, supportive part of her everyday life, which is characterized by pain. “Shiatsu not only helped against my grueling pain, but also brought my inner glow back to light and stabilized me so sustainably that, despite daily complaints, I’m normally integrated into my working life,” she says. “The headaches that used to be frequent have now practically disappeared, the pain in the back is now mostly less aggressive and feels duller. Above all, the newly gained stability helps me to deal with it better, even in acute pain phases. So I can do without additional measures such as infiltration or painkillers.”