By Sophia Kupse, qualified Holistic Practitioner
As soon as you start to feel pain in your neck, shoulders and back you immediately start to think, what did I do to create it?
People overlook the obvious and blame a root cause – my heels are too high, I sit at my computer for hours each day, I drive too much, I over did it at the gym, etc. Sophia Kupse Holistic Therapist and author, known as The Muscle Whisperer, states that ‘everyone looks for a physical reason to justify their pain, rather than looking at what challenging or stressful event occurred prior to the pain starting.’ If you haven’t had an accident, fall or acute physical injury, back pain for many, is something we grow to live with, as no matter what treatment you have to relief it, it always reoccurs. That’s why many people don’t believe in treating the pain, as they never seem to resolve it successfully. Her new book ‘The Muscle Whisperer-The Keys to Unlocking Your Back Pain’ sheds new light on the subject, offering a revolutionary holistic approach to treating back pain and fresh hope for long term sufferers.
‘If you keep on focusing on just the physical reasons then you limit your recovery.’ We live in a time where the pace of life is supersonic fast and everything is done, at break point speed. Daily deadlines, achieving results, pressure getting to appointments, the list is endless and it is all driven by the need to succeed or we are made to feel like failures, by todays over stretched society. Our body reacts to what our mind tells it, so in an ideal world, getting your work, life balance right means, less physical pain in the body and a calmer approach in the way we live. When we react to sudden emotional negative change, such as death, financial loss, separation, illness etc, we produce the ‘fight or flight response’ in order for our bodies to cope with the experience. It releases the hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, so we can deal with the unexpected pressure thrust upon us. Excess adrenaline converts to lactic acid forming knots, which build in the largest muscle groups of the body, held in the back.
Sophia, founder of the Langellotti Tri-Therapy, known as ‘LT Therapy’ uses a combination of Eastern and Western medicine to release stress locked in the back muscles. She says ‘Scientifically proven that muscle has memory, our thoughts create our pain. How we react to stress will result in the formation of knots building up in the neck, shoulder and back over a long period of time, until finally the pressure on the sensory nerves in the back respond and we feel physical pain.’ Sophia releases stress related events held in the muscles, from childhood to present day, using her unique ‘Tri-Method’ system which consists of an advanced massage technique, volcanic heat and ice marble, tailor made to suit the individuals needs at time of treatment. She uses principles of traditional Chinese medicine, Yin and Yang to bring about balance in the body and successfully restore flexibility in the muscle. During the treatment, she highlights key areas on the back, where knots are located that produce the pain. She intuitively identifies who created the emotional stress, what period of time in their life it was and how long ago, in order to determine when the change in the muscle took place and generated the pain. She then physically releases the painful event from the muscle, whilst the client mentally, through their conscious and sub conscious mind, releases it too. ‘When I look at the back it’s like reading a map, I pinpoint people and key events that brought about the discomfort in the muscle and quickly release it.’ No more than three treatments are required for deep rooted or long term pain, but results are felt immediately. ‘My method delivers rapid results with minimum trauma to the muscle and client.’
This treatment is for those people who want to find the answer to ongoing back pain where conventional routes failed. ‘LT Therapy’ offers a new, fresh revolutionary approach to an age old problem.
Sophia advices her clients how to prevent the pain from returning and here she shares five top tips, part of her winning formula to avoiding back pain;
1) Drink more water –Why? Because when our muscles become dehydrated they allow the myofascia layer, the loose strong connective tissue that surrounds all muscles, to become sticky, reducing mobility and eventually leading to pain. ‘If the muscles are hydrated they will serve you well and will ensure optimum flexibility in both the fascia and muscles.’ Ideally up to 2 litres minimum of filtered water a day.
2) Eat more clean foods-Why? Clean foods are alkaline foods such as all greens, root vegetables, avocado, lemons, limes tomato, certain fruits, green juices, fresh organic wheatgrass, herbal teas, filtered water etc. The lower the acid content in the food you eat, the better on the body. Acid produces an inflammatory action in the muscle so in order to reduce your pain, if you do suffer from back pain or any pain; you should eat an 80% alkalised diet in order to keep the body’s ph level to an optimum 7.4.
3) Keep moving-Why? This includes starting the day with a few stretches before you get out of bed in order to prepare the muscles for movement. Simple stretches in whichever way your body feels like moving is something that happens instinctively in the animal kingdom and probably why, they don’t suffer from physical pain like humans do. Even if you have limited ability in your limbs, due to an accident or ongoing long term back pain, the body was built to move, so it is important to keep active. Long sedentary periods allow muscles to slowly cease and acid starts to store in the muscles, especially when we are stressed trying to meet deadlines at the computer, releasing adrenaline and chewing through a chocolate bar at the same time, all tops up the acid bank ensuring you feel back pain later in the day.
4) Keep your weight down-Why? Keeping within your BMI means your controlling bodyweight. The more excessive weight your body carries the more pressure builds up and has a huge impact on the joints and muscles. Fat wraps around the muscles and creates an inflammatory residence for it. You should be working towards reducing body fat through diet and activity, walking being ideal for those who dislike the gym.
5) Control your pain-Why? If you are suffering any neck, shoulder or back pain you must get it under control. If its long term then consult your GP for appropriate medication, however, for the majority of people, they suffer acute periods that flare up due to stress related events. Take immediate action and you’ll be helping the body and muscles recover quicker. When you feel pain you move differently and this can trigger new areas of pain as a result of walking or sitting incorrectly, all because you wanted to avoid the original pain. Painkillers for a limited time, help the body recover quickly so you can get back to being active again pain free.
6) Practice daily meditation-Why? Meditation is a major factor in helping the body recover through the mind. Meditation in particularly Transcendental Meditation that I practice is effortless and takes just a few hours to learn with a qualified tutor. It offers emotional balance and is anti-inflammatory by switching off the stress response. For more information and to discover huge benefits visit www.tm.org/uk
Sophia Kupse is a qualified Holistic Practitioner working with Eastern & Western therapies for over 20 years. She has a clinic in Harley Street London and in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Her new book – The Muscle Whisperer: The Keys to Unlocking Your Back Pain by Sophia Kupse is available in paperback via Amazon priced £7.99. www.themusclewhisperer.co.uk