10/19/2025
Listen to your body. That's one of the themes of my new book, "Dry, a Holistic Guide to Sjögren’s Disease." You know yourself better than anyone else, medical professionals included. You know what you need to do to feel better, what to do more of in your life, and what to do less of.
For me, recently, it's been removing grains. I have been gluten-free for years, but enjoy the odd bowl of oatmeal, and have been eating a bit of processed food in the form of "healthy" gluten-free bread or cereal.
I remembered removing all grains back in 2022 and my pain disappeared. Totally. Then I reintroduced them over time, and my mind started to play games with me. "Grains are healthy, and oh look, this gluten-free product has no added sugar, and all the ingredients are organic, and it tastes so good!" What a monkey mind I can have at times!
When I reintroduced the gluten-free grains back in 2022, there were no immediate issues. However, over time, I noticed a lingering back pain which would wax and wane. I stretched, had physiotherapy treatments, and saw a chiropractor. They said, "it's muscular". The treatments helped, but the back pain did not clear completely. Prolonged walking or trying to run would cause a flare. Getting out of bed in the morning meant more than stiffness; it meant being careful not to bend down and pick up something from the floor, which could cause injury from tight muscles. It meant not feeling motivated to push myself when exercising.
Finally it dawned on me the problem was inflammation. Inflammation is at the heart of all chronic disease. Not only was it causing my muscle soreness, but also fatigue and a lack of motivation, as my mind and energy were always dealing with the pain. When you have inflammation in the body, you also have it in the brain. And yes, I could choose to use prescription or over the counter medications. I steer clear because they can create other health issues, and the pain- although annoying- was not severely debilitating. However, I did start to question myself, especially since this pain was limiting my exercise. Maybe I should talk to my doctor about a prescription next time I see her?
I had one last card up my sleeve. (Actually more than one - having a past as a naturopathic doctor is certainly an advantage!), I went entirely off grains. Within 2 days, my pain dropped from a 3-4/10 to a 0.5 out of ten. And I realize that starting with a 3-4 out of ten is not terrible pain. I know some of you are dealing with a 10/10 of pain on a daily basis. However even a low level of chronic pain was preventing me from living my ideal, active life.
This was a huge win for me! Having almost no pain at all means I feel motivated to move more! With my brain not hijacked by pain, it means I can think more clearly, and get more done in a day!
Yesterday I overdid my usual activity by 80%. Recently overexerting has been a bad idea for me, and I have paid for it with increased pain and stiffness. I wondered if I would wake up very sore and stiff and spend the day laying on the couch and trying not to move.
Not this time! I had just a tiny bit of stiffness today in getting out of bed, went for a 1/2 hour walk and I am good. No increase in pain. I fully expect my pain to continue to decrease back down to down to a zero again in the next little while. Often now there is no awareness of any pain or stiffness in my back. At 62, I feel young again!
So much of what we can do to heal is right within our hands. It's a matter of paying attention, and experimenting. It also not just a matter of knowing what to do, but actually implementing it. I have a lot of self-care tips in my book which can benefit not just the Sjögren’s sufferer, but anyone with chronic disease, to help reduce their symptoms and improve their life.
You can find my book in e-book, paperback or hardcover at all major online retailers such as Amazon and Chapters. You can also ask your local library to order it for you as a new book acquisition. It's in your hands. What can you do to help heal your body?
