Taming Pain: Lessons from the Trenches

06/23/2024

I wish I knew all of you personally, but since COVID and my husband's poor health put a stop to my travel, many new faces have joined the group (come take a class in Atlanta!).

Those who do know me, know my nickname could be TANK. Well, the week of my birthday, May 9th, the treads came OFF THE TANK. The story of recovery has been amazing and illustrates the unparalleled success of the FMT material and our Mentors Vicky and Gregg! Let me share. (It's long but I think it's worth a read)

The INCIDENT
I was in my usual pain-FREE state when on May 10th, I stepped onto a slate step with my right foot. Unknown to me, the sheet of slate had separated and the top half sheared to the right taking my right foot and tibia with it. I did not fall, but did go into a very wide flexed stance ( with the right foot 10 inches higher than the left and weight bearing).

The RESULT
There was minimal immediate pain, but my knee had a 30 degree extension lock. As the days passed, the knee became min to mod swollen and attempts to straighten past -30 degrees became severely painful medial to the patella. The leg was stiff but not painful in the available range, even on stairs. Flexion of the knee was full with a springy end feel. Over the next week, I worked full time maintaining a flexed knee and working on the Knee

On 5/20 (10 days later), I took a step in the kitchen and experienced a mind bending pain in my right Achilles (no pop). I could not weight bear and headed to the ER.

FINDINGS (X-ray, CT, MRI, Orthopist)
Achilles strain
Medial and Lateral meniscus complex tear
Cartledge deterioration
A couple of ACL fibers left
I had to uses a walker- NWB in a boot

ENTER GREGG AND VICKY: Memorial Day Saturday

Gregg reviewed the reports and believed the extension block was the anterior shift of both meniscus into the joint line. He talked me through a technique to move them back out of the joint line. When the knee was almost straight- add lateral to medial glide of tibia. THE PICTURES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES: pink sock pictures- before and after Saturday treatment. Blue socks after Sunday treatment. Tan shoes after Monday treatment.

A week later, Vicky came to town to teach PNF I for me due to my injury. I was using a walker for distance (I had No VMO and the quads were so weak).and cane in the department with a lift in my shoe for the Achilles.

Vicky went to work: LEFT- no core on the right. When she finished Tonic Spread for PD and AD leg labs on me- my core and leg WERE BACK!!

By Monday after the course, I was walking without a walker or cane- painfree, full extension, and so GRATEFUL to IPA, MANUAL THERAPY and the amazing gifts that Vicky and Gregg have given us all!

PS: after 2 weeks of NMR and MC- I WAS ABLE TO CUT MY OWN GRASS THIS MORNING!

Keep the Faith in the Power we have to help others, my Friends!!

03/18/2024

Greetings Everyone!
This past weekend was my final live webinar of Taming Pain: Lessons from the Trenches! So wonderful to capture all the new 5th edition information before the course transitions to "On Demand" on the IPA Website! Now all three of my offerings will be available to you:
1) Taming Pain
2) The Beginners Guide to the Endocannabinoid System and Cannabinoids
3) The Stress System

As always, the Handbooks are available through my website:

The official Specialized Educational Experiences homepage. Featuring Taming Pain: Lessons from the Trenches, 2016 Edition and more.

03/09/2024

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11/27/2022

NOT anti-inflammatory (but delish!)

11/27/2022

TIPS ON USE OF CBD

Well, teaching is over for 2022 and it was so amazing to continue the journey into stopping SUSTAINED PAIN! By far, the most helpful "add in" to my manual therapy treatments was the use of TOPICAL CBD CREAM!

For areas of pain the size of a dollar bill, CBD cream consistently delivered a 2 point drop on the pain scale (nothing to sneeze at!) the frequency of application varied from 1X day to 4x day to sustain the pain drop. One patient even experienced relief from his shingles pain (say WHAT!). I like Bluebird Botanicals as a brand.

A dose is a sq**rt the size of a marble. Wait 30 minutes and if no relief- add another "marble". The relief should occur with a single dose- not 6-8 weeks like with Omega -3.

That said, I still love Omega-3, especially for arthritis. (Be sure to use a good source like Nordic Naturals). 3000mg per day.

Turmeric was also a front runner for relief when a good source is used- 1000mg per day. I have a number of patients controlling migraine with it.

Restorative yoga, self mobilization of the Vagus nerve and meditation were new this year and were very positive additions. Langevin's research on fascia elongation made Restorative Yoga a natural choice. And as we all grow in our understanding of stress and the Vagus Nerve- self techniques of treating the stress system and the Vagus nerve only make sense.

I hope your holidays are bright and I hope to see you in one of my IPA hosted webinars next year:

- Taming Pain
- The Stress System
- The Endocannabinoid System

Love to all,
Cheryl

PS I was a Vampire this year

11/14/2021

WELL THAT'S A WRAP!! Yesterday was the last webinar of the year for me!

Thank you to all who attended The Endocannabinoid System Course and thank you to Garrett for being a great producer! The appropriate ways to incorporate CBD into pain control is such an important topic. There are so many ways to get it wrong and miss out on the benefits.

I'll be back in 2022 with Taming Pain, TES, AND a new webinar about THE STRESS SYSTEM (very excited about what I'm learning!!). Until then, enjoy all the holidays- Cheryl

11/06/2021

Hello Everyone! Please join me on November 13th for my final webinar of the year-

RESTORING THE PAIN CONTROL SYSTEM: A Beginner's Guide to Cannabinoids and the Endocannabinoid System.

Since I added CBD education into my patient care, every day someone's pain is improved by adding it into their diet! It can be just that effective.

But like most things, you have to take the right kind, in the right amount to get results. And that is the purpose of my webinar. Hope to see you there! Registration is through the webpage for: The Institute of Physical Art.

10/25/2021

We had a wonderful time this past weekend with our Halloween Edition of the Taming Pain Webinar! So many EXCELLENT questions from the participants. It is so much fun having the time to answer questions and interact on this essential information. Hope to see you in November for Restoring the Pain Control System- the Endocannabinoid System Webinar- Cheryl Wardlaw

09/05/2021

For all of us, stress is a constant factor weighing us down. And to make matters worse, we are told to have a "stiff upper lip", "suck it up buttercup", or better yet "just chill". Well, it may help you to know that stress actually has its own system, THE STRESS SYSTEM, to help you get through stress with the least amount of damage possible! This system has a lot of brain components: the Thalamus, the Amygdala (and its buddy- the Hippocampus), the Prefrontal Cortex, the Hypothalamus, the Pituitary, the Locus Coeruleus and the pre-sympathetic neurons. These are designed to operate in a real check and balance manner.

By design, the Stress System fires up hormones to trigger our Sympathetic Nervous System when we are under threat (Fight or Flight) AND to bring it all back down to a Parasympathetic phase (Relax and Heal) when we are safe. It is also designed to help STOP a sympathetic response when the threat is not real. An threatening Tiger and a threatening thought can trigger the same stress related hormones and responses when the Stress System is not "firing on all cylinders". So how do we keep our Stress System Healthy and help it do its job? Here is TIP #1:

1. When faced with non-physical stress (it's NOT a tiger), the element of time is important: mental stress gets to the emotional amygdala long before the same information get to the regulating pre-frontal cortex. We need to slow things down to give the PFC the milliseconds it needs to prevent the amygdala to trigger the sympathetic nervous system. When under stress, pause and take 3 very slow deep breaths and focus on the feeling of the air filling your lungs. Those few seconds give you Stress System time to regulate your response. Sounds simple- but try it for a day and see how you feel!

Stay tuned for TIP 2 real soon!

01/20/2021

Do you know why these gems are part of a pain control diet? In my new Endocannabinoid System and Pain Control with Cannabinoid Webinar, we will discuss all things good for your pain control health!

These babies are chocked full of complete protein, Omega 3 AND magnesium!!! And they are not just to sprinkle on your granola- they make an amazing PESTO!

For more amazing facts, join me Sunday January24th for my webinar- register thru the Institute of Physical Art webpage (TES: The Endocannabinoid System and Pain Control through Cannabinoids). H**p based CBD is legal in 47 states and Federally legal everywhere.

01/20/2021

I am very pleased to announce that I will be presenting a new Webinar this Sunday (January 24th) on pain control using cannabinoids!

It started with the question, “What do you think about CBD?” And ended with a 5.5 hour Webinar that will let you articulate clearly the practical ins and outs of your very own Endocannabinoid System, how to heal it thru nutrition and lifestyle changes AND how to effectively and safely supplement it with legal h**p based CBD products.

Come join me! Registration open to all, CEUs available, at Institute of Physical Art webpage. See: The Endocannabinoid System (TES)