Dr. Tami Brady

Whole Health Therapy is a term often used in descriptions about alternative or complementary medicine. Unlike contemporary medicine which focuses primarily on the immediate relief of physical symptoms, alternative and complementary medicine tends to look to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of the individual as a whole, in order to find, understand, and heal the root cause of the dis-ease. In this way, my Whole Health Therapeutic Method aims to help you find relief for your unique symptoms by relieving the root cause of Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia manifests itself as a variety of symptoms. The majority of us experience chronic pain, fatigue, weakness, fibrofog, depression, and weight gain. In terms of whole health therapy, these symptoms are seen as clues or signposts leading to health, happiness, and a purposeful life. However, just as Fibromyalgia manifests itself differently for each of us, the exact path to healing is just as unique.

The key to Whole Health Therapy for Fibromyalgia are trigger points. One of the tests you likely received when being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia was a simple test of the tenderness of 18 common body trigger points. Essentially, in terms of Whole Health Therapy, symptoms of swelling, pain, or weakness in these areas, reflex scarring.

This scarring is not necessarily a physical injury. In fact, the initial cause is rarely physical. Imagine if you will that you have a secret. You hold this secret in your hand, it is glowing bright red and you are afraid that someone will see it. What do you do? Maybe you try to hide it. You bury it deep in a hole. You cover it with dirt. Maybe you even plant grass or trees over the area so no one notices the scar. Over time, that secret stays hidden. No one else knows about it. Still, the fear that someday that secret might be uncovered looms in the back of your mind.

As a whole, those of us with Fibromyalgia tend to be overachievers and perfectionists. Not only do we want to appear perfect but we expect that we can be everything to everyone. Therefore, we push away and hide anything that doesn’t fit with our unrealistic image. We bury our feelings of inadequacy and overcompensate with an achievement driven life.  When we become overworked, we don’t say no. Instead, we work harder and sleep less. If our relationships suffer, we dig even deeper into denial.

What we don’t realize, is that every time we push away, set aside, or stuff something, we are creating and burying a secret and creating another scar. Working in a job you hate might become a tender spot in your right leg which festers and manifests as weakness that leads to mobility issues. Trying to make good of a loveless marriage may be experienced as pain in the shoulders and chest. Self hate and denial might become a shield of fat in the abdomen, hard solid masses such as gallstones, or depression.

In my whole health therapy, I look to do two things. First off, I start the process of releasing your scars. One hour Whole Health Therapy sessions are sent via distant healing method to you through a commonly used Reiki technique called a Chi Ball. Each session includes 12 different waves of energy meant to relieve pain, increase energy, balance moods, and enhance mental clarity while encouraging you to move towards resonating with your genuine self, living a purposeful life, and being happy.

Next, I provide resources so that you can learn to listen to your own body. I do so by providing a variety of different resources such as reading material and Reiki courses to help you help yourself. As part of my current Ph.D. research, I am also looking to create a full set of resources including shadow work, meditations, journaling exercises, and healthy living plans that would accompany each Whole Health Therapy session to create an all inclusive twelve week program for Fibromyalgia. Testing of the various components of this program will begin in the fall/winter of 2008.