You have finally received a diagnosis, after months, if not years, of wondering what is happening to your body. This is a major step in getting the right treatment and care for your health.
But you may now be asking:
“What can I do to help myself day to day?”
This is a great question, as sometimes we are left to deal with the myriad of symptoms and unexpected things that come with autoimmunity, that aren’t talked about in textbooks and online symptom lists.
If you are experiencing day to day pain, fatigue, mental health struggles, or generally feeling very ill, there are holistic practices to help autoimmune conditions that you can do in the comfort of your own home.
Yoga.
I know everyone has said it to you before…
“But have you tried Yoga?”
Scientifically, it is great for autoimmune conditions as this practice stretches out those painful and swollen joints, encouraging lymphatic drainage, which will reduce swelling and regulate the immune system.
It is not too strenuous, allows you to go at your own pace, and still gets the blood flowing and that heart rate up.
The benefits of yoga are documented widely and can be life changing, thanks to its physical and spiritual benefits.
Meditation.
Meditation is one of those practices that we know should help, but either we don’t have the time or may not know what to do during the session.
That’s perfectly ok. Take some time to read around this area, make some space and time for yourself to meditate without interruption and see how you get on.
There are amazing practitioners out there that have conducted incredible studies on the power of meditation in changing the course of diseases and symptoms.
One such person would be Dr Joe Dispenza, a medical doctor who has scientifically studied the effect of meditation and manifestation on illness.1
Meditation is also great for monitoring your mental health, enabling you to quiet your mind in times of stress and pain. Taking the time to just be with yourself and your thoughts can be enough to get us through those tough days.
Reiki.
Reiki is a powerful holistic healing technique that uses the energetic channels in our body to heal us from the inside out.
You normally lay down on a treatment couch and the practitioner will tune into these centres or chakras. They will then use the energy available to them from the earth and the universe to clear any stagnant energy and to send healing energy to the areas of the body that need it the most.
People report seeing bright lights with their eyes closed, tingling sensations, warmth and energy changes during sessions.
Reiki can be a powerful way to help us to ensure that our energetic body is healthy, and to remove any old energies that may be contributing to our condition.
Acupuncture.
In ancient Chinese medicine, acupuncture is used similarly to reiki. Working with the energy points on our body that are responsible for the physical workings of different parts of our bodies.
Using tiny needles, they are placed in the corresponding areas to where you are feeling pain etc, they are left for a short period of time and then they are removed.
This stimulates the nervous system, by encouraging production of the body’s own chemicals into the surrounding tissues. This then promotes the body’s natural healing process.
Acupuncture has been shown to reduce pain, inflammation, reducing vomiting and digestive issues, to name but a few.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
The same as divers use to cure the bends. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an incredible holistic treatment that promotes healing in autoimmune conditions.2
Being exposed to high levels of oxygen, enables our body to heal much quicker than normal.
More oxygen in the blood = healthier immune response.
Helping the body to fight bacteria and increase production of precious stem cells that repair anything and everything within our body.
Whatever holistic practice or treatment you choose, to help on those days where you are left wondering how you might get through the day. Choose something that will make you happy and something that is soothing for you to do.
Each of us knows how hard this journey of health and wellbeing is, so please be kind to yourself, thank yourself for turning up to whichever practice you choose. Because sometimes our days are so tough, that even the most empathetic of people could not understand.
Wishing you continued health and happiness.
Dispenza, Joe, and Gregg Braden. 2017. Becoming supernatural: how common people are doing the uncommon.
Chen, Shao-Yuan, Yen-Chen Chen, Jehng-Kang Wang, Hsiao-Ping Hsu, Pey-Shen Ho, Yi-Chyan Chen, and Huey-Kang Sytwu. "Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy attenuates disease severity in lupus-prone autoimmune (NZB× NZW) F1 mice." Clinical Immunology 108, no. 2 (2003): 103-110.