Episode#84- When to Seek Medical Advice

This episode was inspired by a question on my Instagram live, and is a very common question with persistent symptoms or when new conditions arise.

 

When do you seek medical attention? 

 

This podcast is not intended to replace medical advice, and I do believe that there is an important place for the medical system alongside this work.

I get regular check ups and blood work just as I would get an oil change in my car or an update for my phone. 

The clients who I work with have also been through the medical system and have tried the suggested treatments for years or sometimes decades.  Many of them are Physicians themselves.

But just as there are signs to rule in or out medical conditions, there are clues in the pain's behavior to RULE IN Neural Circuit (NC, or mindbody) issues.

The FIT Criteria (Dr Schubiner) can be used to determine if your pain is behaving like NC (Neural Circuit) pain.  

Things like the pain changing locations, hurting after but not during exercise, and increase in pain when talking about the area are signs that your brain is misinterpreting safe signals as dangerous- and activating the same neural circuits of real pain that you feel in your body. 

To take a quiz based on the FIT criteria, and determine if you have NC pain- click the link below!

The other thing to consider is looking at the whole person and history of pain and illness.  The more of these conditions you've had, the more likely that the pain you are feeling now is also NC pain.

Dr Schubiner says these medical conditions are "Likely NC:"

IBS, Functional dyspepsia, Fibromyalgia, MPS, scoliosis, weak core, tight hamstrings, SI joint dysfunction, piriformis syndrome, leg length discrepancy, TMJ, Chronic fatigue syndrome, tension and migraine headaches, facial pain, small fiber neuropathy, PHN, interstitial cystitis, pelvic floor dysfunction, pudendial neuralgia, vulvodynia, anxiety, depression, PTSD

 

The next list from Dr Schubiner is "Diseases that are diagnosed as not NC, but are often NC":

Chronic Fatigue, SEID, post-COVID syndrome, Lyme disease, CMV, EBV, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, costo-chondritis, chronic constipation, GERD, SIBO, POTS, Atypical chest pain

 

Lastly, Dr Schubiner considers these "Not NC":

cancer, HIV, infections like Lyme, Parkinson's, dementia, ALS, Hearing loss, Meniere's disease, Severely ruptured disc or severe arthritis limiting movement

 

I suggest working along with a Medical team, but do notice with yourself if you are creating a lot of anxiety worrying about symptoms and catastrophizing.

Research shows high catastrophizers are more likely for acute pain to turn chronic, to get new acute pain, and to have a more difficult recovery after surgery. 

 

So check out my episode on the Pain-Fear-Pain cycle if you are feeling some medical anxiety and want to understand more about how your thoughts can amplify pain.

 

For fresh content on healing chronic pain or disease, follow Betsy

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Website https://bodyandmindlifecoach.com

 

*Free Nervous System Modules- 4 free videos explaining the nervous system, how it affects your health, and how to regulate it  https://view.flodesk.com/pages/620ffa96e0eda1a0d870b5a6

 

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