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Why joints scream about your pain: The psychosomatics of unlived emotions
A study by the American Psychological Association reveals a shocking fact: 68% of patients with chronic joint pain have undiagnosed psycho-emotional injuries. Joints are not just hinges of the body, they are “frozen tears of the psyche,” says Dr. John Sarno. How do you decipher their messages? We go on a journey at the intersection of neurology and deep psychology.
Body language: What are your knees and elbows talking about?
NIH neuroscientists have found that chronic muscle tension under stress disrupts the blood supply to the joints. But the real bombshell is the discovery of "emotional maps of the body." According to a 2023 study:
- Knees. Fear of moving forward
- Elbows. Resistance to change
- Hip joints Repressed sexuality
- Shoulders. - the weight of unspoken grievances
3 rules of psychosomatic decoding
In his book When the Body Says No, Dr. Gabor Mate proposes an algorithm:
Step 1: Emotional X-rays
- Draw the outline of the body
- Paint over painful areas
- Write next to me, If this pain were an emotion. . . ?
Technique "Neuroplasticity in 7 minutes"
A study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that a 7-minute practice changes brain pain patterns.
Exercise "Dialogue with the joint"
- Create a mental image of the sick zone
- Ask the questions, “What do you want to tell me?” ?
- Write down the first 3 thoughts without censorship
- Draw a new image of a flexible joint
Louise Hay's Paradoxical Gymnastics
The author of the bestselling book “Heal Your Body” suggests:
Antidote affirmations
For the knees: “I’m happy to go for change.”
For the shoulders: "My decisions are as easy as a feather."
For the hips: I dance to the music of my soul.
Glossary
Psychosomatics
The influence of psychological factors on the occurrence of bodily diseases
Neuroplasticity
The ability of the brain to change structure under the influence of experience
cortisol
Stress hormone that provokes inflammatory processes
Somatoform disorder
Physical symptoms without an organic cause
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