I’m waiting in the office, warming up, stretching. She enters with a smile, asking:

“So how are we doing?”

I’d determined not to make a big deal of it but immediately hear myself pour forth, listing all the weird aches and pains and oddities since the last visit, the more-than-usual erratic sleep patterns, and my confusion over what is coming from where. I think that she will go lightly on me, hearing all of that, but she barely blinks. “You’re in healing crisis.” And sets about something near to the usual process, with a little more inquiry while doing so.

“Healing crisis?” I ask (that doesn’t sound good).

Yet it is.

A healing crisis is a worsening of symptoms that occurs when a new treatment, in this case physical therapy, is having deep effects – when it actually begins reaching the causes of the symptoms and wreaking a fair bit of havoc. In my case, the havoc has been mostly physical, since the emotional release has been nothing but positive and helpful, but it is comforting to read that both kinds of strangeness are included under the umbrella. 

However she adjusted her approach, or whether I shifted into the next phase by natural course, I’m not sure, but after that session I felt a heck of a lot better.  

And far more trusting.

So when today a new wave of effects showed up, I felt more relaxed about it, and also noticed very closely whether I had followed the guidance she had given me, to avoid fatty and sugary foods, to go easy on myself, to drink twice as much water. I hadn’t. I’d gone back to my not great general habits pretty much right away. 

Otherwise I would probably not be awake to write this post!