Have you ever felt that your life was over? Did the life you loved, cherished, and dreamed of… burst into a million shards and scatter in the wind? It happened to me one winter day. She was divorced and had a nine-year-old son. We had been through difficult times, emotionally and financially. But everything, finally, was coming out roses. I had gotten a job at a small Fortune 500 startup. A few weeks before I got the job, as a hobby, I signed up for a computer repair course. It also went wonderfully and was a great start. Without the financial stress on me, my son and our relationship began to flourish.

We experienced one of the best Christmases we’ve ever had together in 1997. But just a few weeks later, my life took a disastrous turn. Coming out of my computer class one night, one of my classmates, a 300+ pound rugby player, without thinking picked me up (as rugby players do with their teammates), and before I could scream from the pain caused by his two powerful fists. being pushed into my spine, he completely took the air out of me. I was left with a spinal cord contusion and spent the next year in bed. To say that he was devastated would be an understatement. It felt as if 150 volts of electrical current were running down my legs; the pain of childbirth paled in comparison. Due to the excruciating pain, for the first two weeks I was unable to eat and lost approximately 12 pounds. After that, every day was a sickening stain of pain and tears. My father, fortunately, stepped in and took over the care of my son. (My mother had passed away five years earlier.)

The days dragged on endlessly, one fitting into the next. And, with each passing moment, I grew deeper in despair and depression. Suicidal thoughts crossed my mind. He didn’t want to die; I loved my son and had loved my life, but I wanted pain relief so desperately that I was considering all my options.

At times, I would venture out of bed for short periods. It was excruciating to move, but I managed to get out and see the doctors. At 33, I was told that mine would be a life of unending, unrelenting pain.

However, after about six months of lying in bed crying, something in me changed. My dark, ominous depression turned to anger. I knew I wasn’t the only one suffering from chronic pain. One in three Americans lives with constant pain. I promised to find an answer. And I made a pact that if I found a solution, I would come back to help others. I literally went on a crusade reading over 200 books and articles on the back, joints, arthritis and general health. I also got on the phone and interviewed over 300 doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and other health professionals.

One day it hits me; I had a great epiphany! I realized that most of the medical community was missing the true cause and therefore the simple cure for almost all musculoskeletal ailments (back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, arthritis, etc.).

An important clue came from the numerous research studies I reviewed that illustrated that there was essentially no correlation between spinal abnormalities and pain. For example, at George WA University, 67 people, who had never had back pain, had MRI scans of the spine. Nearly half of these people had a bulging disc, several had herniated discs, many had arthritis, etc. However, these people were pain free.

I realized that in virtually all cases, all musculoskeletal conditions (carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, hammertoes, arthritis, etc.) are simply caused by incessantly contracting muscle tissue.

Our bodies are almost 70% muscle. And before spending that year in bed, I suffered from intermittent back pain for over 20 years. In addition to receiving a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, a physical therapist, who was supposedly a
back specialist, that my back problem was caused by weak muscles. However, he had been a gymnast for many years (one of the most physically demanding sports requiring strength). He had muscle on muscle.

Think about a few things:

1. Who gets carpal tunnel syndrome?
2. Who gets leg cramps?
3. Who gets golfer’s elbow?
4. Who gets tennis elbow?

Virtually everyone who suffers from musculoskeletal problems has a history of active use of the body part that is causing the pain!

So what goes wrong? The abdominal muscles (the part of the muscle that contracts) become tight due to injury, repetitive use, and even emotional stress. Tight muscle bellies pull on their tendon attachments (tendons are the ends of muscles that attach to bones) causing swelling, restriction, and pain. It is imperative to understand that the muscles
it can remain chronic and usually contracts long after the stressor is gone. Chronically contracted muscle bellies continue to pull on their tendon attachments causing not only inflammation and restricted mobility, but also calcium build-up (also
known as bone spurs), scar tissue, adhesions, and degenerative changes in bone and cartilage.

Because blood vessels constrict and nerves are squeezed into tight, shortened muscles, strange and severe symptoms can occur. These symptoms include tingling, burning, numbness, and more. Eventually, the syndromes mentioned above (arthritis, back pain, etc.) start to show up. But the problem is not in the tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs or bones. The problem lies in the muscle.

So what is the solution? People simply need to lengthen and loosen the short and tight
muscle fibers.

Nine years have passed since my injury. I am now a therapist and self-published author (Back Pain Breakthrough and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Breakthrough). I have had the good fortune to be able to touch lives in ways that make my heart sing. I have had people come for treatment from as far away as Florida (I am in Los Angeles). People come to see me: some crying and depressed, some even suicidal, due to their unremitting pain. Some people have serious ailments like severe herniated discs and arthritic knees that doctors say need to be replaced. However, I have an incredible success rate.

During that year in bed, I was blessed and lucky enough to literally find the cause and solution to many ailments that plague our society, and I want to tell the world. My goal is Oprah! And the good thing about this is that most people don’t even need me or any other therapist. In my books and talks I give, I teach people how truly simple, in almost all cases, it is to heal their own bodies. The message I desperately want to get across to the public is that, in almost every case, there is a simple, non-invasive answer to your musculoskeletal ailments.

I know I’ve got the cause and solution right because I currently share an office, but I’m contemplating opening my own. If I do, I’ll be able to offer my customers money-back guarantees for everything from back pain to arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, foot problems (such as hammertoes and plantar fasciitis), and many other ailments.

Little did I know that on that cold winter day nine years ago when I thought my life was over, I was simply in a metamorphic state. Out of a cocoon of unimaginable pain, I can painlessly spread my wings, embracing others, helping them lead pain-free lives.

Copyright © 2007 by Sue Crossen. All rights reserved.