My name is Diana and I am now in my early 50s. I have suffered from chronic pain most of my life. The last time I can remember being pain free was when I was 12.
Everyone suffers pain at one time or another, but if you have ever been the recipient of chronic, ongoing pain, you will know that it is exhausting! Constant pain that just doesn’t go away, even with pain medication is a battle that many people face. You may not even know if someone is in pain day in and day out but that has been my story for years. Diagnosis after diagnosis, expensive and dangerous pain medications but still not the relief I was looking for.
That was my story. Rheumatoid arthitus, Lupus, Fibromyalgia – I have been diagnosed with all of them at some point in my life, but the bottom line was, I was in chronic pain all the time.
My Mother used to cry because she didn’t know what to do to help me. We had been to every doctor, had every test and nothing helped. They put me on 75mg of prednisone. I must say it felt SO good as it did relieve the pain for awhile, but then came the warning that the side effects would give me a stomach ulcer and I would go blind, with a whole host of other things. I was 32 years old when they put me on the medication and when I asked what happens when they can’t increase the dose anymore and I am 45 years old? They just shrugged their shoulders.
I knew it was not what I wanted to do or how I wanted to treat my body, even though it felt good at the start. So, I took myself off all medication and went looking for other solutions.
I knew I wanted to go natural, but didn’t know where to start so I started with diet. I cut out all grain, sugar and dairy. I must admit it helped reduce the inflammation but the pain was still there. I tried magnetic therapy, hypnotherapy, and any type of therapy I could find. While there was mild success, it wasn’t until I found light therapy that I turned things around.
I had no idea what light therapy was, and back then, there wasn’t as much information available like there is now. I didn’t even have a computer so you couldn’t “Google it” back then. I read journals, studies and anything I could get my hands on. I tried to educate myself.
Then I decided to take the leap and just try it. I bought an infrared “ray” lamp and started to use it. I didn’t notice any change at first but after several weeks, I got sick and then stopped using it regularly. It was during this period that I realized just how much things had changed.
The pain went back to being unbearable – I had not even noticed that it was getting better it was so gradual. So, when well, I started using it again, paying more attention to how I felt, the pain levels and flexibility. The more consistently I used it and the longer I used it, the benefits just kept multiplying.
I have owned several light therapy devices over the years and have several today that I use. Some utilize blue light, and others red. One, made for skin, utilizes both and the benefits from each are slightly different.
As I grow older, I would not be without them for both skin condition and pain management. All are hand held devices so I can take them with me when I travel to see my children. I find it comforting knowing I can cope with anything that happens becuase I have the tools I need with me at all times.
I would not be without light therapy today. It is something I use several times a week. The lamps and home devices have come a long way in the last couple of decades. Handheld devices that are far more powerful than the larger lamps I first purchased; much cheaper as well.
I learned an awful lot about light therapy in my journey and I hope my research and knowledge can help you in your quest for a therapy that will help you with your challenges.