I hunted for a cassette tape or compact disc with the Synergetics soundtrack. I like exercising upstairs, but the DVD player is broken. With the soundtrack I'd have a guided program. When I practice Synergetics on my own, without the music or DVD to guide me, I don't stick with it for the full 12 minutes. Plus, Taylor and Joanna are so uplifting to watch and listen to.
I found a CD, but it wasn't what I was looking for. However, on that CD, Taylor Hay, the founder, mentioned that Fantastic Faces can sometimes help with TMJ.
I found a CD, but it wasn't what I was looking for. However, on that CD, Taylor Hay, the founder, mentioned that Fantastic Faces can sometimes help with TMJ.
Wow, I thought. I wonder if they could help with mine.
I was disappointed that I couldn't find the soundtrack CD. That meant that I'd need to learn how to operate the DVD player downstairs. That is if I wanted a guided practice.
So, what's the big deal about learning how to operate the DVD player downstairs? It was only a "big deal" in my brain. One has to understand fatigue, pain, weakness, sleep deprivation, and being one's own caregiver to have an inkling of why it seemed such a chore.
To function day in and day out takes a lot of effort. And that's just for routine things like getting dressed, brushing my hair, oral hygiene, making the bed, packing my little tote bag to transport stuff up and down the stairs, carefully walking up and down the stairs, and all the detailed tasks involved in caring for someone with chronic illness. Appointments. Charts. Medications, supplements, and herbs taken at specific times throughout the day and night. Keeping these items in stock. Feeding oneself with good nutrition. Movement. Lasering. Braces. Bathing. And a lot of other stuff.
It's hard work and a fulltime job. Most of it I do solo, so it can get lonely. Outside Hubby and the kids, few folks have a real grasp of what it takes for me to make it through each day. Learning another new thing can feel overwhelming.
But I was successful at learning how to use the DVD player with its several quirks. Now, I can also watch DVD movies and series. No, we do not stream, for a few reasons.
So, I began Synergetics faithfully, twelve minutes twice a day, on February 18, 2024.
What happened afterward is remarkable...
~*~*~
In March, I noticed that my jaw felt stronger.
Biting and chewing took less effort.
My upper and lower back teeth were able to touch again.
And the TMJ pain was gone.
Wow! Fantastic Faces have helped my TMJ!
That relief has continued.
At my dental checkup in April, my dentist said, "Muscle beats bone."
I'm proof of that, at least for mild TMJ.
~*~*~
On April 11 (seven weeks and four days after beginning Synergetics faithfully), I felt my back.
I was stunned...
Oh my gosh!
My scoliosis feels like it's moved an inch closer to the middle of my back!
Hubby took a picture (below) so we could have a photo to compare it to in a year.
Both Hubby and my chiropractor confirmed that, yes, my spine had moved about an inch.
I was very motivated at that point to keep going with Synergetics.
My back still hurt, but not quite as badly.
But the burning pain was still fully burning.
~*~*~
I've worn various back braces over the years.
Since last fall, I've been wearing a lumbar support brace which helps some.
In March 2024 my chiropractor had suggested maybe trying a female rib belt (which is placed higher than a lumbar brace) to help with my thoracic area, both the kyphosis and scoliosis.
I finally got to the medical supply store and bought a female rib belt for a whopping $13.00.
I began wearing it around April 16th.
After a week, I noticed my back wasn't burning like it did before.
I felt my back and was shocked...
Damn! My spine is almost in the exact center!
So, Hubby took another picture (below).
Compared with the one from almost two weeks before, it is quite remarkable.
One can see how my spine is straighter, and the red area is no longer red; that was where the pain burned.
Not only is my spine straighter, but the kyphosis appears to have lifted a little bit.
All my practitioners have been impressed.
~*~*~
Another thing that's happened since starting Synergetics faithfully -- my arms and hands are improving.
If one compares the photographs below, one can see there is less sag, less muscle atrophy, in my muscles in the second photograph.
My arms are a wee bit stronger, and I can straighten them a bit more without severe pain.
But they still hurt most all the time, and I am continually reminded how weak my arms and hands still are.
But maybe in another year?
Just maybe, I'll smile and breathe, pivot and dip, and push and pull my way out of toddler hands and China doll arms...
Keep it going Carol...
~*~*~
The pics below...
The first two are the "ugly" ones. Lol.
We tried to get the lighting the same.
We aren't photographers but did the best we could.
And I'm posting a third, a pretty one...
Though my back is looking prettier (haha)...
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| April 11, 2024 |
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| April 23, 2024 |
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| Pretty Pic: The Family 4/20/24 |
