How the symptoms developed

In 2014, a year into full-time practice as a family physician, I began to develop repetitive motion pain and weakness in my arms. Blaming my rapid-fire computer documentation while seeing patients every 20 minutes and responding to messages and test results “in-between,” I coped over the ensuing years by gradually decreasing my work hours from 60 hours per week to 35 per week, using auto-click & dictation software, and doing gentle strength training. In 2021, my pain became unrelenting and I had to leave work suddenly. Wondering how I could ever work again in any capacity, I then developed heart palpitations and difficulty swallowing. Over 8 years, I saw 22 health practitioners for all these conditions. In addition to traditional medical practitioners, I saw a mental health counselor, a naturopathic physician, a chiropractor, and two Chinese Medicine doctors, but found no hope for healing.

How I got better

In 2022, almost a year after leaving work, I continued to be disabled and set up appointments for surgical consultation for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Luckily, before taking desperate measures to remove ribs thought to be pressing on nerves, I happened to learn from an acquaintance about the neuroplastic paradigm of chronic pain & stress-related symptoms, not traditionally taught in medical school. After watching free videos on leading Mind-Body researcher Dr. Howard Schubiner’s website, unlearnyourpain.com, my arm pain was 80% gone the next day. I had seen thousands of patients with similar symptoms, but the traditional biomedical paradigm doesn’t explain them. Now that I had the biopsychosocial paradigm and neuroscience to fill in the gaps, I knew I was on the path to recovery. I used the techniques of Pain & Symptom Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and Emotional Awareness & Expression Therapy (EAET) to heal my arm pain, palpitations, and swallowing difficulty over weeks to months. At times, symptoms may try to return, but I listen to what my body is telling me and adjust life accordingly. I trained in Mind-Body Medicine in 2023 and now use these skills to help others heal their own chronic symptoms.