Our previous blog post highlighted the key differences between restorative and reorganizational healing, and demonstrated how they each had their place for different reasons. As we continue to move forward in the holistic-care movement as a community and a planet, it’s important to delve a bit deeper into reorganizational healing to explore its power in more detail.

 Reorganizational healing picks up where “strictly structural” restorative healing leaves off. Reorganizational healing focuses on a holistic approach to health, including prevention, and leads a person to seek meaning in an injury in order to use it as a tool for growth. It draws connections between medical issues, symptoms and possible causes, and takes into account outdated thought patterns and beliefs which may be causing roadblocks physically.

For example, many people have chronic lower back pain throughout their lives, despite careful exercise and regular chiropractic visits. When slipped discs and other more serious issues such as posture and injury have been ruled out, the last element left to consider is the emotional component. Perhaps the person does not “feel supported” by friends or family members, or has fears about lack and survival needs, often directly related to limited financial resources.

From a structural standpoint, the bio-mechanical properties of the lower back provide foundational support for the movements of the entire spine. The lower back also holds energetic properties which provide a feeling of being grounded, supported and having our primal needs met.

So, chronic back pain may really be related to a fear about financial support and lack of overall emotional support from friends, family or coworkers.

Unresolved emotional states lead to physical symptoms that can become chronic, and truly impact our quality of life. It’s also why reorganizational healing is so important: It gives us the tools we need to reframe ideas, thoughts and feelings in context of our physical health and tie them to specific symptoms. That way, we can pull the mind, body and spirit together for collaborative, full, holistic healing. Who doesn’t want to be empowered and truly understand their own bodies?

The real key to the effectiveness of reorganizational healing is willingness to be open to change. This is especially important when dealing with chronic injuries or pain. People often search for a medical reason for these issues, when an emotional issue at the root of it all. Or, they opt for restorative surgeries that do not address the true need to reorganize and shift perspective, so the pain persists.

If you’ve been dealing with chronic issues which don’t seem to have a logical cause, or are seeing very limited progress in your current treatment, consider the holistic approach of reorganizational healing. It will address your pain points — but it also will boost you to the next level of more dynamic, long-lasting health and well-being.

Tip of the week: Feeling stiff and tired during the workday? In addition to taking breaks and walking away from the computer at least every 30 minutes, be sure to exercise your eyes. Take them off the computer screen. Look up and down, to all corners of the room. Roll them around — without moving your head. Also be sure to take a look into the distance if you can out the window, changing your perspective and focus. It will help open up your mind, body and spirit.