She learnt something really important about exactly why movement is so critical for people who suffer chronic pain.

I’m going to have a go at explaining this to you as simply as I can.

Movement of our bodies tells our brain that all is well. If any part of our body stops moving for a time it alerts our brain that something is wrong.

Brains are wired in such a way that once an alert goes out chemicals are released into that part of the body to fight off infection.

These chemicals are part of a clever plan to keep us alive.

A problem arises for people with chronic pain who sometimes limit their movement because they are sore. There is no infection but the brain goes into fight mode anyway.

The body is flooded with chemicals to fight a non existent infection. The body also increases it’s own sensitivity to “listen harder” to what is going on.

This increase in our bodies clever listening system can mean an increase in the experience of pain.

So put simply you have to keep moving to send a message – no chemicals needed here – all is well.

We want our brain to turn down the volume on pain not turn it up. This is the story that was told to illustrate how this mechanism can work.

An SAS soldier returned from war with an amputated arm. He suffered terrible pain in that limb. The brain was not recording any movement in the arm. Alarms went off in the brain and chemicals were released into the body to fight off an infection in that limb. The soldier was encouraged to imagine exercising the missing arm by visualising pumping iron each day. This fooled the brain that the arm was moving and all was well. The pain stopped.

Well in answer to my question Stephanie at the Arthritis Foundation has sent a list of the hydrotherapy pools in the Perth metro area. Thanks Stephanie this is a very useful resource for Perth parents.

I hope this list helps you get your child into a heated pool this week. Here is the Hydro Pool List.

Meeting others kids with arthritis can be a relief

She had seen first hand how valuable it is for people to meet others who are going through a similar experience.

“We had some new faces in our aqua class yesterday. One teenage girl who attended hadn’t ever met anyone else with a similar condition.

She broke down in the change room and said she was so relieved to talk with us. It made her feel normal again. She said she had been starting to think it was all in her head.

I think the group hydrotherapy classes are not only good for the body but they are good for the soul too.”

I think this is a really good example of how making the effort to talk to each other is worth it.

I have just posted some tea/coffee times and places on the home page of this website. You would be welcome to join us at any of these times whether your child is in hydrotherapy or not.

Maybe you would like to host a tea/coffee event for rheumatology parents in your area. I’d be happy to help you spread the word.

Photo courtesy of gwennypics at Flickr Creative Commons

Hydrotherapy can ease joint pain and feelings of isolation

I was really surprised we made hydro today.

My daughter has been very low and sore for the last few days.

We found out there was a holiday session on half an hour before it started.

I woke my daughter and told her.  I was sure there was no way she was going anywhere.

Thirty minutes later my grinning teenager was in the pool with her mates having a great time.  I know she was still feeling pretty sore but she got there to see her friends.

Natalie Bennett-Bremner now runs her Kidz Clinic at the Arthritis Foundation.  She is also developing a pool group of teenagers who come at 8.00am on Saturday morning.

We usually make it to the PMH pool on Monday afternoon for hydro as well. These sessions help in several ways.

It is helpful to exercise the joints without putting too much strain on them.  The warm water is soothing to tight muscles.

It is also an opportunity for the kids to see that they are not the only ones dealing with this sort of challenge.

I met some other mothers today and we talked about this website – they were really keen – so here I am getting it started.  Welcome aboard.