Bursitis is a very common musculoskeletal diagnosis. This ‘inflammatory’ disorder affects the bursae, small sacs filled with fluid that cushion and lubricate the spaces between bones, tendons, muscles, and skin. Yet, despite how common it is, bursitis remains widely misunderstood.
Pain is a symptom. Symptoms are the feedback that the body generates when it faces problems with its delicate internal balance (homeostasis). Without symptoms like pain, thirst, nausea and fevers, it would be very difficult for us to maintain a healthy body in the same way that it would be hard to drive a car safely with no dashboard display.
We long to be ‘pain-free’. Because physical pain is somehow the opposite of physical freedom, it places terrible limitations on the variety, quality, and vibrancy of the life we are able to lead.
After using intensive cupping therapy to support remedial care of chronic pain patients for nearly 20 years, I feel an incredible weight of responsibility. To help people understand this often overlooked but vital tool in the box of remedial pain management techniques.