Embracing Change and Healing Elbow Pain

Connecting Emotional Pain to Elbow Pain

May 20, 2024

Chronic elbow pain can evolve from a physical issue into an energetic problem. It transcends beyond any minor ligament sprain or previous joint injury. At this stage, it is more about the blocked energy in the pathways of your body, particularly in relation to your ability to embrace new directions and experiences. It may be difficult for you to understand that something going on in your psyche is manifesting in your body. This is where the subconscious mind, which governs 90% of our mental activity, plays a crucial role, as it stores emotional memories and unresolved conflicts that can manifest as physical pain. Recognizing and addressing these underlying emotional issues can be the key to alleviating chronic elbow pain and facilitating overall healing.

Louise Hay’s "You Can Heal Your Life" highlights how mental thoughts shape our physical experiences. Our Emotional Pain Chart illustrates this beautifully. In her book, the elbow represents changing directions and accepting new experiences. When life feels burdensome and we resist change, it affects us physically. This notion brings to mind Rumi’s wisdom: “These pains you feel are messengers. Listen to them.” Our mindset significantly influences our physical state, and disconnection from trust and acceptance can cause discomfort.

As a physical and energetic therapist, my Body Detective archetype kicks in. I perform a light examination of the musculoskeletal system along with a thorough spiritual analysis, which can be done in person or virtually. I gather data from the tone of one’s voice, their natural postural habits, and their outlook on life. I'm interested in their life story, key relationships, and interactions. I seek to understand their self-protection mechanisms, self-confidence, self-worth, and overall life satisfaction. Where might they feel trapped? Is their career or sport still fulfilling? I'm really on the lookout for anything or anyone in their life that is not serving them anymore and in need of change.

My aim is to promptly guide them back onto their true life path.

By the time I evaluate long standing elbow pain, the client often experiences limited mobility and a significant reduction in arm usage, impacting their daily life and freedom. The pain often breeds frustration and anger. The elbow pain subliminally surfaces these dormant emotions, which are blocked by pride and the courage needed to face a decision that must be made. The body's intellectual form seeks understanding and purpose through these repressed emotions. By addressing and resolving these emotional blockages, we can heal the energetic imbalances contributing to their physical pain.

We constantly face decisions about changing directions in our lives, such as altering career paths or personal relationships. Elbow pain signifies growth in a new direction, highlighting an underlying fear of making life-changing decisions. This fear may stem from a lack of trust in oneself or the divine plan. Do you feel the need to make significant changes in your career or personal life? Something may no longer serve you, and your joint pain signals the need to move forward. Physical pain often mirrors emotional pain, and elbow pain often indicates a need to trust the divine and move in a new direction, where you will feel a sense of ease rather than resistance. This indecisiveness can stem from fear or a feeling of being stuck in the same routine, overwhelmed by responsibilities, and longing for fulfillment. Our body pain sends us messages that we need to address our internal emotions.

Physically, for elbow pain, stretching the wrists and shoulders can be beneficial. The wrists and shoulders are multi-directional joints, while the elbow is a hinge joint. When the wrists and shoulder joints are tight, they restrict the elbow, filling it with allostatic load, which needs decompression. Check out the stretches for the wrist and shoulder on previous posts.

Here are a few of exercises and stretches for the elbow:

Wrist Flexor/Extensor Stretches // Nerve Glides: Use a red light/green light theory. If it feels good while stretching, green light- keep going. If not, red light and stop. Stay out of pain range and take it slow moving and easing your way through the new path.