the lotus journey: 06 April 2013

Healing my Dislocated Knee

where it happened!

Lying in the snow with my kneecap dislocated, being unable to get it back into place, my mind was whirring with thoughts of doctors, x-rays, crutches, hospitals, insurance companies & many weeks of physiotherapy and recovery. I made the decision right then to attempt to heal this without western medicine. Within 5 minutes my wonderful boyfriend had pulled my leg enough (not metaphorically speaking) and the kneecap was back to its original place.

I’d like to put a little caveat here. This is me sharing my personal experience of handling a dislocation. I am in no way recommending that others should follow such steps. My only suggestion is that we each listen to our own body and act in accordance with what is best for us. I present this as my true experience of using energy work to heal a physical ailment. That all said, i hope you’ll find something interesting to assist you in your healing journey – be well!

What did i do during the dislocation?

1. Became aware of my breathing & slowed it down.

Breathing through my mouth and reminding myself that freaking out about things never helps.

2. I used E.F.T./ Tapping

Tapped on my cheekbone point (the only one i could easily reach based on how i was positioned). My statement was something like “Even though my knee is dislocated, it’s okay for me to relax. Even though i’m freaked out and really scared, i choose to trust that things are going to be okay.”

3. I asked for Reiki energy to flow through me.

This also involved praying for the angels and guides to be with me & to help the process.

Quick List
Here's a quick list of healing modalities i used...scroll down to read about which ones interest you in more detail:

Watching the thoughts / awareness of shock
Bach flower essence - Rescue Remedy
Listening to my body (and how to do that)
Tarot
E.F.T. / Tapping
Affirmations
Reiki
Flower of Life
Crystals & Gemstones
Talking to Like-Minded Friends
Putting the pieces together
Natural Anti-inflammatory Foods
Elasticated Knee Support
Rest and Relaxation
Physiotherapy / Exercises
Walking Meditation

Healing Modalities Used

Watching the Thoughts

i became aware that i was in shock, that i was utterly overwhelmed with emotions. Realising this helped calm me down and to accept the myriad of thoughts and emotions, without reacting to them.

Bach Flower Essences

I immediately took some drops of Bach Flower Essences ‘Rescue Remedy’ which is great for people in shock & high stress {link}.

Listening to My Body

I decided that this whole experience of dislocating my knee would be an exercise in listening to my body.

It saddens me how much control over our bodies we hand over to doctors. I truly value many doctors & believe they do many wonderful things to help us heal. However, it seems like we’ve been brought up believing that they know our bodies better than we do. That they know what’s best for us. I wanted to readdress this balance and see if i could listen to my body’s inherent wisdom.

Consider how many things our bodies do without our awareness. Our bodies naturally want for us to be healthy. They want to help us heal. I knew that if i listened to my body it would guide me & whisper to me the things it needed for recovery.

How to ‘listen to my body’?

‘Listening to my body’ means tuning inside to hear/feel/see whether something i wanted to try was a ‘yes’ ‘no’ or ‘maybe’. One exercise you can try to learn what your ‘yes’/’no’ feels like:

1. Close your eyes, relax and let your focus go to the area around your heart.

2. Ask yourself “was my name at birth…[state your birth name]?”

3. Tune into the reaction in your body. This is a ‘YES’. It often feels like an opening, expansive feeling in your chest, others may ‘hear’ something more affirmative and some may ‘see’ an image which lets them know it’s YES – everyone experiences it differently.

4. Ask yourself “Was my name at birth Reginald Morris Clark?” [unless that’s your name!]

5. Tune into the reaction in your body. This is a ‘No’.

You can try this with a series of questions of which you’re sure of the answer, parent’s names, place of birth, name of school. When it’s clear to you how you’re yes & no presents itself to you, you can ask questions about how best to heal yourself.

Tarot

I love the Osho Zen Tarot deck {available online here}. i asked

“What is the purpose of this injury/what will it teach me?”
“How can i heal this injury?”
“What is the outcome?”

i then interpreted the cards & as they were incredibly positive and encouraging, i left them on my alter to remind me of their message.

E.F.T. (Emotional Freedom Techniques)

This was one of the major ways i cut through the trauma of what had happened. I’m an avid E.F.T. Practitioner & it’s one of my primary healing modalities. I’ve been using it for some years now & i give private sessions, circles & workshops. Still, i’d never tapped on a physical trauma in my own body.

i've detailed the whole process of what i specifically said as i tapped. You can read about it {here}.

Affirmations
Some of the positive statements/affirmations which i tapped in (see E.F.T. above):

It’s possible for me to heal my knee.

I’m grateful for receiving support from others.

I am proud of my commitment to healing myself.

I am grateful for this opportunity to listen to my body

I am excited to use my healing tools in a new way.

I know how to take care of myself.

I care for my well being.

I am strong.

I heal quickly.

I choose to believe that my knee will have a full and complete recovery.

It’s possible for my knee to be even stronger after this experience.

The healing of my knee can happen at a quantum light speed, as i’m using quantum light speed tools!

I am curious to discover what lovely surprises the Universe has in store for me & how it will help & support my recovery.

Reiki

Reiki is, for me, completely indescribable. To have pure, universal love flowing through one’s hands. It is a high vibration healer. As a Reiki Master (of the Usui lineage), i have practised a lot of Reiki and it was exciting to use it on one of my own physical issues.

I asked for Reiki energy to flow through me, with the help of my angels, guides, spirits and all the masters who’ve gone before. i put my hands on either side of my left knee & allowed the healing to take place.

Straight after the dislocation, I used Reiki in conjunction with E.F.T. Sometimes the tapping would get too intense and i would need a break, so i would chanel Reiki for the specific issue, then after about 5-15 minutes return to the E.F.T. practice.

In the days following the dislocation, i used more Reiki and less E.F.T. It seemed like I had tapped through all of the trauma and fears around being able to heal myself. Thus I would sit with crystals & flower of life and ask for Reiki to flow (see below).

Flower of Life

The flower of life is an incredible piece of sacred geometry. I absolutely adore this symbol and see it as a representation of a healthy cell. I placed an image of the flower of life under my knee and instructed each of my cells to replicate this image within them. I imagined the flower of life symbol being the pattern of each cell around my knee.

I combined this visualisation with Reiki (see above).

You can read more about the flower of life {here}.

Crystals & Gemstones

I respect crystals and gemstones as natural healers on our beloved planet. A few years ago i would have considered this crazy, but i’ve had way too many healing experiences & connections to crystals to doubt them!

I used a very special apophyllite crystal on top of my knee, with a flower of life symbol below my knee. I did this mostly as i channeled Reiki. However, at other times, i just let them hang out there, as i did something else.

I also used rose quartz for compassion & gentleness, kyanite to connect to guidance & clear quartz as a master healer.

You can read more about my love of crystals (and see some of the crystal necklaces i've made) here: crystal-light-web.blogspot.com

Talking to Like-Minded Friends

i talked to 3 close friends (thank you Imana, Ashika & Jennifer), who i knew would support my decision to heal myself. i asked for their prayers & supportive energy. i decided not to tell anyone else about the dislocation, in case their worry & beliefs about healing flooded me with doubt. After about 4 days i felt that i’d healed enough to tell my family (whose beliefs about medicine are different to mine, but i am grateful for their support).

Putting the Pieces Together

This is a more cerebral part of the process, as i'm interested in finding the underlying pattern in things. I knew i’d:

- dislocated my knee

- on the first day of spring

- as i was walking into a yurt (like a hermit’s cave!)

I was aware that my thoughts were positive when it happened, so that didn’t seem related. However, i took the rest of the pieces and received some insight into the deeper meaning of my injury, then i did some E.F.T. on what i’d discovered.

Natural Anti-Inflammatory Foods

I found a website with natural anti-inflammatory: some of the veggie items i already had at home (like broccoli, olive oil, turmeric). I drank turmeric water & made some rice with a lot of turmeric.

Knee Support

I bought an elasticated support from the local pharmacy to assist me when i moved around.

Rest and Relaxation

I slept as much as my body needed (that was 14 hours the first night). Before I fall asleep i ask the angels to give me the healing i need as i sleep. I would also give myself Reiki before I fall asleep, which is standard practise for me!

Physiotherapy / Exercises

i found a couple of youtube videos with some simple physiotherapy exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knee. I practiced these after 7 days of total rest.

Walking Meditation

After about 4 days of completely resting the knee, walking only the absolute minimum, I decided to walk around the yurt. I have practiced walking meditation in the past, which involved walking incredibly slowly (so you are aware of each centimeter of your foot contacting & leaving the floor). As i walked, i put special attention on my knee: how it felt, was it painful? how was the alignment with my foot & hip?

What *did* i do that i wouldn't recommend?

Ice Pack

i filled a ziploc freezer bag with snow. This is designed to reduce the swelling and associated pain. I continued with ice packs for 24 hours, until i read this:

“From the viewpoint of Chinese medicine the opposite is true. While ice numbs and stops the heavy influx of inflammation and infection-fighting cells thus decreasing the pain, the long-term results are blocked energy and blood (which coldness causes), a slower healing process and a longer-term pain. Ice and coldness slow down circulation and congeal the blood, just as ice on a river stops the flow of water on the top. The flow of energy is then blocked, also.

With the application of heat (the sooner the better), fresh energy and blood are immediately brought to the location for healing with continued circulation. The heat also alleviates the pain and actually quickens the healing process, especially over the long run.”

http://www.planetherbs.com/therapies/barefoot-doctor-healing-techniques.html

Whilst we can’t believe everything we read online, this ‘felt right' (see 'Listening to my Body' above) to me, as i’d had reservations about the ice from the get-go. i stopped the ice pack. Knowing what i know now, i wouldn’t use an icepack at all.

Googling

Googling medical injuries has never made me feel better. Ever! But i did it anyway! I was reminded of much of what i’d heard the other 3 times my knee had been dislocated:

– i should to go to A&E/E.R. get x-rays to check there wasn’t floating cartilage & that the patella was properly back in place,

– i would need around 6 weeks on crutches for my knee to recover before i could put weight on it,

– it would then take a further 6-16 weeks of physiotherapy for my knee to be healthy.

i didn’t believe it. The last time it dislocated i was travelling in India & after taking x-rays, the doctor told me the most important thing was not to put weight on my knee for 7 days. He gave me antibiotics to make sure i didn’t get an infection and anti-inflammatory to reduce the swelling. (I refused pain killers.) That was all 6 years ago & after the 7 days i was able to start walking around (very slowly).

So, straight off the bat, i didn’t believe that i needed such an extensive healing time. However, i wanted to take care of my knee as it’s not something with which to gamble (walking & dancing are two of my favourite activities!). i had to find the balance. E.F.T. helped a lot in addressing those concerns.

If you really want to Google…consider adding keywords like “holistic”, “natural”, “healing” to what you're searching. And remember that you don’t HAVE to believe what you read. You can co-create your own healing process based on your beliefs.

Outcome

It is now 16 days after the dislocation and my knee is feeling fantastic. I am careful not to walk too far & as much as possible i walk on even surfaces (like paved roads, as opposed to all the snow and ice which surrounds our yurt!). I still wear the knee support when i’m walking further than a few steps.

i’d say she feels 90% healed. When i can dance i will know i am completely healed, but i am not in any hurry. Looking back it feels like a beautiful experience showing me that it is possible to heal physical issues with energy work. This is a lesson i am so grateful to receive. i feel a renewed strength in my beliefs of & commitment to holistic healing. i am grateful to my body for telling me what she needs in order to heal.

Read the specific details of how i used E.F.T. during the knee healing process {here}.
Visit my E.F.T. website here: EFTharmony.com
Visit my crystal website here: crystal light-web
You can read my humorous account of the dislocation story on my yurt blog {here}.

Healing my Knee with E.F.T.

When my kneecap returned to its normal position, after a dislocation, i used E.F.T. to tap through the trauma. Here i give a full script of what I said as I tapped.

I’d like to put a little caveat here. This is me sharing my personal experience of handling a dislocation. I am in no way recommending that others should follow such steps. Nor am i suggesting that it is better than going down the route of western medicine. My only recommendation is that we each listen to our own body and act in accordance with what is best for us. I present this as my true experience of using energy work to heal a physical ailment. It is important that we each take responsibility for our own bodies & listen to ourselves rather than anyone else. That all said, i hope you’ll find something interesting to assist you in your healing journey – be well!

With E.F.T. it’s best to start on what is triggering you the most. Within 5 mins of the 'relocation', I began tapping on:

"Even though I’m still in shock and it was very scary: I’m okay now. It’s possible for me to tap through this experience with my knee and to feel calm."

Throughout this, taking deep, relaxing, breaths is incredibly important.

E.F.T. Tapping Points

Telling the Story Technique

I dived straight into the ‘telling the story’ technique. I tapped through the E.F.T. Points {see above or watch this video} and told the story of exactly what happened:

"I am walking down the path, almost at the front door. I feel happy because it is still snowing even though spring is almost here. I lift my leg to take a step up onto the decking. Then I don’t remember what happens but i’m falling and i think “my knee is doing that weird thing, when it almost dislocates but is then okay”. But it wasn’t okay…it dislocated and i’m lying in the snow. And my knee is dislocated."

Naturally, when i got to this point in the story huge bursts of emotions, shock and tears needed to be released. A few rounds of tapping on:

"It felt wrong. But i’m okay now. Right here and now, I am okay. I am safe. Even though i was so scared. I still love and accept myself as I am."

After the intensity reduced further, i went into the specifics of what 'felt wrong':

"The bones were in the wrong place. It felt bluerugh *shiver* *shudder* bleurgh. I accept myself as I am. I am still a good person. I love my body as it is. Everything’s going to be alright."

I had to do quite a few rounds on how ‘wrong’ it felt for the bones to be like this. Which included going back and tapping on the 3 other times it had dislocated.

I continued telling the ‘story’ aloud…

"i was so scared because i was trying to push my knee back together, the way i had done in the past, but it didn’t work. And i hated touching my knee and feeling the kneecap out there in the ‘wrong’ place. And even though I was so scared, it’s possible for me to remember that everything was still okay. I can accept the reality that even though it felt ‘wrong’, it was actually perfectly ‘right’ because that’s where my kneecap needed to be in that moment. And I can remember that in around 5 minutes it goes back into its usual place.

"Even though i felt so helpless i am still a good person. Even though i hate feeling helpless and i hate that word: helpless, helpless, helpless [turbo tap!]. I deeply and completely love and accept myself exactly as i am. It’s possible for me to realise that it’s okay to ask for help and support. i don’t have to do everything on my own. Even in those moments when i felt so alone, scared, out of control and helpless, I was still being supported by the Love of the Universe, of my angels, spirits and guides. I’m grateful to the angels who helped me in those moments. I was still supporting myself & doing what was best for me in that moment. I’m grateful to myself for taking care of me!"

"My cries attracted Antoine [my boyfriend] and he came, but he couldn’t reposition my kneecap either. He was so calm & even though i was still terrified, i felt more relaxed just looking at him. He changed my position and i was scared that he’d make it worse but it was okay. He looked me in the eyes and reminded me that he’d studied this in his first aid course. He asked if he could pull on my leg and i said yes. As he pulled he asked if it was okay. I told him it was. I realised that i was breathing really quickly and i reminded myself that stressing and fast breathing never helps anything, so i calmed down my breathing.

"But it wasn’t working. It wouldn’t go back into place. I was so scared again. I thought I may have to go to the hospital. And I had no idea how we’d get there, as there was a snow storm and the car is a 5 minute walk away. Antoine told me he was going to put his foot on my chest to pull on my leg more. I nodded. But as he changed position he put his hand on my leg with the dislocated knee and the pain increased.

"I realise this was an accident. Even though it hurt so much. Even though it was silly and thoughtless, i realise that he had my best interests at heart and was doing everything he could to help me. I forgive Antoine for putting weight on my leg. I release any bad feelings I have towards him for hurting me. I am so grateful that he was there.

[This may seem silly & obvious to some, but it’s good to be totally honest with yourself as you go through the story & really tap on EVERY aspect of it.]

"I remembered to tap a little, so i was doing that. I was focusing on my breathing & asking for help from the angels. Antoine pushed on my chest and pulled on my leg & my kneecap went back into place. I felt so relieved, but completely overwhelmed. As he helped me up i walked over to where I’m sitting now. I thought I was going to vomit, but that feeling passed.

"And now I’m sitting here, tapping and it’s okay. I honour how traumatic that experience was for me. I am grateful that I’m taking care of myself right now. In this moment, everything is okay. I love and accept myself as I am. I am strong and brave. I am in the process of healing. I trust that everything is going to be okay and that my knee can be strong again."

I then tuned in to see which parts of the story still had an intensity rating. Then I told the story over again from the start. I tapped a little more on the bone being out of place. And I tapped more on the helplessness, until those had significantly reduced. I ran through the whole story another time, realising that there was no shaking in my voice, no tears and that i felt neutral about the whole experience.

Completely amazed! I tapped IN some of that too. How proud i was of myself for being able to clear such a traumatic event in about 30 minutes.

Related Fears

i was aware that i was afraid to go outside. i had slipped on the snow & as soon as i walked out the front door i would have to walk on snow again. we live in a yurt, with a toilet a good 25 steps away, which meant i had to clear through that.

i asked my boyfriend to mirror me as we tapped through this fear. The script was something along the lines of:

"Even though i'm scared to go outside and walk on the snow. What if i fall and hurt myself again? I deeply and completely love and accept myself. This fear of walking on snow, leaving the yurt, walking on slippery snow. I am a good person. I accept the reality that in this moment I am scared of walking on snow. That's okay. It makes sense that i am trying to make sure I don't injure myself again. I am grateful to myself for taking such good care of me.

I also choose to remember that at some point in the future, it will be possible for me to walk on snow. I can do this whenever I choose. I can take this at my own speed. If i have to find a way to stay in the yurt for a whole week, without going outside, i can do that. Whenever i am ready i can walk on snow. i can walk on snow *slowly* and *carefully* (repeat several times those words).

Even though there's still a part of me which is scared of walking on snow, i can feel how this is lessening & i am becoming more ready to venture outside. i am so grateful to myself for all this healing. i am grateful to my body for repairing itself so well. i am grateful to my mind for upgrading its beliefs so efficiently, with what is in accordance with my highest good.

i forgive myself for any fear i had about walking on snow. i realise now i was trying to keep myself safe. The truth is that if i walk slowly and carefully on the snow, taking Antoine by the arm at first, I am ready to give it a try. I can use my stick as I walk slowly and carefully on the snow. If for any reason I don't feel comfortable, i can come straight back inside. I feel ready to give walking on snow a try. I love an accept myself however this goes."

About 15 mins after starting the tapping i was able to walk on snow without fear. Antoine held my arm in the beginning, then i walked alone with my stick. This was incredible! Fifteen minutes earlier I had been trembling at just the thought of walking on snow, now i was able to feel confident in my slow and careful steps!

Further Tapping

Tapping through the following fears, beliefs, self-talk:

– I can’t heal this myself.

– Deeper fears around being helpless.

– My desire to be ‘dislocated’ from society, like a hermit.

I also tapped through:

– Unhealed memories/emotions from the 3 other times it dislocated.

– The Conditioning (one of my tarot) from what doctors have told me in the past about knee dislocation.

Positive Statements / Affirmations

Some of the positive statements/affirmations which i tapped in where: