On illness, compassion and love by the Dalai Lama and how I reacted

In Tibet we say that many illness can be cured by the one medicine of love and compassion. These qualities are the ultimate source of human happiness, and need for them lies at the very core of our being. 

Unfortunately, love and compassion have been omitted from too many spheres of social interaction for too long. Usually confined to family and home, their practice in public life is considered impractical, even naive. 

This is tragic. In my view point, the practice of compassion is not just a symptom of unrealistic idealism but the most effective way to pursue the best interest of others as well as our own. 

The more we- as a nation, a group or as individuals - depend upon others, the more it is in our own best interests to ensure their well-being.

The rest of the Dalai Lama's article on Altruism can be read here

This message caught my attention because of the opening sentence about illness.  At first when I read this I was affronted and felt myself getting annoyed that someone could think these qualities could heal my conditions but then I starting thinking about it.

What if someone had shown me love and compassion at a crucial time early in the formation of the illness stressors?

What if someone's compassion had made them comment and head me in the right direction, early on, for a treatment that may have stopped the progression of dis - ease?

What if lack of a true feeling of love and compassion had been a part in the development of my condition?

What if their love and compassion had given me such amazing feelings that helped ward off the pain and the fog and the deterioration of the body?

What if  love and compassion for myself, and all the other good qualities that they bring, like forgiveness, tolerance and inner strength, had enabled me to not get sick in the first place? 

What if these great qualities could help me now on the way to healing?

We know that babies need love and compassion to survive and thrive but at some point that connection lessens or changes as our children grow older - we stop hugging as much, we allow ourselves to be hurt by things that occur, we lose our compassion, get caught up in what we can see, what we think is important. What skills for loving themselves and forgiving themselves have we imparted to our children and what were we given by our parents?

If love and compassion were physical objects able to be counted how much would we have and how much more would everyone focus on them? If they could be seen connecting and spreading like electric charges, that lit up things affected with beautiful colour, how much would we use them?

NOW the idea of love and compassion being medicine is a great one, to me, that makes me smile.

I am wishing that you feel all the love and compassion that may be coming to you on a daily basis and that you are offering this medicine to others and that most importantly you have it for yourself.

Myofascial Trigger Points in chronic muscle pain: Causes and Treatment

Many people have experienced this trigger point pain at some time in their life and many, like those with fibromyalgia and other muscle disorders such as myositis, live with this pain everyday. 

Trigger points are caused by a muscle reflex that misfires. 

Sensitive areas of tight muscle fibers can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse. These sensitive areas are called trigger points. A trigger point in a muscle can cause strain and pain throughout the muscle. When this pain persists and worsens, doctors call it myofascial pain syndrome. ~ MAYO CLINIC

Myofascial pain has been defined as a regional pain syndrome with: 

(1) the Trigger Point,(TP) a localized area of deep muscle tenderness or hyperirritability, and 

(2) a predictable, zone of deep aching pain, which may be located in the immediate region of or remote from the TP, may be quite extensive and is worsened by palpation of the TP.

The video, below, shows how to identify trigger points on yourself and shows how they radiate in your body to other areas. Dr Jonathan Kuttner, a pain specialist, discusses trigger point pain in this video. 

According to research this myofascial pain may develop into fibromyalgia in some people. Some doctors believe myofascial pain syndrome may play a role in starting this process. The common important feature to both conditions is muscle pain along with the taut or rope like bands in the muscles

Personally I have found great success in relaxing my muscles and reducing pain and highly recommend this myofascial pain release.

Non pharmacological therapies for MPS and FMS:

Due to lack of definitive etiological elucidation and treatment of FMS many alternative approaches have been advocated by pain therapists. The popular approaches have been mentioned below:

i) Choosing correct chair, mattress, and posture to sit or sleep.

ii) Back braces can be used to stabilize the vertebral column or support fatigued muscles.

iii) Traction devices can be used carefully as a temporary pain relief method.

iv) Mechanical massage: Regular massage by the devices available can penetrate deeply through a tapping or percussion action dispersing lactic acid in the soft tissue causing improvement in circulation and relaxation of knotted muscles.

v) Whole body vibration with traditional exercise programme for six weeks was also found to reduce pain and fatigue score.

vi) Chiropractic management combined with aerobic exercises and cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture and spa therapy also have strong evidences in their favour.

vii) Yoga: Regular yogic breathing practices, muscle stretching and progressive deep relaxation by “shavasana” are known to have positive effect on FMS.

viii) Ischaemic acupressure or ‘Shiatsu’: In this technique the clinician applies thumb pressure (TP) in a particular manner for 1 minute. In next minute the pressure is increased suddenly aggravating pain and a sensation of “giving away” is felt underneath the thumb in muscle as the pressure is released gradually.

ix) Hot and cold therapies:

– Cold and hot packs: Ice packs can reduce inflammation and pain if applied within 72 hrs of an injury. Ice should not be applied in a single area for more than 20 mins owing to ‘reverse reaction’ phenomenon.

– Hot packs are effective if applied after third day of injury. Moist heat is believed to be better in pain and inflammation improvement.

– Whirlpool and Jacuzzi jet massaging therapy are also examples of moist heat treatment.

– ‘Waon’ (soothing warmth) therapy employs far infrared ray dry sauna bath at 60° C for 15 min followed by transferring the patients to a room at 26° C covered with blanket for 30 min. Such 2-5 cycles in a week have significant effects on pain reduction.

x) Electrical stimulation: Such devices also prove effective but under medical supervision. Often called “dry needling” the technique of electrical stimulation by a needle passed in to TP has been successfully demonstrated to relieve shoulder and cervical myofascial pain as well as improve microcirculation.

xi) Ultrasound therapy: Sound waves from ultrasound machine are transmitted through sound conducting gel to the tissues. The ultrasound waves break down scar tissue, relax muscle and improve local circulation.

xii) Laser therapy: Short period application of infrared low level 904 nm Ga-As laser therapy have been found to be effective in pain relief and functional ability but its benefit when combined with muscle stretching physiotherapy has been questioned.

Have you tried any of these therapies?

SOURCES

• Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome - A Dilemma: H. C. Chandola and Arunangshu Chakraborty
• Mayo Clinic: Understanding myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia
• Practical Pain Management: Fibromyalgia & Myofascial Pain Syndromes
• Myofascial Pain, Fibromyalgia or Fibrositis? Pearce J.M.S.

THIS POST WAS LINKED UP AT FIBRO FRIDAY WEEK 7

Creatine study for fibro

The 16-week study at the University of Sao Paulo, in Brazil, was to observe the effects of creatine on women with fibromyalgia.

The 32 women were assigned either creatine or a placebo. The creatine group started with 20 grams a day for five days and then progressed to 5 grams a day.

The study was double-blind, which means no one knew who was taking which substance.

Muscle function was assessed by strength tests and muscle phosphorylcreatine levels were checked by MRI.

WHAT IS CREATINE?

According to Healthline Creatine is a substance found naturally in muscle cells. It helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high intensity exercise. Athletes and bodybuilders often take a creatine supplement to enhance strength and improve performance, while older adults and vegetarians might take it to support brain health and quality of life.

RESULTS OF THE STUDY: The Creatine improved muscle function in the upper and lower body of the women with fibromyalgia by up to 10 percent on average. “It means that creatine can improve the patient’s physical capacity, which may be impaired in fibromyalgia.”says Professor Bruno Gualano.

“We observed that creatine supplementation can promote a substantial increase in muscle phosphorylcreatine,” says Gualano. “Creatine improves the transfer of energy, which ultimately results in better muscle functioning.”

Researchers had expected improvements in overall fibromyalgia symptoms such as pain and fatigue but this was not seen.

Most fibro sufferers, like me, will be happy for any improvements available even if we start to feel like walking pill bottles! I am definitely going to try Creatine as a 10% increase in muscle function is better than nothing. I have very weak muscles and any more strength would be greatly appreciated.

Read more at the Arthritis Foundation

This study was published in the September issue of Arthritis Care and Research.

FOOD SOURCES OF CREATINE: herring, salmon, tuna, and red meat contain creatine but cooking does destroy some of it.

DOSAGE OF CREATINE: A typical adults dosage of creatine is between two to five grams per day. 

Purchase unflavoured, water soluble creatine with 5 gram scoop

LINKED UP AT FIBRO FRIDAY

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Results of our latest poll: WHAT ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS HAVE HELPED YOU?

Well the results are in showing what has helped people with fibromyalgia. This was from a questionaire posted here on Fibro Files.
Overall there were 29 voters and they could vote in all categories or 1 category.

Keep in mind many people may not have tried all these therapies. The main thing to note, I think, is that all the alternative therapies have given some benefit to some people. Massage came in as the top alternative/complementary treatment that has helped fibro sufferers and it's wonderful to know that all these treatments have given some people some relief from their symptoms. All those with Fibromyalgia know we have to be pro active in our own treatment and try what we can to reduce some of the myriad of symptoms. I would love to hear what has helped you.

WHAT ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS HAVE HELPED YOU? Massage?	POLL 15 (65%)
Homeopathy?	6 (26%)
Yoga?	10 (43%)
Acupuncture?	8 (34%)

Keeping my house clean when chronically ill

This morning I cleaned my house a bit: the bathroom and the kitchen.

I feel really happy and more organized and clear headed when my house is clean and organized.
Of course, with chronic pain and illness, this is something that I have had to lower my standards on, but there are things I can do to keep it generally clean and tidy.

Here are the basic habits I try to maintain:

1. Take the rubbish out every day: this is the basic must do thing for me because if the bins are full then the house does not get tidied of rubbish.

2. Have a clean and clear sink: this is the basics in the kitchen because a cluttered sink prevents any more cleaning happening in the kitchen.

3.Make my bed in the morning. Sometimes I have to lie back down on it after I make it but it is great to know it is made.

4. Tidy up one area before I leave the house. It’s wonderful to come home to a place where you can sit and relax after you arrive home. Don't forget it could be just your favourite chair and side table.

5. Tidy a kitchen bench before I go to bed. Waking up to a dirty bench where you prepare coffee, tea or breakfast is stressful. Having a clean bench is wonderful start to the day.

6. Delegate. Get others in the house to put away their own stuff and occasionally have a 10 minute tidy up that everyone joins in. It makes it more fun and when 5 people participate that's a total of 50 minutes cleaning!

7. Sweep. Just sweep the main thoroughfare and the kitchen. Don't try and be perfect.  I have wooden floors and a giant mop that glides over the floor. I do this most days and do not worry about the corners. It's amazing how a clean floor can make the house look so tidy.

These are my lucky seven. Of course I would love to get more done but over time and with the help of a pain management specialist I have become more realistic.

Handy tips:

1. Pacing: I must pace myself or I suffer the next day so I break my tasks up into 10 minute chunks. I figure I can do most anything for 10 minutes and then I have to change the activity or set of muscles I am using. How about you? Can you do 15 minute tasks? Some people may only be able to do 5 and some days that is me but, hey at least I am getting something done.

2. Lowering expectations. We may have all had a spotless house once but our situation has changed. I try to have one room where visitors can go that is clean and tidy. If I am having a good week the front hall might be clean too!

3. Have a simple house. Having many ornaments means more things to clean and more guilt when we can't clean them. I have decluttered my house to the bare minimum so I can maintain it. Even that is an effort, but the rewards are great.

Get many more coping tips for living with fibromyalgia or any chronic illness by joining my email list below.

Many thanks to Leo Babauta and FlyLady who have helped me over the years with cleaning ideas.

The influence of weather on Fibromyalgia: a fibro survey

Do you think your fibromyalgia is affected by the weather? 

Do you hate hot weather or cold weather or weather extremes? 

I found a 2013 study about the influence of weather on daily symptoms of pain and fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia.

Abstract from Arthritis Care and Research:

While patients with fibromyalgia often report that specific weather conditions aggravate their symptoms, empirical studies have not conclusively demonstrated such a relation. Our aim was to examine the association between weather conditions and daily symptoms of pain and fatigue in fibromyalgia and to identify patient characteristics explaining individual differences in weather sensitivity.

Conclusion.

There is more evidence against than in support of a uniform influence of weather on daily pain and fatigue in female patients with fibromyalgia according to this study. While individuals appear to be differentially sensitive to certain weather conditions, there is no indication that specific patient characteristics play a role in weather sensitivity.

See the Methods and Results 

This demonstration of a lack of uniform effects of weather on symptoms does not, however, refute the notion that some fibromyalgia patients may be more sensitive to the weather or changes in the weather than other people.

We decided to conduct our own survey with people who have fibro! We created a simple and quick, multiple-choice survey to get the real results on whether the weather affects people with fibromyalgia. We found that the majority of people who joined in the survey said that their fibromyalgia symptoms WERE affected by the weather. 

Myofacial Pain Syndrome and fibromyalgia treatment

This short, 2-minute, video is about the Trigger point injections to treat chronic muscle pain. 

What do you think of this treatment option?
We would all love to hear from you if you have tried it.

Trigger points can be found in people with fibromyalgia but they can be found in anybody.  Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome are two separate and distinct syndromes. You can have both of these conditions together. Fibromyalgia is a systemic disease process that requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach. Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a condition that arises from the referred pain and muscle dysfunction caused by trigger points. It responds to manual treatment  such as ischemic compression and various specific stretching techniques. 

What are trigger points?

Tight muscles that develop in your muscles after overuse are called trigger points. They cause pain throughout the muscle. When this pain persists it may become myofascial pain syndrome. According to the American Association of Family Physicians Palpation of a hypersensitive bundle or nodule of muscle fiber of harder than normal consistency is the physical finding typically associated with a trigger point. 

How can trigger points be treated?

Nonpharmacologic treatments include acupuncture, osteopathic manual medicine techniques, massage, acupressure, ultrasonography, application of heat or ice, diathermy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, ethyl chloride Spray and Stretch technique, dry needling, and trigger-point injections with local anesthetic, saline, or steroid. 

You may also like to read these other articles I wrote about:
Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome (book review)
Fibro and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Myofascial Trigger Points in chronic muscle pain: Causes and Treatment

RESOURCES

NIH Tender points/fibromyalgia vs. trigger points/myofascial pain syndrome
PubMed Trigger points and tender points

American Association of Family Physicians

LINKED UP AT FIBRO FRIDAY, where you can read fibro posts from great fibro bloggers.

Homeopathy helping Fibromyalgia

A plant used in a homeopathic tincture - Rhus toxicodendron

Scientific studies published in the journal of the British Society for Rheumatology have confirmed the real benefits of homeopathic medicines for fibromyalgia as distinct from a placebo.

Scientific Evidence for Homeopathy 
The first controlled trial testing the homeopathic treatment of patients with fibromyalgia was an impressive and sophisticated double-blind "crossover" trial that was published in the prestigious British Medical Journal (Fisher et al, 1989). 

A crossover trial is a sophisticated method to test the efficacy of a treatment because each patient's results with the "real treatment" are compared with that same patient's results with a placebo. 

While most double-blind studies compare one group of people who receive the "real treatment" with another (hopefully similar) group of people who receive a placebo, crossover trials compare the results of each person and his/her response to real treatment with his/her response to placebo.

The researchers found that there was a substantially significant degree of improvement in the reduction of tender points and improved pain and sleep when the subjects were taking the homeopathic medicine, as compared to when these same subjects were taking a placebo.

Read Dana Ullman's full article in the Huffington post.
A study done into fibro and homeopathy.

If you are interested in alternative therapies for Fibromyalgia please see my post on all the natural treatments I have tried. 

DIMENSIONS OF WELLNESS

Have you heard of the eight dimensions of wellness? Here you can find a summary of what they are...

Wellness, or our sense of well - being, is all about how we feel about life and how we function.

It is not just about our health or lack of it.

Wellness involves many dimensions that make up the whole person. 

There are eight areas that influence our ability to function at a healthy level: 

1. Physical Wellness — a lack of illness and/or disability and the role you take in maintaining your body for strength, vitality and energy.

2. Emotional Wellness — an ability to cope and manage stress and being at peace with who you are.

3. Intellectual Wellness — the ability to think, reason and remember and staying open to new ideas.

4. Social Wellness — the ability to connect with a support system of family and friends or the wider community.

5. Occupational Wellness — the ability to contribute, use your own skills and abilities.

6. Spiritual Wellness — understanding of your place and purpose, having a sense of purpose and meaning beyond self. 

7. Environmental Wellness — feeling safe at home and around your area and the impact you have on the planet and the planet has on you.

8. Financial Wellness — having sufficient money to meet your basic needs. 


So I am off to think about each of these eight areas, to see if I have a balance in the aspects of wellness? To decide where are things going well and where they need improvement?
Besides physical wellness, which is a given area anyone with fibromyalgia would like to improve, where else would you like to see change?


The 8 petalled paris japonica

FURTHER READING: Why Do We Get Sick? Why Do We Get Better? A Wellness Detective Manual

This post is linked up at Fibro Friday week 9 where you can check out great fibro bloggers.

Fibromyalgia: what is it?

Many people ask me what Fibro is. 

I think that when we have it, and know so many others with it, we forget that many people need to understand the basics of fibromyalgia. 

Fibromyalgia (fi·bro·my·al·gi·a) is a condition that causes pain all over the body.

The word fibromyalgia comes from the Latin term for fibrous tissue (fibro) and the Greek words for muscle (myo) and pain (algia). But Fibromyalgia is so much more than just muscle pain in the fibrous tissues of the body.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points.  In addition to this, people who have fibromyalgia may experience a variety of symptoms including:

• sleep disturbances
• morning stiffness
• headaches
• irritable bowel syndrome
• painful menstrual periods
• numbness or tingling of the extremities
• restless legs syndrome
• temperature sensitivity
• cognitive and memory problems referred to as “fibro fog”
• a variety of other symptoms 

Fibromyalgia which is often called fibro or FM or FMS by researchers is a chronic condition. This means that it is long-term and it is not likely to go away. The symptoms can fluctuate, as in, you may have pain all over your body one week and then just in certain parts of your body the next week. Fibro can also easily flare up for a variety of reasons and sometimes it is not possible to work out what brings on the extra increase in symptoms. 

According to the American College of Rheumatology Fibromyalgia is a neurologic chronic health condition that causes pain all over the body and other symptoms. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia that patients most often have are: Tenderness to touch or pressure affecting muscles and sometimes joints or even the skin. Severe fatigue. Sleep problems (waking up unrefreshed). Problems with memory or thinking clearly. 

You might also like:

Fibromyalgia explained by the experts (what 12 organisations say)

Read full article about what Fibromyalgia is.

Fibro Friday is where you can find what others are saying about fibromyalgia.

Laughter and Fibromyalgia

• Laughter reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort. It is not clear whether laughter is just a diversionary tactic to help us forget our pain or if it is due to a chemical change and an increase in endorphins, but researchers have time and again documented lowered pain responses in patients treated with humor therapy. It is also thought that a good hearty laugh that brings you to tears removes toxic substances that build up in our bodies during periods of emotional stress.

• Laughter improves brain function and reduces stress. Laughter stimulates both sides of the brain to enhance learning. It eases muscle tension and psychological stress, which keeps the brain alert and allows people to retain more information. Laughter is a great way to combat fibro fog.

• Laughter aids in better relaxation and improved sleep. The focus on the benefits of laughter really began with Norman Cousin’s memoir, Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful spine condition, found that a diet of comedies, like Marx Brothers films and episodes of Candid Camera, helped him feel better. He said that ten minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free sleep.

• Laughter helps your immune system carry out its natural functions. Laughter moves lymph fluid around your body simply by the convulsions you experience during the process of laughing; so it boosts immune system function and helps clear out old, dead waste products from organs and tissues. Your lymph system doesn’t have a separate pump; your body needs to move around to properly circulate lymph fluid so that your immune system can carry out its natural functions. Laughter is a great way to support that.

Read full post at Fibro Haven

You might be interested in Laughter is Good Medicine which includes links to Funny Fibro Memes on Pinterest

Listen to Laugh: NPR Laughter Therapy: A Comedy Collection for the Chronically Serious

If you are looking for some humorous shows to get you your 10 minutes of laughter, or more, here are some great suggestions from our members at FIBRO CONNECT our private fibromyalgia Facebook group:

• Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.
• The Office. (TV Show)
• What About Bob?: A 1991 movie directed by Frank Oz. With Bill Murray, and Richard Dreyfuss
• Mash (TV Show)
• Tropic Thunder a 2008  movie directed by Ben Stiller
• Overboard a 2018 remake rom/com with Anna Faris. 
• Frasier (American TV series)
• Scary Movie a spoof on all scary movies.
• Eurovision Song contest with Will Ferrell
• Mr Right with Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell.
• Caddy Shack for that goofy humor with Chevy Chase
• As Yet Untitled a TV panel show with Alan Davies
• 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown for British humor in a game show hosted by Jimmy Carr
• Beverly Hills Cop a 1984 movie with Eddie Murphy.
• A Fish Called Wanda a 1988 movie written by John Cleese,
• Trading Places a 1983 movie with Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy.

Magnesium Deficiency and Fibro

Did you know that simple old mineral magnesium is essential to the functioning of almost every organ in the body? It is important in nerve signals that cause muscles to relax and contract. This is one of my major symptoms - the muscles in my legs always feel tense and I cannot relax them except in warm water. Do you have this problem? 

Researchers are now saying that magnesium deficiency may actually be involved in the development of fibromyalgia!

How simple is it to take one magnesium tablet a day? When magnesium has been deficient for a long time it can cause restless leg syndrome, muscle weakness, muscle spasms an anxiety. I use to get restless leg syndrome and muscle spasms.

What got me interested is that I had a hair sample analysis taken by my homeopathic doctor and of all the hundreds of things they tested (and all my medical conditions) the only deficiency was magnesium.

I am off to take my magnesium supplement right now. 

Oh and just found a really great way of getting magnesium if the thought of taking more tablets is not appealing to you: Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil. It sounds really good as the most concentrated way of getting magnesium through the skin. I am going to order some right now and I will let you know how I go with it. I will continue to take my supplement as well.

You can Read more about magnesium including food sources and RDA here.

Causes of magnesium deficiency.

This post is linked up at Fibro Friday No. 10. Have a look and join in too.

At the end of the day...

At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.  Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo (1907 - 1954)

Frida Kahlo was an amazing artist. In her short life she created over 50 self-portraits and many other paintings. She often used imagery in her paintings and her drawings and her diaries to describe the pain she lived in every day. Here is a little about the pain she endured and a collection of what she said about her pain.

No one really knows if Frida had fibromyalgia or not but she did suffer from chronic pain.  

She contracted polio at age 6. This caused curvature of the spine. She was in a horrific tram accident at 17. Her leg was amputated. She had a history with many surgeries and miscarriages. She lived much of her life on pethidine which is an opioid pain-relief medicine. Many of her paintings starkly portray this pain. She expressed the emotional, psychological, and physical aspects of pain in many of her self-portraits and in her words as well. Read more about Frida and her pain journey in my other article about her.

Frida in her bedroom in the 1950's

In this post, I am sharing some of Frida Kahlo's pain-related quotes, from her diary, and also some of her artwork relating to pain. 

When talking about polio she said It all began with a horrible pain in my right leg from the muscle downward. 

The pain. The pain of heartbreak, the pain of sickness, the pain of betrayal. I take this pain, I express this pain, and I change it into something positive and beautiful. In these paintings, I am free of my suffering.

I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality. 

This is how it feels to be in this broken female body. This is how it feels to be alone... This is how it feels to be me. I dare you to look...and once you look, I’m going to make sure you cannot look away.

They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn't. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.

Since my subjects have always been my sensations, my states of mind and the profound reactions that life has been producing in me, I have frequently objectified all this in figures of myself, which were the most sincere and real thing that I could do in order to express what I felt inside and outside of myself.

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, was painted by Frida Kahlo in 1940.
Image from FridaKahlo.org  She uses the imagery of a thorn necklace which is cutting into her neck.

My painting carries with it the message of pain.

I must fight with all my strength so that the little positive things that my health allows me to do might be pointed toward helping the revolution. The only real reason for living.

Frida displaying one of her self-painted body casts.
She was often confined to bed after operations and painted her own casts.
This one shows the communist symbol and a foetus 

 "Espero Alegre la Salida – y Espero no Volver jamás– Frida" which translates to "I joyfully await the exit – and I hope never to return – Frida"

This last quote was written a few days before her death. Her death certificate states that she died from a pulmonary embolism. But this quote and other information makes many people think that it was from an overdose. 

This video below, from the Frida Kahlo organization, shows many of Frida Kahlo's paintings. Most of the 30 images are her self-portraits which graphically depict her pain. She uses medical images, swords, arrows, skeletons, blood, her body laying down and internal organs frequently to depict her own personal endurance through the pain and suffering of her life.  

  

Are you looking for more information on Frida Kahlo?

You can purchase a copy of Frida Kahlo's amazing diary which is full of her artworks and handwriting. It was written in the last 10 years of her life. Find out more about it here.

Pages from Frida's diary which you can purchase here.

If, like me, you love quotes, you can purchase Pocket Frida Kahlo Wisdom which is an inspiring collection of some of her best quotes on love, life, and art. 

You can also stay on this site and read more about her life at Did Frida have Fibro?

Do you have a personal collection with Frida Kahlo? do you love her art, have you been to an art show of hers or seen a painting of hers at the art gallery or do you collect things with her image or designs? I would love to know.

Did you know about her life of pain? before you read my short article on Frida did you know about her focus on pain?