Page 214 - Total War on PTSD

Veterans with PTSD may experience muscle tension, joint pain, headaches, back pain, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ) and teeth grinding, or other types of pain. Fight-or-flight mode is a primal defense mechanism that prepares the body for physical threats, causing muscles to contract. These habitual defense mechanisms are resistant to change. Repeated encounters with triggers can keep their bodies tense, operating on high alert, without giving their muscles time to relax. They may experience exhaustion or fatigue due to a constant state of hyperarousal.
A person in pain may not realize the connection between their pain and a traumatic event. But for some the pain may actually serve as a reminder of the traumatic event, which in turn may intensify PTSD symptoms. Some people who develop PTSD and chronic pain also experience depression. Many Veterans armor themselves, holding their ribs rigid and limiting their breathing.
How People With PTSD Have Benefitted from the Feldenkrais Method
Each individual has his or her own way to of reacting to injury and trauma. Some people continue to protect an injured area long after the injury has healed, as did a Veteran who was shot in the shoulder while on foot patrol. He remained hunched over the shoulder for several years and was unable to lift his arm above shoulder height. During FI sessions, he learned how his ribs could open and close when he bent to the side. By taking his attention away from the shoulder itself and asking him to move in places he had not considered to be related to his issue, he was able to develop full use of the arm within a few weeks.
Some Veterans have difficulty finding stability and are seeking a sense of support. When an exploding IED threw a Veteran through the air, he lost his ability to find support in his own body. He could not sit without leaning against the back of the chair
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