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Pain as therapy for neuropathy?
I know, the title of this thread doesn't sound like it makes any sense does it? With all of the garbage that I've got going on in my life, osteoarthritis, undiagnosed neuropathy in my feet, lactose intolerance, digestive issues, and a few other "quirks", I've been called a medical mystery, or a conundrum by multiple doctors over the past 20 years.
I'm living in chronic pain 24/7, 365 days a year, but there is something that actually helps, temporarily, stop the nerve pain in my feet, getting tattooed. I've been getting tattooed for the past 25 years, and I realized about 6 or 7 years ago that every time I had some work done, the nerve pain in my feet would disappear for 2 or 3 days.
I began to notice that I was aware of the pain in my feet starting to go away while I was being worked on. After I was done being tattooed for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, my nerve pain was gone. It's 'frickn awesome, I can walk without pain in my feet and lower legs just like a normal person does.
Sometimes this would last 3 or 4 days, or only for a day or 2, but I didn't care, my nerve pain was gone. However, when the pain did come back, it was more intense that it normally was for a couple of days.
I've asked my regular doctor, my neurologist, my orthopedist, and my neurosurgeon if they've ever heard this before, and they all had no idea how or why this would happen. I'm just a medical mystery. I can't tell you how frustrated I am, my doctors have no answers, and nothing is getting any better.
Has anyone out there ever heard a story like this before, or have a reason as to why this happens to me?
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@mrmacabre
I have small fiber neuropathy and many other issues like you and can empathize about the frustration.
My thoughts about tattoos (I have a couple myself), is that the needles irritate the small fibers in your feet, swelling occurs which compresses the small fibers (like wearing compression socks), and you get a sensation of less nerve pain for a period of time until the swelling goes down. I don’t know if the same happens when people get acupuncture (never had it before and believe the needles are thinner than tattooing needles).
Have you gone to a neurologist for a skin punch biopsy to diagnose small fiber neuropathy?
That’s certainly a mystery. It does make me wonder if it’s due to the distraction if pain from the tattoo. Sort of like when the dentist is injecting a needle into your gum and at the same time they jiggle another part of your face as a distraction. I’ve seen dermatologist use this technique when doing surgical procedures too. They place a cool, vibrating device on a different part of the body to take the brain’s focus off the part they are working on. Just a theory. What do you think is the explanation?
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2 Reactions@mrmacabre
Also, has your neurologist checked your bloodwork for neurological deficiencies or toxicities of vitamins/minerals, do you smoke/drink, are you diabetic, or have you been exposed to toxins in your life? This can cause many neurological issues. Have you tried taking Acetyl l carnitine, alpha Lipoic acid and magnesium supplements or used capsaicin or lidocaine creams for the pain? Do you take a probiotic for your gastrointestinal issues and have you seen a gastroenterologist? You may also benefit from seeing a nutritionist to help you improve your diet and reduce inflammation.
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1 ReactionInteresting thoughts on pain as therapy. You might want to check out some of the discussions on neuroplasticity and pain rehabilitation centers:
-- Neuroplasticity search results - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/discussions/?search=neuroplasticity
-- Pain rehabilitation center - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/discussions/?search=pain%20rehabilitation%20center
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1 ReactionYes, I've had that test done, along with all the other tests that they have, and everything's normal(whatever that is).
Yes, they did the blood work as well, and it didn't show anything abnormal. I'm not diabetic, and I've never smoked or consumed alcohol either.
My GP recommended me to add Alpha Lipoic Acid to my growing list of supplements that I take a few weeks ago, and I think it has lessened the pain by a little bit.
I drove a truck for 35+ years, so I can't think of any toxins that I might have been exposed too. The blood tests didn't show anything anyway.
I've been taking a probiotic supplement for decades, and my gastroenterologist's test's were also negative.
Would acupuncture not have the same effect?
Possibly, but our insurance won't pay for acupuncture, and we can't afford to pay for it. On top of that, my GP told me that at best it only works temporarily.
I am a 47-year old woman who was just recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, where my brain misinterprets signals coming from my spinal cord as pain even when there's no injury or reason to feel pain. The pain is so intense that I was temporarily given oxycodone only as a last measure for relief from my flares; as my doctor put it, "use only when you need to go to the emergency room." Meanwhile, I am learning techniques in physical therapy and aquatic therapy to reduce the flares.
Haphazardly, I learned about the Shakti Mat, which is similar to the ancient use of bed of nails. It was a game-changer for me. It is literally inducing pain to relieve pain. You have to follow instructions on how to use it therapeutically because, after 20 minutes of use, I felt relief like never before. I recommend you considering it for your neuropathy.
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1 ReactionIt may be that the pain induced by getting a tatoo is distracting from your other pain, as has been suggested by others who responded. You might be interested in a much better solution, Calmare Scrambler Therapy. It is very effective for enduring relief of neuropathic pain. It uses electrodes to send a "no pain" signal to the brain that overrides the pain signals and, after an average of 10 sessions, shuts it off. See this article for more information: https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/calmare-scrambler-therapy-effective-non-invasive-treatment-for-neuropathic-pain
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