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Chronic Back Pain for Years
6 back surgeries (extensive cervical and lumbar fusions) with neurological complications. Left with chronic pain. Accident happened in Nursing career 1992 and worked with first fusions until 1999 (failed fusions). At my age, and as a former nurse educator, I never wanted to had to rely on medication/s for the severe pain. Having thoroughly exhausted exploring sites using non-pharmaceutical methods, using psychological methods, biofeedback, trying to accept my limitations, i.e., I still believe somewhere...out there...is hope. The strong medicine has caused gastroparesis, further complicating my health problems. They are too numerous to write and I will not focus on them. I am looking for "help" and guidance. If I can be of assistance to anyone throughout their trials, (perhaps similar to some of what I have gone through), I will.
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When I had cranial sacral release performed on me it was done by a Physical Therapist who had worked on me for years. She was trained in that practice at the Upledger Institute. Upledger is the name of the man who developed that technique and thought it was so valuable that he didn't patent it but rather choose to open an Institute to teach it to any and all medical practitioners who wanted to use it. I would ask anyone wanting to do that to me if they indeed had been to the Upledger Institute or had learned from someone else. If they hadn't been there I would decline the service. You say you had it done, what did you think of it? I thought it was great.
I absolutely agree with you about the medications. I had fentanyl patches for about 15 years until a couple months ago and I wasn't addicted to it. I've never abused any medications, I've never done any drugs, and I don't even drink. You're right, if taken as prescribed you normally don't have any issues. I agree that drugs are out of control and that opioids are one of those drugs. Doctors are just weaning people off these drugs and leaving them in excruciating pain. As a patient, one of your rights is to be treated for your pain. What is this doing to treat anyone's pain? You are just left out there to decide whether you want to turn into a drug addict and find the street version of the pain relieving drugs or if you want to try to endure the pain until it either kills you or you choose suicide. How is that humane!! It's nearly impossible to even find another doctor that will treat you. I know because I went through several before finding one that would work with me. You are treated like a drug addict looking for drugs! The government is so quick to use the stereotype that if you take opioids then you ARE addicted to them. Also, when they whip out the number of drug related deaths they conveniently forget to mention that most of them are caused by the street version of the drugs. Just wait to see how much the suicide rate rises! I'm sure they won't be so quick to admit or will probably never admit that it's because they left legitimate pain patients to die!
I would recommend to you, since you haven't found any other medications that work, to try an integrative pain specialist. They prescribe both homeopathic and regular pain medications. My doctor prescribes Oxytocin and Ketamine troches. They dissolve under your tongue. Somehow they work together and they work great for your pain. The pain relief is just as good, if not better, than any of the opioids they gave me over the years. I strongly urge you to try a new doctor and mention these medications. If you do get to try them please let me know how they work for you. Good luck to you and take care!
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2 ReactionsYou have said it all my friend. I'm working on a letter to the editor about opioids right now. Maybe I'll post a copy if they printed
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2 ReactionsI have also had some wonderful massage therapists who are trained in cranial sacral release.
Where are the Integrative Pain Specialists? Does Mayo employ them in their Pain Department?
I don't know if Mayo would employ them or not. I don't think the current healthcare world recognizes integrative treatment facilities very much just yet. It's coming though. Look up Integrative Pain Specialist and your state & city. Let us know if you have trouble finding a facility. Good luck to you!
Thanks!
The AMA released their 2018 numbers last month. I was amazed to see that 'smoking' is still the #1 choice of self-inflicted demise in America (more people do it and it costs us all more). The second is Obesity. The 3rd is alcoholism. Drugs, including opiates, are somewhere below alcoholism. I suspected from the start that this hysterical 'opioid epidemic' was a 'red herring', soaking up attention while nicotine addiction goes unaided and Big Tobacco Companies continue to prosper. Peggy
Hi All!!
For those of you who are newer to the group, let me re-introduce myself. My name is Ronnie, I just turned 64 years old, I live in Central Florida where I retired to 5 years ago because my hubby and I could no longer tolerate the snow and cold in New Jersey. I have suffered with chronic back pain for more than 10 years. It took me 5 pain management doctors and a move to Florida before I found a doctor who could help me. I was taking shots that lasted betwen 3-12 weeks. Considering I got ZERO relief before, this was a blessing and he was my hero. Sadly, about 1-1/2 ago, not only did the shots stop working, but my cervical spine entered the game. I hadn't had cervical issues in years and years. He could not help me with that either. By this time, I had enough and decided to seek out a neurosurgeon who specializes in spine issues.
I found my new hero! Approximately one year ago, I had 2 discs replaced in my cervical spine. Within a few days, the symptoms and pain I was experienced faded away. No more violent headaches, pains down my arms, or pins and needles. Next, we worked on my lumbar spine. This summer I had an X-lIFT fUSION on L4/5. It was a long, hard and painful surgery but once the surgical pain started to go away, I realized I was no longer in pain! Other than my osteoarthris pain, it was the first time in over 10 years that I was pain free!!!!!
Just before my 2nd surgery, I noticed that when my feet were flat on the floor and I was sitting, I could not move my right foot from side to side; I couldn't wiggle my toes and I couldn't move my thumb toe at all. The issue was in my left foot, too, but to a much lesser extent. We now, both my legs are weak, I lose my balance (even with a cane) and fall, my right big toe drops (causing me to trip, not fall), and my left foot is worse. My neurosurgeon says I presnt like someone with a spinal trama, which I haven't had. He sent me to a neurologist for a work-up.
Fast forward to day.....I already had extensive blood work done. Today, more tests. So, I have severe nerve damage from S1 and L5 and neuropothy in both feet, which are probably coming from my back. II also have nerves that are clustering together near my spine as well as more lumbar stenosis. We don't think surgery will be the answer, but of course, we can only speculate. We think PT in order to try to keep this from getting any worse. We don't think I can reverse the damage. In 2 weeks we will go back to the neurologist and right after that, we hop in the car to the neurosurgeon. Between the two, we are hoping there will be some sort of a plan for action!!
In the meanwhile, my hubby and I have been discussing what to do IF surgery is suggested. For the first time in years I am pain free. Do I want to take a chance that the pain will come back??? Guess a lot will have to do with the prognosis of doing the surgery or not. As we drove home from the doctor's office I began to think.....perhaps if I had this surgery before instead of trying all the other interventions, maybe things would not have gone so far. I thought I was doing the right things....imagining, injections, chiropractor, accupuncture, cupping, theraputic massage, land and aquatic PT....so on and so on. The imaging did not look as bad as apparently my spine was (and is).
Oh well, hindsighti 20-20. Guess I need a new pair of glasses. In the meanwhile, I am going to try to live my life to the fullest and do the things I want to do with the people I want to do it with. None of us know what tomorrow will bring.......
Only the VERY BEST for us all.....
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)
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3 Reactions@grandmar I sympathize with your back pain and resultant issues. I also sought out many "alternative" treatments to solve my back pain, which ultimately did more harm than good. I am praying for understanding and a clear plan of action following your appointments. Meanwhile, I highly recommend PT and a therapist that can provide dry needling. It helped me immensely with the post-surgical pain. I did not understand how traumatized my muscles and nerves were until I went through the dry needling and PT. Blessings to you.
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