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Central Sensitization - please share your stories
Chronic Pain | Last Active: 8 hours ago | Replies (160)Comment receiving replies
Hi all,
At the start of the year I was in the hospital for two weeks due to really intense migraines. I’ve had these migraines and neck/back pain , IBS and other general pain for years without ever having answers. When I got released they basically said go see a therapist and go to a chronic pain clinic. So the other week I finally spoke to a person from the chronic pain clinic (couldn’t see her in person due to covid-19) and after the standard conversation repeating everything I’ve been through and all my pain I was so worried she was going to put it all down to “mental health issues” like so many other doctors have told me. At the end of the conversation I said please can you tell me what you think is actually going on and she then mentioned how she believes it is central sensitisation ( the s is there cause I’m from Australia) she then went on to say she’ll call me in a couple weeks after speaking to her team and my doctor about a plan. After the phone call I burst into tears whilst reading about central sensitisation because after all these years I actually have a name/reason for my pain. It wasn’t all in my head. Now I’m trying to read up more about it and stumbled upon this conversation and just hearing that other people are going through what I’m going through is just crazy to me. It’s so hard to keep repeating I’m in pain knowing that no one is actually understanding that I am in pain cause they can’t see a physical reason for it. So sorry for ranting but I just wanted to share my experience so far. I should be hearing back from my pain clinic soon and hopefully they have a good plan for me.
Thank you if you’ve actually read all this.
Replies to "Hi all, At the start of the year I was in the hospital for two weeks..."
Welcome to Connect @tara333! I'm so glad you found some comfort and answers. It's definitely helpful to have a name for what you are going through and now it sounds like you are doing a great job with doing continued research on it. Please do report back when you get a plan from the pain clinic too. How have you been treating your pain before your diagnosis?
@rwinney @tara333 Ladies, Do not ever let doctors tell you that your pain is all in your head; that it is a psychological problem. Of course, intense pain leads to anxiety and depression, but the pain is real. The whole idea of central sensitization is that the brain is amped way too high, and gives you pain way beyond the initial injury, diagnosis. It is a problem of brain malfunction. Most people with Central Sensitization do have a pain history. Perhaps they have had fibromyalgia, achey joints, muscles; but the brain signals up the pain, way too much. However, you do have something wrong with your body. You are not just a psych patient. There is nothing wrong, too, about getting emotional support from being in pain. One of the things I love to do is listen to a cellist named Hauser. His music is stunning, and so is he. Oh my goodness, the man is way gorgeous. I just get taken in by him, and time goes by, and I notice that my pain is not bothering me. I have always liked men, so I can get easily distracted by a gorgeous face. Am I bad, or what? Whatever works! Go check out Hauser. I want to marry him. Don't tell my husband. Lori
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@tara333 Hello and welcome to the conversation. I most definitely read your entire post! I'm right there with you in questioning whether its imagined pain and why I feel so much when others may not. Wow! Thank you so much for responding and helping to validate myself and others who experience this diagnosis.
I had a similar moment when I watched the Mayo Clinics video on Pain Central Sensitization. I cried and was so moved by its accuracy to me...it was like my very own blue print. I highly recommend you watch it.
Be well and best of luck with your team approach for helping you.
Rachel