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Have you found anything to successfully treat fibromyalgia pain?
Fibromyalgia | Last Active: Mar 13, 2023 | Replies (115)Comment receiving replies
Have had MRIs of entire spine, brain, x-rays of entire spine. New neuro is physician #10. PT sets off severe symptoms that feel like a heart attack. EMG/NCV arms and neck showed possible C8 nerve root compression ergo C-spine MRI #3 coming up next week. C-spine 2017 showed nothing at that level and neuro originally did not think it was worth repeating. Several labs for autoimmune, MS, thyroid stuff, all WNL, not even close to high or low ends of normal to suggest borderline. I'm scheduling an ortho appointment on my own. My neurologist's partner did the EMG/NCV and when she ask about pain and I told her I don't have pain, but rather paresthesias, she didn't think it was fibro. The absence of pain has been a confounder for everyone. Stretching, reaching, bending, even fast walking, pushing a shopping cart, light push-ups against wall, sets it off and it takes weeks to subside.
Replies to "Have had MRIs of entire spine, brain, x-rays of entire spine. New neuro is physician #10...."
@debkl I noticed some familiar stuff in your post, as I've been there myself. I have had C8 nerve root abnormalities, and I have thoracic outlet syndrome and I did have spinal cord compression because of a collapsed disc with bone spurs at C5/C6. I had a spinal fusion at Mayo to fix that. Spine issues of a compressed spinal cord can exist without pain and be a complete surprise to the patient. Likewise, if nerve damage from nerve compression is is significant enough, this nerve conduction studies and EMG tests don't hurt as much for those specific nerves. That was my experience, and I found those tests to be very uncomfortable and painful. It took me 2 years and 5 spine surgeons before I found one who understood the issues at Mayo and fixed the problem.
I wanted to check in with you since your post was last month to see how you were doing and if you have any new findings. Did you have any new imaging ? I know how easy it is for symptoms to be overlooked and dismissed or misunderstood.
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I scheduled my own, also. I did shop for physical therapy as it is important for them to take you from where you are. Most of the program was stretching, while lying down, yoga/isometrics, pilates. It required limited standing or cardio. I just got over covid, so not sure how that exercise would affect cardio, but it certainly "fixed" my sciatica and restless legs and built up my core. I have neck and lower back degeneration and hypermobility (Elers-Danlos light).