1. < Healthy Living

Chronic pains (headaches, back and neck)

Posted by Pray4relief @pray4relief, Sep 7, 2012

I have a hard time sleeping. I can never get comfortable, I'm in tears when everyone else sleeps around me. I have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis @27 , herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, annular tare?, sciatica and fibromyalgia. I also have headaches everyday of my life for years. I used to take topamax and it kinda helped for a few years and then it stopped and I started feeling very depressed on them so I stopped. I wake up stiff and just in constant pain. I try to live as if I don't have a problem, I want to enjoy my family. I figure I'm in pain no matter what so do as much as I can, while I can. I'm am however getting scared because pain is worsening. Pain always in my lower back and when I sit the pain radiates all Over my back, goes up the back of my neck and then my head feels horrible! I'm getting very forgetful , flustered, say things that arent right at the moment, just way off topic and hard to understand things. I was driving with my 13 yr old and I switched lanes and don't remember doing it, Stuff like that happens more and more. For a while now my head hurts so bad, getting nausea and dizzy even when I'm laying down. I would not want to take my life, my family mean to much to me but how can one live in so much pain?.. I'm hurting so much and I'm only 30, been 8-10 yrs in pain now and it's not getting any better but worst.

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Duncan | @duncan | Sep 8, 2012

Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of the pain, life just wasn't enjoyable. I couldn't think as straight as thought I should. I couldn't laugh at small jokes. General life just seemed trivial because the pain was bigger than all that. I tried many things, from physical therapy to chiropractic care and massage therapy. These therapies never permanently relieved the pain, and sometimes they made my pain worse. Thankfully, I did find two things that consistently helped me. They were The Alexander Technique and swimming. The Alexander Technique helped me become aware that I was tensing my muscles in my back and neck when I was stressed or even anxious (including when i was stressed about the pain). And this constant tightening of my muscles was contributing to the pain. I even become aware that i was tensing these muscles in my sleep. I also learned from the technique that I was breathing, sitting, and walking in a way that was harmful to my body. I began to stand up in class and use elevators. I even made a stand up and a lie down desk at my work so that I didn't have to sit down while I was working at the computer. I also realized driving was contributing to the pain so I started using public transportation. I also tried sleeping on the floor and other things.
Even after doing these things, I still had difficulty releasing some of the muscless that were locked in my back and neck because the pain was like blocking my mind from getting into the muscle and allowing it to relax. Swimming helped me relieve the pain for a while and it helped me "get into my body" so to speak. After a while I was finally able to release those muscles and relax them in my sleep. When this happened there was a significant and lasting decrease in pain.
These are the main points of the journey towards recovery. There are many other things that happened such as prayers, priesthood blessings, going gluten free, and choosing to serve others the best i can even when in pain. I'm still on the road to complete recovery but I know I have made tremendous progress and i have hope that I can keep making that progress.
You'll be in my prayers. If you have any questions please ask. And I highly recommend looking into the Alexander technique. Oh, I forgot to mention. My headaches went away when I started to do physical therapy , but my back pain got worse.

REPLY
6 replies
Pray4relief | @pray4relief | Sep 8, 2012
In reply to @duncan "Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of..." + (show)
@duncan

Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of the pain, life just wasn't enjoyable. I couldn't think as straight as thought I should. I couldn't laugh at small jokes. General life just seemed trivial because the pain was bigger than all that. I tried many things, from physical therapy to chiropractic care and massage therapy. These therapies never permanently relieved the pain, and sometimes they made my pain worse. Thankfully, I did find two things that consistently helped me. They were The Alexander Technique and swimming. The Alexander Technique helped me become aware that I was tensing my muscles in my back and neck when I was stressed or even anxious (including when i was stressed about the pain). And this constant tightening of my muscles was contributing to the pain. I even become aware that i was tensing these muscles in my sleep. I also learned from the technique that I was breathing, sitting, and walking in a way that was harmful to my body. I began to stand up in class and use elevators. I even made a stand up and a lie down desk at my work so that I didn't have to sit down while I was working at the computer. I also realized driving was contributing to the pain so I started using public transportation. I also tried sleeping on the floor and other things.
Even after doing these things, I still had difficulty releasing some of the muscless that were locked in my back and neck because the pain was like blocking my mind from getting into the muscle and allowing it to relax. Swimming helped me relieve the pain for a while and it helped me "get into my body" so to speak. After a while I was finally able to release those muscles and relax them in my sleep. When this happened there was a significant and lasting decrease in pain.
These are the main points of the journey towards recovery. There are many other things that happened such as prayers, priesthood blessings, going gluten free, and choosing to serve others the best i can even when in pain. I'm still on the road to complete recovery but I know I have made tremendous progress and i have hope that I can keep making that progress.
You'll be in my prayers. If you have any questions please ask. And I highly recommend looking into the Alexander technique. Oh, I forgot to mention. My headaches went away when I started to do physical therapy , but my back pain got worse.

Jump to this post

Thank you for replying. I am going to look that up! I to have been to chiro, they did xtray there a few yrs back and said I had a back of a 70yr old at 26! They pain got worst with that treatment. I recently tried phy theraphy again, to much pain to continue. my docts gave me a portable machine to wear to relax my muscles, it feels good for a little while then it just kinda stopped working. I guess I used it to much? I was told to swim and only swim but problem is where I live theres only 1 pool and its so tiny, most of it is a kiddie section, not only that its 20miles away! i live in the country which makes lots of things difficult. Have you had any MRI's or xrays? Have you been diagnosed with anything other then stiff muscles? How long have you been dealing with your back pains? I hope you are feeling better. I'm at work so I;m going to google Alexander tech now! Thank you!

REPLY
nurselady | @nurselady | Sep 9, 2012

I am a neurology RN. Do you have access to specialists? I recommend seeing a neurosurgeon. They specialize in back surgeries, and nerve pain. They can tell you exactly what is going on and what the best course of treatment would be, whether it be surgery or something else. Have you had a MRI?

REPLY
1 reply
Pray4relief | @pray4relief | Sep 10, 2012
In reply to @nurselady "I am a neurology RN. Do you have access to specialists? I recommend seeing a neurosurgeon...." + (show)
@nurselady

I am a neurology RN. Do you have access to specialists? I recommend seeing a neurosurgeon. They specialize in back surgeries, and nerve pain. They can tell you exactly what is going on and what the best course of treatment would be, whether it be surgery or something else. Have you had a MRI?

Jump to this post

I have my apt set up for 26th I've been bounced around and not really taken seriously by a few doctors. They always say I'm to young. Some didn't even have my MRI results in yet. My insurance denied my MRI for my neck and head even though it was requested by specialist. There were problems spotted in my lower back since I was 22. It just got worst the last 8 yrs and new things in my new MRI.

REPLY
mouser | @mouser | Sep 10, 2012

One more thing- pain is worse for people when they aren't sleeping. The idea behind it is that when we reach that deepest level of sleep that we are totally relaxed, if we aren't getting enough of that we end up in more pain. I would ask your doctor about something to help you sleep if you can.

REPLY
Duncan | @duncan | Sep 10, 2012
In reply to @duncan "Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of..." + (show)
@duncan

Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of the pain, life just wasn't enjoyable. I couldn't think as straight as thought I should. I couldn't laugh at small jokes. General life just seemed trivial because the pain was bigger than all that. I tried many things, from physical therapy to chiropractic care and massage therapy. These therapies never permanently relieved the pain, and sometimes they made my pain worse. Thankfully, I did find two things that consistently helped me. They were The Alexander Technique and swimming. The Alexander Technique helped me become aware that I was tensing my muscles in my back and neck when I was stressed or even anxious (including when i was stressed about the pain). And this constant tightening of my muscles was contributing to the pain. I even become aware that i was tensing these muscles in my sleep. I also learned from the technique that I was breathing, sitting, and walking in a way that was harmful to my body. I began to stand up in class and use elevators. I even made a stand up and a lie down desk at my work so that I didn't have to sit down while I was working at the computer. I also realized driving was contributing to the pain so I started using public transportation. I also tried sleeping on the floor and other things.
Even after doing these things, I still had difficulty releasing some of the muscless that were locked in my back and neck because the pain was like blocking my mind from getting into the muscle and allowing it to relax. Swimming helped me relieve the pain for a while and it helped me "get into my body" so to speak. After a while I was finally able to release those muscles and relax them in my sleep. When this happened there was a significant and lasting decrease in pain.
These are the main points of the journey towards recovery. There are many other things that happened such as prayers, priesthood blessings, going gluten free, and choosing to serve others the best i can even when in pain. I'm still on the road to complete recovery but I know I have made tremendous progress and i have hope that I can keep making that progress.
You'll be in my prayers. If you have any questions please ask. And I highly recommend looking into the Alexander technique. Oh, I forgot to mention. My headaches went away when I started to do physical therapy , but my back pain got worse.

Jump to this post

Yes I recently had 2 MRIs, one for my neck and one for my upper back. My appointment with the neurologist is in October. I've had chronic upper back pain for around a year and a half and I had chronic headaches for more than a year before that. I'm 25 years old. Before looking into to surgery, I would try to figure if there is anything that u are doing that is causing the problem. Did you find any Alexander Teachers close to u?

REPLY
Pray4relief | @pray4relief | Sep 10, 2012
In reply to @duncan "Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of..." + (show)
@duncan

Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of the pain, life just wasn't enjoyable. I couldn't think as straight as thought I should. I couldn't laugh at small jokes. General life just seemed trivial because the pain was bigger than all that. I tried many things, from physical therapy to chiropractic care and massage therapy. These therapies never permanently relieved the pain, and sometimes they made my pain worse. Thankfully, I did find two things that consistently helped me. They were The Alexander Technique and swimming. The Alexander Technique helped me become aware that I was tensing my muscles in my back and neck when I was stressed or even anxious (including when i was stressed about the pain). And this constant tightening of my muscles was contributing to the pain. I even become aware that i was tensing these muscles in my sleep. I also learned from the technique that I was breathing, sitting, and walking in a way that was harmful to my body. I began to stand up in class and use elevators. I even made a stand up and a lie down desk at my work so that I didn't have to sit down while I was working at the computer. I also realized driving was contributing to the pain so I started using public transportation. I also tried sleeping on the floor and other things.
Even after doing these things, I still had difficulty releasing some of the muscless that were locked in my back and neck because the pain was like blocking my mind from getting into the muscle and allowing it to relax. Swimming helped me relieve the pain for a while and it helped me "get into my body" so to speak. After a while I was finally able to release those muscles and relax them in my sleep. When this happened there was a significant and lasting decrease in pain.
These are the main points of the journey towards recovery. There are many other things that happened such as prayers, priesthood blessings, going gluten free, and choosing to serve others the best i can even when in pain. I'm still on the road to complete recovery but I know I have made tremendous progress and i have hope that I can keep making that progress.
You'll be in my prayers. If you have any questions please ask. And I highly recommend looking into the Alexander technique. Oh, I forgot to mention. My headaches went away when I started to do physical therapy , but my back pain got worse.

Jump to this post

There isn't anyone near me that does Alexander tech. I have my apt on the 26th to discuss options and see about further testing. I'm hoping for some kind of relief without having to do surgery. Have you looked into Myofascial pain syndrome for the upper back pain? I have been online looking trying to figure out why my upper back has hurt me since I was at least 14. I saw this today, and it also says if not treated can cause Fibromyalgia, which i was also diagnosed with. I never injured myself so I'm just not understanding all this pain and list of problems that I have going on with my back, neck and head? U+128532

REPLY
Duncan | @duncan | Sep 11, 2012
In reply to @duncan "Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of..." + (show)
@duncan

Thanks for sharing your situation. I have also had chronic back pain and headaches. Because of the pain, life just wasn't enjoyable. I couldn't think as straight as thought I should. I couldn't laugh at small jokes. General life just seemed trivial because the pain was bigger than all that. I tried many things, from physical therapy to chiropractic care and massage therapy. These therapies never permanently relieved the pain, and sometimes they made my pain worse. Thankfully, I did find two things that consistently helped me. They were The Alexander Technique and swimming. The Alexander Technique helped me become aware that I was tensing my muscles in my back and neck when I was stressed or even anxious (including when i was stressed about the pain). And this constant tightening of my muscles was contributing to the pain. I even become aware that i was tensing these muscles in my sleep. I also learned from the technique that I was breathing, sitting, and walking in a way that was harmful to my body. I began to stand up in class and use elevators. I even made a stand up and a lie down desk at my work so that I didn't have to sit down while I was working at the computer. I also realized driving was contributing to the pain so I started using public transportation. I also tried sleeping on the floor and other things.
Even after doing these things, I still had difficulty releasing some of the muscless that were locked in my back and neck because the pain was like blocking my mind from getting into the muscle and allowing it to relax. Swimming helped me relieve the pain for a while and it helped me "get into my body" so to speak. After a while I was finally able to release those muscles and relax them in my sleep. When this happened there was a significant and lasting decrease in pain.
These are the main points of the journey towards recovery. There are many other things that happened such as prayers, priesthood blessings, going gluten free, and choosing to serve others the best i can even when in pain. I'm still on the road to complete recovery but I know I have made tremendous progress and i have hope that I can keep making that progress.
You'll be in my prayers. If you have any questions please ask. And I highly recommend looking into the Alexander technique. Oh, I forgot to mention. My headaches went away when I started to do physical therapy , but my back pain got worse.

Jump to this post

I didn't have a specific injury either, although I did do some street running that may have contributed to some pain. I think that a lot of misuse that can lead to pain comes from emotional issues. Meaning some people when stressed tighten up certain muscles in a harmful way. And then the stress if the pain can cause this self feeding downward cycle where the pain causes more pain... A big step for me was trying the best I could to be happy with the pain I had and not always wishing it was gone and getting down about it. Another big step for me was to not judge myself, meaning to not get mad at myself every time I found myself slumping in a chair or tensing my muscles when I was stressed. I feel like a lot if my worries went to my back. I was told by a massage therapist that there are a couple of muscles in your neck that are directly connected to your brain (meaning their nerves don't go through the spinal column). And I think it was anxiety in my sleep that caused me to be tense while I was sleeping, like I was trying to hold my head off my pillow. Well if their is an Alexander teacher like an hour away then I think it would be worth it to try it once. Or if you go on holiday then you might be closer to one. Thanks for telling me about Myofascial pain syndrome!!! Do you think any of your pain is caused by emotional stress? And do you think your pain could be causing more pain?

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