Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

You;re welcome. Just passing on some education I learned the long, hard way in hopes others can find relief faster than I did. God has been so good to me in leading me to a good pain management doctor. I hope Monique gets relief soon and others like her. To suffer for months on compete bed rest with no help in site is not acceptable with today's modern medicine.

Some early studies on pain medication are showing promise. Now we will have to wait a decade or so before they may even meet the market.

INTRO
I retired at 64 when I developed Osteoarthritis and Spinal Stenosis. Injections did not help. I see my pain doctor every eight weeks and take a very low dose of medication each day. To prevent further deterioration I restarted my Yoga practice from over 40 years ago. I now practice not only Ashtanga Yoga Asana but all eight limbs of Yoga which includes concentration and meditation. I've also adopted many Indian cultural practices including diet that has resulted in my losing 26% of my body weight since retiring four years ago. I now can wear the same size clothing I did when I was in high school and college and a restoration of energy and zest for life.

Shirley, of course you are very worried for your daughter. This must be very scary for both of you and to have no answers. Has she been seen by a top neurologist?

Hi Colleen: No, she hasn't seen a top neurologist. In fact, none of the doctors she has seen has even mentioned her seeing one. So I will definitely tell her you have asked about this and suggest she mae an appointment with one. Oh, gosh, thank you so much for mentioning this. How and why do you think a neurologist coud help her? I feel like this is a lifeline to help for her and I thank you so much for reahing out to me I'm so concerned for her because her family physician doesn't seem interested in looking deeper into other alternatitives and my daughter doesn't know enough about the different spedialists out there and what they take care of in the body. So thank you so very much and God bless you. I will definitely let you kow what she decides to do.

Hi, tens is very good for this. It only works on 70% of people though. Very much helped a friend of mine with wrist CRPS. I use it for every type of pain thanks to screwed up nerves! Try to get one with the han cycle which is best for both acute and long term pain all at once.

So glad you've got some relief from the trigger point injections! Have you started water therapy?

@turboc6 Welcome! Wow, you're doing a great job with self-management of your symptoms. Thanks for the inspiration to our Connect community and very helpful tips on how you manage. Please always feel free to share what has helped you. It never hurts to have more tools in the pain management toolbox.

You make a valid point about injections no longer working. It happened for me too, and same with pain meds, they lost effectiveness and were actually amping up my pain through hyperalgesia. Have you considered weaning off medication considering you take a low dose already?

Thank you for your thoughtful comments. In answer to your question, I'm working to wean myself off most medication through diet with physical and mental exercise. A key component of this effort is the fifth limb of Ashtanga Yoga known as Pratyahara, which is the mental blocking and control of the senses. I've discussed this with my pain management physician and although I'm making significant progress, the medication is still a positive factor preventing any regression that could occur if I were to suddenly cease its use. My current dosage, which is a significant reduction from my original dosage, will be continally and gradually reduced until it is no longer needed.

I Am 65 yrs old woman who is In a power chair due to A balance disorder and I have a lot of Health problems Both knees are bone on Bone so I can’t have replacement surgery- I can’t walk so My Ortho surgeon puts Cortisone shots 1 in each knee every three months- I also have lower back stenosis and A left shoulder partial Roto cuff tear w a inoperable bone spur I can’t have any surgeries I Have Atril fib and history of strokes And my extensive allergies as well - I am on low dose Opioid that helps where I’m allergic to every Known Opioid but what I take- I find a certain phone game helps me My Dr told me to try it It it’s Mahjong It takes your mind off of pain while you play it. When I stand to get onto my chair I hear my knees Cracking loudly upon standing- My Ortho Dr said it’s osteoarthritis- There really isn’t anything that helps me for long periods each day-I try heat but notice ice makes it hurt worse like cramps 10 min on I can’t do so heating pad 15 min on& off - I can’t even talk about my pains none of my friends want to hear it- At times I feel lonely-My Dr suggested a pain therapist that I go to twice a month to talk about my pains and it helps to talk to a therapist who is a pain therapist try it it helps me