Haven't posted anything in a long time,, but thought this was a very good piece written by: Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, MD,, so I thought I would share with you.
Best Wishes to all, Ray
When a physician can't diagnose a patient's ailment, and instead resorts to "I don't know what's wrong with you, so it must be all in your head," they're being unintentionally abusive!
But doctors have done this for centuries. Multiple Sclerosis used to be called "Hysterical Paralysis." Lupus was considered a neurosis. And unfortunately chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are still treated this way by far too many physicians — physicians who won't take the time to learn from the research that shows these conditions to be not only very real but very devastating illnesses. I guess it's just easier to prescribe an antidepressant and call it a day.
But the impact of this kind of "treatment" is crippling, and all too often deadly.
Imagine you have an accident that leaves you paralyzed from the waist down, and in chronic pain. And you're unfortunate enough to go to a doctor who has no idea how to do a proper diagnosis of this. The doctor checks your eyes, ears, heart and lungs but has no idea how to do a neurologic exam. He checks a few blood tests but doesn't call for an MRI.
All of your test results are of course normal. So your doctor tells you and your family that your paralysis and pain are psychosomatic. Now instead of emotional, physical and financial support, your family gives you criticism and disapproval. On top of that, the physician's report allows your health and disability insurers to deny you the benefits you've paid for and deserve.
This is exactly what happened to me when I had CFS/FMS. And I became homeless and began sleeping in parks. So it's no surprise to me that so many people sick with this condition turn to suicide.
What makes this all the more tragic is that our research shows that these conditions are treatable. We don't need to have so many people unnecessarily crippled and marginalized. We just need more physicians to discover the research.
(This is a summary of an article I wrote that was recently published by NewsMax.)
L&B
Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, MD
Written by
RayB
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Not sure how you can be paralyzed from the waste down and in chronic pain? If you have had an accident and presumably spent time at Stoke Mandeville all will be on your medical records.
My nephew broke his back and is paralyzed from chest down. With no feeling in his lower body he doesn't feel pain if he knocks himself.
If you listen to any of Lorrimer Mosely's lectures he explains very well the connection between pain and the brain.
It's much less common,, but, it can and dose happen.
Firstly there are many nerves doing different jobs so it depends on what nerve and where it is damaged also the extent of the damage.
All pain is a translation by the brain, of a signal,, so all pain while it seems to be at the site of the stimulus / injury,, is auctualy the brain creating pain via the stimulation of the neuron that is firing in the central nervous system.
To explain this better,, car crash, victim has both legs removed, later he is having pain in his right foot. He has no right foot,, he dosen't have to have a right foot to have pain in it,, he only has to have sensory neurons firing at the spine and as long as that message gets to the brain via the spinal cord he has pain.
Part of this is chemical and happens in the spinal cord,, known as nocecption and it is thought to be the reason or at least part of the reason behind fibro,, the nocecptors just keep fireing and causing the brain to create the pain.
I always like to say that all pain is in the mind as it is the translation of a signal by the brain,, that is what pain is.
Efferent nerve fibers carry signals away form the brain
Afferent nerve fibers carring signals to the brain
Efferent nerves are not needed to feel pain.
Motor nerves send impulses from the brain and spinal cord to all of the muscles in the body. A signal to the muscle to move the fingers to pick something up, or the different muscles in the legs to make you walk. Motor nerve damage can lead to muscle weakness, difficulty walking or moving the arms, cramps, spasm or a total inability to move the muscle depending on the damage done to the nerve and where.
Sensory nerves send messages to the brain— from the muscles, to the spinal cord and then on up to the brain. Sensory nerve damage often results in tingling, numbness, pain, and extreme sensitivity to touch.
This is simplified but hopefully it will help clarify things, it is a complex subject that I found one of the most difficult to grasp when I was a student. Your obviously intrested if you know the name Lorimer Mosely.
There has been alot of intrest in the area of noceception in the last 10 years or so.
Many years studying chronic pain long before I met my husband who broke his back, has AS, cervical spond and scoliosis...to name but a few. I have known Lorrimer a long time and he fascinates me!!
You have agreed with Doctors here....I always like to say that all pain is in the mind as it is the translation of a signal by the brain,, that is what pain is.
That is not abusive it's just a blunt way of Doctor speak.
If you have severed your spinal cord there is no way for nerves to send their messages anywhere!
My husband suffers with a form of dementia through pain. The brain never stops firing and as they eventually die. Little known as experts always related it to long term use of prescription drugs.
It is not a matter of agreeing with Dr's,,, it is a fact that all pain is a translation of a nerve signal by the brain.
Almost like an audio signal traveling through a wire to a speaker,, there is no sound until the signal reaches the speaker and the sound is produced.
The same with us the signal is translated into pain by the brain. The pain is produced.
It's the same with sight,, sound,, touch,, it is the brain translating signals, and all those signals can go wrong or misfire before reaching the brain.
Like some of what Teitelbaum says and is great in person. but this article is a bit contradictory. Following the research does show that antidepressants do help with pain and fibro, However, I do agree with the idea that some doctors are too ready to prescribe rather than listen. This is more training and workload IMO rather than a lack of respect or professionalism.
I think when Dr T became ill he searched for the answers himself out of being unsurprisingly frustrated with the opinion of the Dr's,, he knew there was more to it.
Using his medical training and searching for a way forward he found things that worked for himself.
He now applies what has worked for him to others as a bases of his practice.
I would doubt that his methods are sucessful with all his paitents.
They say a Dr who has never experianced illness themselves will never make a Dr, I look at some of the consultants I have seen in the past and think the child came direct to work from the disco. What could they possibly know of what it feels like to be feel so ill.
It is said that it pointless doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting the result to change, which seems to be the attitude with antidepressants toward fibro at present.
More Dr's and patients need too learn about fibromyalgia and chronic pain. The Dr's need to step up and learn everything they can about fibromyalgia and chronic pain. The cdc,fad and our government went too far. They say they want to help addicts keep them from over dosing on opioids. The addicts will always find a drug to take meth,cocaine ,heroin and any thing they can find
They are not going; to stop taking anything and everything. They will die no matter if they take the opoids. This has gone on for years. So because of the addicts people with chronic pain are being punished .There are more than thousands of people with chronic pain that have to live with this horrible pain. We will eventually have a chronic pain epidemic where the ones that don't abuse the opoids. Mark my words there will be more and more chronic pain sufferers that will commit suicide because they can't live with this horrible pain. These people will out number the addicts
Why take them from the addicts when they will find something else that will kill them. Now you all that joined together to take away the opoids. Will have to live with chronic pain sufferers committing suicide. That's on you cdc,fda,deal and our so called government. If you have an ounce of empathy you will help the chronic pain sufferers and not to the wolves. I'm very disappointed with our government and the cdc,fda,dea. Can you live with thousands of suicides that you caused among chronic pain sufferers
Are government what happens when one of your family has chronic pain are you going to leave them to suffer. No I don't think so you all Will get the opoids but leave us without help. susiejo1948
I feel that we are all in a vicious cycle. It’s not helpful to blame any group of people for our woes. Those addicts have stories too. Years ago I knew a lovely man who spent every morning in the toilet vomiting and upset stomach trying to come off his intravenous drug problem by taking methadone. This mans story started when he was in his early twenties. Whilst at work he got a call to go to the hospital only to find his wife and young child had been killed in a hit and run. Suffice to say this man is no longer alive. How can we judge a fellow human, how can we say we would do this or that or the other.
My diagnosis came from a rheumatologist seven years ago, go home, research and more research she said. Everyone is different she said. Learn about yourself and what has an effect on you. Change your diet, do cognitive therapy. Stay away from high stress and learn to live your life on an even keel. All of the advice I took and did more and more research both here in the UK and the US. Most of all I listen to all of you.
It is said that fibromyalgia has a relationship with trauma we have experienced in our lives. Surely as human beings we should not be hasty in the blame stakes. Our governments thrive on all its minions running around like headless chickens since it stops us from seeing what they are doing.
I wish all good things from the universe to every person who is suffering with pain today and everyday.
There is definately a problem in society today, we can all feel it all around, yet it is so difficult to define it.
While it is easy to focus on people who use drink or drugs, I think they are just people who are trying to deal with their lives or the pain they have in their lives be that mental or phisical.
Some people can deal with tremendous amounts before they crash,, some can deal with little.
It is so easy for individuals in places of authority to make decisions that they think will improve peoples lives, they are usualy more politicaly motivated than anything else; the decisions rarely have insight or scope other than their limited focus of attention. I'm sure all of us are aware the harm that each of the drugs used to help with difficultys imposed on us living with fibromyalgia.
Lady GaGa gave the world a glimpse into the pain and distress we deal with on a daily basis,, the times we go to a darkened room and try to turn our focus to breathing in the hope that the pain will resolve,, we do not know how long it will last,, and indeed speaking personaly I would eat rat poison if it would remove the pain.
I think most would agree that the medications are limited in the relief they offer,,, but as I said,, I would eat rat poison just to get a bit of relief from the nightmare of living life with fibromyalgia.
I hear you. Too easy to blame fibro (and therefore in your head?) than look properly for what ails. They wont believe the patient! It is a real bummer when its something real that could have been treated if caught in time. Lucky me, I didn't become homeless, (and can't imagine how scary that must have been) but I lost so much that mattered. Fibro is bad enough, but missing the other treatable stuff and having to live with that too? It takes some accepting.
I have read my notes and yup, to them, I'm a gold plated NUT!!!
To each new specialist, that was how I was introduced.
And now, yes, I probably am somewhat damaged. I'll own, that I am likely a NUT! But not because that is what I am, but because sucking up the mess, that my life has become (because no-one believed me, and too often, they still dont,) has taken a major toll. I can't trust. I can't engage with others easily for fear I'm misunderstood, I'm exhausted and frequently overwhelmed by pain, fatigue and the prospect of it's being never ending. Yay for the never ending DWP fake assessments, reconsiderations and tribunals, that we have to endure, just to have money to survive. Do they believe in fibro? Of course not! It seems we are destined to be abused as dishonest wherever we go.
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