Is any one else out there stupid like me in believing someone could cure their pain?

[theshadow]

I have recently had a course of chiropractic treatment on the recommendation of my Mum, sister & brother in law, who have all been & improved their backs & pain levels considerably.

My rhuemy now sees me yearly, she's virtually given up on me, so I looked for help elsewhere.

I explained all my health problems, including fibro, osteoporosis & osteoarthritis, to name but a few, to the chiropractor. He took x-rays of my back which showed "wear & tear" (I so HATE that phrase!) degenerative disease & a swollen disc sticking out. He said he could cure all my problems & even my "hump" back. To get myself virtually free of pain, straighten my spine , help me sleep well, & get my energy levels back, were all promised with a course of treatment.

I signed up, paid up & started on the road to utopia!

To cut a long & sorry tale short, I was promised the moon & stars, but came back to earth with a very painful bump!

The young & too enthusiastic guy got fed up being gentle & slow. He overdid the treatment on one session & really hurt, if not harmed me. I spent a w/e in so much pain I could barely stand or sit, absolute agony.

When I complained I was given 8 free treatments with another older sympathetic man who explained the truth, that some Fibro patients respond to treatment well & some do not. No prizes for guessing which category I'm in?

I've wasted over £400. That could have paid for a relaxing holiday. But worse of all, I can't believe how much more depressed I've become. At the end of my "freebies" I decided as I can't get my back straight, I'd better try to get my head straight!

I cried for 2 days solid, not just coz of the extra pain, but beating myself up that I could have been so foolish to hope & believe someone could help me. I know I'm too hard on myself over it, but when does logic ever balance with emotion?

I'm not even back to square one, I feel I'm on a minus. I should go & see my GP & get counselling, but I'm too embarrassed. My family mentioned above think the sun shines out of the chiropractors behind, so the fault lies with me!

Luckily my husband has not yet said outright "I told you so" but I know that's what he's thinking!

My daughter tries to help & understand, that's when she's not going on about why I've not done her washing!

Sorry for going on so much, I don't think I've ever felt so down, but just writing this has helped me a bit. What a numbnut I am!

[FionaP]

I have every sympathy for you. We have all done similar. Even some support groups, eager newbies and the well intentioned will suggest courses of treatment. We all so want to be out of pain and get our lives back we will try everything we can.

There is still no grade in how bad our fibro is or rate of progression for us to judge what will help or hinder us. I took up Tai Che as I was told it was good for my athritic spine. Some suggest it for fibro too. 2 years before my fibro diagnosis it was crippling me so bad. I had no idea what was going on.

I am left with tryig hydrotherapy and that only because the pool/hot tub and steam rooms are right opposite my home as the journey and drafty changing rooms used to hit me for six when I tried years back.

I try to keep up with what is new and see if it is still around one year later and what others think of it then. No more jumpimg in for me. I live alone and flares are so hard to get over.

Best of luck. Fi x

[Lima6MCT]

I tried a chiropractor when it all first started up (before I knew it was Fibro). I had about 3 or 4 sessions but I was in absolute agony for days afterwards, which was supposedly normal! I must admit I just couldn't handle all the pain & just got so stressed out with the pain levels I stopped going.

I've had a couple of courses of accupuncture through my GPs surgery (one of the nurses is qualified accupuncturist), it helps while I'm having it done and a couple of weeks after the course of treatment finishes but unfortunately the pain relief doesn't last.

Everyone is different so with all treatments, what works for one won't work for another, it's no-ones fault, it's just the way a persons body reacts to what's done to it.

[LindseyMid]

It's totally normal to try and find a magic solution! And don't feel bad about feeling depressed. Counselling may well be of help - I found it enormously helpful in getting my head around what I'd had to give up and what I was dealing with because of Fibro.

With any complementary therapists, it is so important to try and find someone experienced with Fibro. As you unfortunately found out the hard way, what they can do on people without Fibro can be very damaging to someone with Fibro!

[NordicNavajo]

Firstly

You are not a numb nut!

You just wanted to have a few moments of belief and positivety. You acted responsibly trying to fix yourself and that is to be admired. I am sorry to hear about your therapy disaster but I must say that chiropractor I saw after RTA could cope with whiplash BUT not the following fybro which put me in a similar predicament but after 18 months I had a larger bill. Know you are not alone in this experience, what is one mans meat is anothers poison. Accept that there will be stuff that will work for you, and merrily experiment to add them to your fybro toolkit. Your mind is important to fix and concentrate on finding things that make you feel good. Remember that feeling? Im sure you do. If your mind lifts your body may follow for a while. Mine is always helped by being positive and I try even in diabolical situations to be just that. I am glad your hubbie didnt say i told you so, as it would not make you feel any better. I beat my fybro for 10 months so I know it can be done and I intend to do it again. I kicked a twisted hip, a limp and terrible muscle spasms using a multiple of therapies. Now I find the most important thing is to hold on to the relaxation times and the times I let go of my thoughts. Those times I am free of fybro, even if they are short lived and in my mind I still value them. They are like little "free" holidays.

Dont beat yourself up, you are to be admired for your faith in finding the right cures for your ill-ness.

Warmest thoughts NN

[Teddysmum43]

I wanted to say you are not a numb nut!! We've all tried stuff,I've spent a fair few pennies myself in the pursuit of wellness. It's very disappointing when it doesn't work out. I think being pulled about by a chiropractor is the last thing you need. I guess some things work for some of us and not for others. All you can do is try then move on. I am finding the gym helpful but it doesn't take away the pain,just gets me fit enough to deal with everything. A counsellor has been a god send too,not to be embarrassed about at all. My counsellor said to me treat it like you are learning to understand yourself better and you are very much worth it. Keep going Hun xxx

[Hidden]

Trying to do what you think is right to make yourself a bit better does certainly not make you stupid. Quite the contrary. At least you've done your best to try to make things better for you.

As Lindsey says above, try some counselling, it could really help you to discuss things with someone independent. Sometimes just offloading all our problems helps us manage better. You don't need to feel embarrassed to ask for counselling, it shows you are being proactive in trying to help yourself. Go for it, I am sure it will help you. Give yourself a pat on the back for trying so hard. Take care. I hope it goes well for you.