Holistic or lost?

[Helenbolland]

So I saw a consultant at the new veterans Pain Clinic in London yesterday to look at my pain management options as I feel maxed out on my meds and still getting pain in back and limbs. He told me about the Mars bar approach - if it doesn’t make you work rest or play then you shouldn’t take it. I get his point, I don’t see the point in taking medication pointlessly. He did suggest injections but I don’t think they are a good option, he also finally suggested to me about looking after myself holistically by doing things to kale the pain easier to deal with rather than trying to “cure” the pain. I kind of like this idea but was wondering if anyone else has gone down this route and what they’ve done to manage their pain?

Thanks

[Bananas5]

Ask your GP for a referral to pain management clinic.

x

[Fyllida in reply to Bananas5]

Agreed!

[waylay]

Yup, pain management is great!

[Mary-intussuception]

Hi again. I don't use regular pain meds. Occasionally I use paracetamol and Ibuprofen.

I also believe that if lots of pain meds are no longer working then it might be worth considering coming off them - but that, I understand, would have to be done gradually.

If he was happy to arrange an injection would you consider it? I have heard they work well for some but not for all? Wouldn't know till you tried?

Did you ever get blood tests for Thyroid Antibodies TPO and Tg? I think I would make investigating the possibility of having Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism a priority also.

[Helenbolland in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Hiya, no my GP doesn’t think I meet the criteria and says my symptoms are somatic caused by my PTSD.

[clairehope]

i have spinal pain syndrome. I have been in pain (with a few days off when I had morphine for other things) for 20 years. I agree with taking as few meds as makes life bearable. The work, rest, play idea is not something I had heard of, but is basically the rule I follow.

I have had mindfulness training and been taught some relaxation techniques as well as basic breathing techniques - a bit like the ones we learn for managing labour pains. I find that they work so long as I use them early enough - if I try mindfulness after the pain has reached 7/10 on my personal scale, it's too late, the pain is too much to think my way around. I don't know if that makes sense. Used in time they can be enormously helpful - let me carry on with something or let me get some rest. That helps in itself - the satisfaction of having managed my pain to complete a task is almost a pain management technique in its own right.

I tried acupuncture several years ago and found it a very unpleasant experience that had no positive impact, but I am going to try it again. Some people find it effective, lots seem to get hung up on whether it's a 'placebo effect'. Who cares? If whatever it is brings relief or allows a couple of hours of work to be done then I am just grateful for that. The hardest part is accepting the days when none of that is going to do the trick and the only answer is so many meds that I am drowsy and so lacking in coordination that I have to stay in bed. Anything that reduces those days to an absolute minimum is great so far as I'm concerned.

I try not to stress over anything, that's taken years to master and there are still times when I fail utterly. Stress makes everything tense, increasing pain and the risk of injury. Swimming, hot tubs, gentle exercise and proper stretching, all work sometimes. I try all kinds of things - what do I have to lose?

You don't say what he suggested injections were or what the consultant hoped they could do. Did you discuss that? Sometimes the pain ties us to the past - I think getting away from that is very important. Feeling angry about the cause, asking 'why me?' are not helpful to me at all, damn hard to stop though.

Whatever you get offered, try it! Different types of pain management clinic will suggest different things. Don't feel a failure if something isn't right for you. Onwards and upwards until the next thing. If you're not getting support with PTSD you do need that alongside any other treatment. I hope that's helpful, good luck x

[Fyllida in reply to clairehope]

I love your post, Claire. You say everything I’m thinking and put it into words far better than I ever could. Thank you so much for sharing.

Do retry acupuncture, its truly not a placebo. Once those needles are accurately placed and that delicious pre-med sensation starts drifting through the whole body, you just know they are working for you. And the effect is cumulative, can take months but so what?

[clairehope in reply to Fyllida]

thank you 😊

[Loramay]

I was given a fantastic book by a very good friend its called Living Well With Pain & Illness, Using mindfulness to free yourself from suffering by Vidyamala Burch. It comes with a cd as well. She doesn't claim it will take the pain away but how to live with it and stop the destructive part from ruling, also to stop doing everything on the good days (how many of us do that, I know that I do, but I am now stopping and thinking about it and pacing myself more) and so that you end up having a bad day the next day. She is the co-founder of Breathworks Organisation (breathworks-mindfulness.co.uk)