joined a few weeks ago now and have been reading your posts since, just trying to see if there were any coping strategy I hadn't tried 😊.
my initial back pain began after an accident at work 4 years ago, where I injured my back .. I had never injured my back or had any problems with it beforeand.... nothing until it happened... and since that day my life has never been the same.... it's just triggered a downwards spiral and left me in dibilatating chronic pain . ..
I used to be very active.. had to be .. wife, mother to 4 and grammy to 6 at the time . loved going camping, walking, looking after grandchildren , music festivals and loved my job.
now..... the pain consumes my days and nights... I take high doses of pain relief.... I've no concentration... little patience... and hate this existence ( sorry I'm been honest)
I just don't know how to cope any longer.. just had.. a couple of weeks ago... steroid injections in my spine l4 and 5 and sj.. this has brought on cramps and spasms... I'm just worn out .. they have increased the pain too ...i went back to pain consultant and she said there is nothing more she can do for me ....
I don't have a clue.. I'm really struggling.. I don't want to talk to my family as don't want to upset them Xx Xx my appolgies for offloading xxx
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smile2day
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Your story, sadly, is all too familiar. First piece of advice....don't look back///you aren't going that way.
You say you are on high doses of pain meds. What do you take? Side effects of strong meds can be quite dramatic.
It isn't just about taking meds it is about the whole package of managing your pain. Maybe with alternative therapies and some meds, and pacing, you can reach a manageable level.
Don't hide it from your family and those closest to you. Their lives have changed too and as you do...they have to understand and come to terms that this is you now.
You can learn to adapt what you do....not as you used to but in a way that doesn't cause more pain.
I really, really feel for you. My situation is similar. You must not listen to the dr who said she can't help you any more. You must find a specialist. They see patients like you every day. Ask around, get recommendations, read up on them, get an appt and get a feel for whether or not they care about you. A great dr/surgeon can give you your life back. I had 2 successful back surgeries about 15 years ago. Unfortunately, since last year, I have some new issues that need fixed, but I don't have insurance, so I can do nothing about it. Assuming you have insurance, find another dr immediately. Please don't give up!
I will take your advice. I'm in the UK so thankfully we have our NHS.
hope all goes well with you xx
Hi there, what you describe is similar to mine I had accident which changed my life forever it took along time to be properly diagnosed , I would ask your GP for MRI spine scan to see what is going on ,4 years is along time
I had an mri in early 2016 .. that's when they said about the degenerative disc disease... I had never had any problems with my back until I had my accident
.. I'm going to ask for another scan and look up someone else to go and see .... the advice has been great on here x
Sorry you are going through such a bad time.
Necks and spine are quite a common problem, you mention an injection for Steroids. Sometimes the injection can affect the afflicted area the needle can miss the area alicked.
and this causes pain,there is always a risk that this could happen, Hopefully the sore area will calm given time.
Has your GP given you any medications to reduce and control Pain, and inflammation yet or advised any Physio ?
You could try popping into the chemist if no medications given, they will suggest medications to try over the short term. You can also try hot/cold Compresses on the neck, you can purchase these at the chemist, they are heated up in the microwave and applied to the sore area. NSIDs Cream can also be applied to the sore place, that will reduce swelling. Pain medications over the counter can be taken over short periods, for an example two to four weeks, any longer may cause upset tummy.
When it come to applying heat you can try a shower head hot water applied to the sore area. This actually works better than a pad as the pressure of the shower gives warmth as well
Neck problems can also be caused or made worse by posture. If you check on NHS CHOICES site or internet regards posture.
Are you suffering pain referred pains to various areas ?.
Smile you have gone through the works, possibly there many be some degeneration in the area of disk and spine, if an injection has toughed a nerve this can also be problematic.
The Pain Clinic has most probably explained various exercises to the sore area to help, it is important you keep these active and hopefully given time you may be able to control your discomfort.
I tried Chiro many years ago on recommendations of like minded sufferers. I found it did help my Spondilosis however some of the manipulation did cause further nerve damage although movement on the discs did seem to help, however that was thirty years ago,
Posture is very important, a mention of the Alexander Technique has been mentioned, this was used by Hospitals and Pain Clinics. Mental Health also used the Maxwell Technique, I prefer these two relaxation techniques still now and I mix both together. Maxwell Technique helps people relax in a noise cluttered environment where concentration is a buzzword
Keep using Heat on inflicted areas, try steroid creams on the sore areas after a warm bath/shower if you apply greme after bathing the pores will be open and will allow the creme to work.
You are using a TENS I use the machine to perform nerve blocks and that seems to help. The secret to controlling pain is to use the tools given and other applications to control the amount of Opiates you take. With mine, I try and control medication dose up and down as the condition dictates
I had triggerpoint injections with a dry needle in the left side of my neck and trap area. The pain in gone and Ive been dealing with this for a long time. They are going to do the other side next week. Im not sure how long they last, but its been a week and still no pain there. Also, I took gabapentin for a month an quit as I found I couldnt remember things. A few days after quitting got my memory back. Go to youtube and lookup Dr John Bergman, he has a bunch of videos. Super smart guy. Search for one on pain management or prescription drugs. Good luck! 👍
You say: ".i went back to pain consultant and she said there is nothing more she can do for me ....". She is speaking truth. Her knowledge is limited to what she knows and that is very limited.
You make no mention of MRI scans. HAve you had any or were you just given pain medication?
You say: "..steroid injections in my spine l4 and 5 and sj.. ". Steriods damage ligaments and thus can make a problematic situation worse.
You need both medical and complementary. Medical has access to things like MRI scanners but unfortunately has no knowledge of muscle behaviour and its relationship to pain and discomfort.
See an Alexander Teacher. They should be able to help give you the tools to start to investigate how you make your pain worse and help you lessen this. You need to look at your sleep regime. Poor sleep means poor muscle control and muscle control is needed in pain management. Find ways of cat napping in the early evening. Okay it reduces your time with other people, but will increase the quality of time you spend with other people.
See a McTimony chiropractor. You have probably a number of muscle micro-cramps which add to the stress on your body. Getting rid of these micro-cramps if they exist will reduce the pain you experience.
Lastly, invest time in meditation and mindfulness. This is a tool to observe and investigate yourself so that so can predict what is going to cause increased pain and ways to reduce pain. Any local Buddhist group who practise meditation and mindfulness can help you learn them.
You might want to get your GP to refer you to a good orthopaedic surgeon. If you can possibly travel to London, ask your GP for a referral to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queens Square. I got fantastic treatment for a problem at C6/7 last year.
I went to see a local one last year ... she said they wouldn't consider surgery at the moment.. have to wait until showing signs of stenosis... ... ????
You may need to see a different consultant. No healthcare professional should be guiding you towards more pain and, perhaps, a more difficult operation.
There are a number of causes for DDD. Some are bacterial related, some are muscular related, some are genetic related, some are injury related. You have a diagnosis , but no idea of the cause for the diagnosis.
For the bacterial related, antibiotics. Erythromycin is an antibiotic and one of the best anti inflammatories around. Worth seeing what the GP says about trying it.
Check for low vitamin D levels.
Worth seeing a McTimony chiropractor to deal with any micr cramps you may have which are cutting off the blood supply to the discs.
See an Alexander teacher to help with muscle control. Muscle control has an influence on pain. Lack of sleep interferes with fine muscle control. So poor sleep at night must be caught up with by extra sleep in the day or early evening.
Look at mindfulness and meditation as a tool to investigate yourself and pick up what helps your situation and what decreases quality of life..
Above all, you live with the condition 24/7 so it is only you who can make the little tweaks that improve your situation. Pain meditation, increases the possibility of you damaging the body without you being aware of it.
I had an injury johnsmith... I "jarred" my back ,(I was pulling a cage at work and it came to an abrupt stop..... when it happened I had .. like electric shocks all across the lumbar region.. walking or standing has been painful ever since... 8/10 )
Thanks for the reply. This is definitely chiropractor and Alexander Technique territory. The MRI showed DDD and no impingements and no disc herniation. Look up whiplash.
You can still have bacterial infection which can come out of the blue and it is coincidence that you have had an injury there.
I rely on regular chiropractic treatment to keep pain and discomfort at a low level. I also rely on Alexander Technique to prevent me tightening into pain. I rely on Meditation and mindfulness to pick up the subtleties so that that I do not apply pressure to sore nerve roots in the neck. Body Mechanical procedures is not something that the medical profession know much about.
Google "Thomas Myers" you may find what he has to say interesting.
sorry to hear about your problems have you tried going on morphine liquid and morphine patches nothing takes the pain away it just helps I used to be the same as you a wife and work until 5years ago the pain is terrible it takes your life away hope you have a nice Xmas &a happy new year
Sorry for your pain, I know it may be frustrating taking Meds without any real solution and the is simply because the cell regeneration in the area of pain is very slow.
I suggest you add a cell regeneration supplement such as AlphaMeta, it will help speed up your cell regeneration as it is a special nutrition for the cells. I am personally a living testimony for it had a spinal cord injury but today I am fully recovered.
If you are interested in can guide you on how to order your own AlphaMeta online.
My first husband has just had a quadruple bypass and I went with him to his first appointment and the nurse said that he must eat really high doses of protein as this is what mends the body☺️
I know, it full of PSP which is essential nutrients for your body cells and will help in cell regeneration and in 90 to 120 days your body would have recovered and the pain will slowly die out for good.
Conventional meds will treat the symptoms now but the cells are already damaged and the pains will come back again keeping you in a constant cycle.
I have had to chose my new lifestyle and live a pain free life.
Welcome to the club XXX you should never be upset to offload . I injured my back 18 years ago it hasn't got easier just accepting the pain is always there but in varying degrees it not going away but I want to be in control . Tried the spinal injection diddnt work at all and was painful itself they won't try it again . tried numerous medications but had reactions to them found a tens machine did help need someone to hook me up though , only take cocodamol whenever necessary controls it untill I have a flare up then rest and warmth is all I manage so it's a pyjama day then . I was advised to try aqua and its fun, easy to exercise in water and I met people in same situation as myself made new friends . The women help if I get stuck dressing bought a cheap front fastening bra some days it's a let them swing day lol and a short drive home . I can't do as much as the others but the trainer adapted it for my needs . Have a lovely Christmas I'm in Texas at min with my son and his family spending it with Texan grandkids flight was bloody awful too long sitting in one position but I made it here lol .
Yes I'm just visiting Texas I'm from Swansea West Wales but miss the grandkids over here so much they growing up so fast it's one year with the Welsh ones the next with Texans lol
Hi Smile2day sorry to hear that you are in so wmuchpain. I had an accident last year and broke my sacrum. I couldn't walk for 6 months due to nerve damage and. I was in the worst pain I've ever had in my life. Like you I had never had back problems before. I was really in shock at first. Then with help from my partner I learned to walk again. My bone S1 and L5 is healing slowly but the pain and sensations I get from the nerve pain is bad.
I also had a cortisone injection this year and I was in agony after it. My GP told me the injection sti
Rred up the nerves and it took a few weeks to get better.
I hav found the best thingu
That helps my pain is distraction. Things like going on Facebook, talking to interesting people on the phone, having coffee with a friend or watching a good movie.
I believe that this is a grieving process for everything I've lost. I will eventually get over it but for now I'm just trying to take it a day at a time.a
Next year I am going to learn Spanish. I will go to the classes no matter how much pain I'm in. I. Might need to take a cushion no much how much pain I'm in.
Like you I want my life back. I want to be able to pick my grandson up, go for long walks, wear my stiletto heels and my tight jeans but i dont know if this,will ever happen.
I wish you all the best and hope you have a lovely Christmas with you're family. Lola
well done you on getting back on your feet ... what strength and determination you have .. xx keep on with the good work x maybe settle for kitten heels for now ... or a comfy curved wedge 😉 xxx you are an inspiration xxx
wishing you and all the very best for Christmas and a fabulous new year xx
I understand, it was my accident anniversary on the 9 October and I felt so depressed. Everything that happened to me on that day came back to me and I was upset because it had been a whole year. Lola
Hi smile2day, you have to remember your consultant goes of what he knows and sees mine couldn't make is mind up when I saw surgeon he showed me scan and said it's pushing on cord different eyes can see different things and also not everything is picked up on scans 100 per cent , you know your own body don't be bluffed of x
My injury bead c4c5 at to have discs out cage in and fusion seeing you live at Blackpool I would ask about the Walton neurological center they are very good I live in Burnley and it was the best decision I made especially for traveling x😁
I have been looking into the medical marijuana.. need to make the change gradually because of the amount of meds I'm currently on ... Thankyou for your reply. all the best to you 😊
Believe it or not I did my own research on laptop after going nearly 20yrs misdiagnosed and being in retention I took it upon myself to find out what was going on the rest is history in my case to late x merry Christmas to you and your family
Hi smile2day, I had a car accident when I was 27 and suffered with bad back after. Iv always been health enjoyed exercise now I cant do anything. I'm 35 now and the pain I suffer with gets me down. Iv got ddd aswell and a tear to my spin from accident. I really struggle some days and cant do much put push my self as I have a 2 year old and a 6 years old. Keep going back to doctors cos the pain is in my legs, hips and feet now and all I get told is these nothing more we can do for you and u have to live in pain. Some days it gets me so low (i think what's the point in being here if this is how it's going to be). I work part time which I do 4 hours shifts 4 days a week and when I get home I'm in so much pain I'm crying. Some days my eldest has to help me get dressed. I even get stuck in the bath if I'm in there for to long. I'm a single mum so it's hard being in pain all the time. Like u iv had all sorts of pain relieve and now im on morphine 10mg and 2 other pain killers aswell. I don't sleep at night either because of the pain.
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