Personal Control of Chronic Pain

[hosbay]

I have been a chronic pain sufferer for several years now and I have strived to understand my condition in an effort to correct or, at least, hopefully mitigate my condition.

I have had extensive investigations, procedures, medication and physio, and I have extensively researched the myriad of information available on the web.

I found medication had little or no affect, even in the early stages of my initial spinal trauma, and I discontinued it after a few months. Since then I have been managing it with a combination of keeping active with exercise, walking, cycling, etc and by learning to pace myself, and trying to avoid, or mitigate, stress and anxiety through thinking more positively and mindfulness and relaxation.

I eventually came to realise that there is no “one size fits all silver bullet” to address chronic pain.

Human physiology is an extremely complex inter-related system of organic, electrical, chemical and mechanical components controlled by an intricate communication and processing system using nerves and brain components/functions.

Ideally, the system functions in a correct and balanced manner but when defects occur through injury, trauma or poor life-style practices the fine balance is upset. One important aspect of this unbalance can be elevated pain which can be reset if the original defect can be corrected. If the defect cannot be corrected however, or lasts for a long time, the pain sensation can be amplified and can manifest itself as long-term chronic pain.

I have found that there are various theories and hypothesis about chronic pain e.g over-sensitisation of nerves, enlargement of neural pathways, etc but, as yet, I do not believe there is a comprehensive understanding of the true nature of long-term chronic pain.

I have come to understand that many factors contribute to the persistence and severity of pain and that effective mitigation of such pain requires “listening to ones own body” and taking a holistic approach to improving personal physical and mental behavioural factors which exacerbate the pain.

Using this approach I have come to believe that changes to lifestyle activities and behaviour do make a difference. It may be a slow progression and pain may not totally disappear if there still is the original defect or collateral damage from it.

Individual physiology and behaviours are generally different so what works for one person may not work for another but I have come to understand and believe that we can all make improvements to all aspects of our being which can have a cumulative positive affect on pain.

[Barbola]

I agree with u

[Barbola]

And i learned to doubt some of the medical experts advice......they follow a strict protocol. It works for some, not for all, and worst case scenario may hurt you.....

[hosbay in reply to Barbola]

Hi Barbola

As you say a lot (if not most) of medical experts are constrained by their learning and protocol for their usually narrow discipline and may offer guidance or advice which is counter-productive for a satisfactory outcome. Throughout my journey I have often focussed on something I have ben told by consultants/surgeons/GPs and which has given me false expectations and prevented me from considering the wider picture as I described in my post. In many cases I found that experts were reluctant or unable to discuss aspects and issues out with their field and rather dismissive or sceptical about alternative therapies.

[Christinecove]

Hi you are exactly right there, one size doesn’t fit all.

For the past 4 months now I have already taken a different approach to my life, after reading up on all this. I haven’t any stress in my life I’m so pleased to say. I exercise every day and I walk even with my crutches. I even started going swimming, but that failed me. Sadly my one leg just wont work and the pain is still there so bad at night as I said the most I have is a few hours. So definitely one size does not fit all.

Thanks for your reply.

[hosbay]

Hi Christine

I hope your different approach to life does make a difference to you. From my own experience I have found that improvement can be a very slow process but it can be achieved. Physical damage can take a long time to resolve, especially nerve damage (e.g. sciatic nerve root damage can take 2 to 3 years). Tissue damage should heal much quicker. Skeletal damage or deterioration may not heal but, with appropriate exercise and movement, the body can compensate for the defect(s) if they are not too severe. The other important aspect is the communication and processing of pain by nerves and the brain. This is probably the most important function with regard to long term chronic pain and is the one which may be harder to resolve. Some long term chronic pain sufferers are given spinal chord stimulator implants which appear to be reasonably successful in blocking pain signals between peripheral and spinal nerves. There are cognitive therapies which use the functions of the conscious and sub conscious parts of the brain to suppress or modify pain processing. I have seen reviews and presentations on these but I do not know the actual success rates.

In my own journey I have found that the aspects which work for me are mindfulness, being positive, trying to avoid negativity anxiety and stress, exercise and relaxation, pacing activities and avoiding ones which exacerbate my underlying condition. In the early stages of my traumatic condition these habits would not necessarily have been very effective in alleviating my debilitating pain but as the healing progressed I learned to adopt these good habits and I find I can now function in a reasonably normal manner with acceptable, albeit variable, levels of pain.

I am by no means an expert (self-professed or otherwise) and what I have said is merely what I have found out and experienced myself. I hope it is of some help to you and others.

I hope you have success in your journey.

Regards

hosbay

[hosbay in reply to hosbay]

Hi again Christine

I have had a look at your original post and I can empathise with everything you say as I have been on a similar journey apart from the fusion. In the early stages of the trauma I too had great difficulty sleeping at night due to the leg pain but eventually I found that by continually moving around and trying different sleeping positions (albeit painfully) I could eventually find a position where the pain had lessened enough to let me have a good night's rest. I seem to recall it was lying on one side with arms and legs in a certain position. I found that I had to lie in the various positions for quite a few minutes to see if the pain began to subside. It was a slow process of trial and error but, in the end, I did find one optimal position where the pain would reduce to an acceptable level.

It may well be that you have tried this yourself but, if not, give it a try.

When the trauma damage initially happened to my sciatic nerve root the only partial relief I could get was propped up at 45 degrees on an elbow and buttock in excruciating pain. Other positions were unbearable.

[Doghouse6463]

Oh no not another one last night I rubbed a unicorns sack on my back in the morning I was all better my titanium had turned to gold and expelled itself from my bottom . I'm going to weigh it in and go on holiday yippee

[hosbay in reply to Doghouse6463]

You forgot to say where we can get this wonderful unicorn's sack. That would be helpful.