Chronic Pain

[tjbl]

Hi, I am a 39 year old female and have been in chronic pain for over 7 years. I woke up one moring with it and it has only gotten worse over time. I have a wonderful family and I've missed out on so much already. I have the life I've always dreamed of (exept the pain) I'm hoping someone out there will be able to help me. My head is always stufffy, with presssure and constant pain all over. The right side of my nose is stuffy and my right ear feels full,achy and sometimes I get a ringing in my ears. Normal sound makes my ears feel like they are shaking, rattleing off because even low noise sounds like I'm sitting in the front row of a concert with speakers right next to me.(yes I've seen 2 different ENT's) Had mri's, catscans, bone scans, sinus and brain scans) The pain in the back of my head is really bad in the indent area into my neck and shoulders. My neck and shoulders are always tight and achy. My head feels like a huge bowling ball that needs to be popped. Middle back feels like its being cut straight across. Lower back and right hip also ache on and off. Even doing the simplest things like washing dishes makes everything worse. Like everyone, I have been from Dr. to Dr. etc specialist to sprecialist etc. Had testing apon testing done. Dr.'s have tried me on tons of different medications. Done occipital nerve blocks, botox injections, trigger point injections, spinal tap. you name it I have tried it. I'm beginning to feel that no one believes my pain is real. Its taking a toll on me and my family. I always feel like I have the flu,tired and in costant pain,that never goes away. I just feel rotton 24/7. We have spent so much money, even bought a new bed, special pillows, etc. Can anyone relate to what I'm going through and has anyone ever found a diagnosis for this? The Doctors can't give me an answer.
Please help. Thanks for listening.

[Butterflyblue]

I can truely relate to your pain.
I have the exact symptoms as you. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.....have arthritis in my spine and hips. By the way, I'm 39 as well and have had this pain for about 10-11 years.
I've tried tons of medications, shots etc. like you and nothing works....only knocks the edge off pain temporarily.
I've been to different chiropractors as well and they all say that my pelvis is uneven..(one hip about an inch higher than the other).
I get adjusted and feel ok for a day or two, then my adjustment comes undone and I feel worse.
Like you, I feel like no ones believes me and it makes me want to scream.
I hate complaining about it constantly, so when I go for a long period without trying to burden anyone with my pain complaints, they suddenly think I'm all better and start treating me as if I'm as able bodied as they are.
I've always been against suicide, but last spring, I became suicidal due to all the physical pain and all the psychological pain it's putting me through. That's just not me to think that way, but I tried to take my own life twice within a 3 week period by swallowing any prescription med. I had (the entire bottles).
I got through that thankfully, but still sometimes get suicial thoughts.....just wanting to be out of this physical body.
I'm at a loss as to what to do other than pray pray pray. I'll be praying for you too. I understand what you're going through.
Sincerely,
Tonya

[UmmTayyab]

I think some regular chiropractic adjustments might help your problem alot. ISeveral things might be causing this problem, or a combination of things. Start with your pillow. If your pillow is not right for your sleeping style, it will jam the cervical vertebrae (the neck spinal bones) on a curve and give you not only headaches, but it will cause problems all the way down your back and even your arms and legs can be achy and stiff, or sharp nerve pains even.

I know every chiropractor will love to kill me for saying this, but if you can learn to stretch and then make your own spinal adjustments by studying what your chiropractor does, you can do them anytime you are in pain, or stiff or sluggish. I learned to adjust my neck with my own hands, just stretching my neck to the farthest point like he does, and then taking a deep breath and relaxing completely my neck muscles and then pushing my head against my one hand, it makes my neck crack. I do it in both directions. I can even twist and give a little jerk now that I'm used to it and have learned the exact pressure and speed etc.

If I lay on my back with my knees up and slowly stretch them from side to side, bringing my knees to the floor beside me each way, and concentrate on relaxing my low back (right at my sacro-iliac joint; the place where my spine meets the triangle bone just above my tail bone, try to visualize it at the time, it helps the muscles around it relax), then after a few stretches(if it hasn't cracked by then), I do a pelvic tilt, lifting my lower body off the floor just a little bit. I stay like that for several deep breaths, relaxing my sacro-iliac area, and if I am patient enough to stay that way for a few minutes, I get several cracks.

If I stretch my arms forward at shoulder level, one hand pulling the other, back and forth slowly, one hand pulling the other arm straight forward and then the other hand pulling that hand forward, and then I stand up and bend at a 90 degree angle at the waist, putting my hands just above my knees for support, and wait patiently, while stretching my head straight ahead, (looking at the floor), I get lots of cracks in my upper back.

If I do this regularly, this stretching and cracking, I get rid of 90 percent of my pain. Several years ago it took me 10 minutes to get from my bed to my couch, every single move painful in my low back. Even to turn over to try to get up sideways hurt (I'm a chronic tummy sleeper, very bad!). Standing was excrutiating, I had to lunge for the dresser and then shuffle my feet forward until I was standing upright, then shuffle to the couch and sit on the edge and let my low back slowly relax by curling a bit. The pelvic tilts and cracking have given me back my mobility, (of course it's still a weakness, very easy to set off, and I had to change my mattress).

A rearender hurt my upper back 2 years ago, within a few minutes I had pain in my arms and weakness. Holding the phone for a couple of minutes would cramp my arm so much I could hardly move it to hang up. The bending and cracking has improved it by about 95%.

My headaches I used to suffer for soooooo many years, stuffy head... all gone with daily neck stretching and cracking. An overstuffed pillow is a setback for me. Had to experiment with several to get the right fit.

The right pillow and the right mattress is essential with back, neck and headache pain. I find the edge of the bed is more supportive than anywhere else and I get a good sleep without much pain.

If you are able, try yoga. Stretching is like a magic pill. Just go easy and stay in the stretch for a few minutes so that your muscles have a chance to pull loose and stay loose (the cells must have time to unlock, kind of like velcro, so that they don't just lock up again a few minutes later).

Hope this helps you and anyone else. Stretching and adjustments have saved me from years of pain and disability. Love chiropractors, just can't afford to go to one everyday, so I learned to move my own joints.

[UmmTayyab]

I forgot, I also crack my jaw joint on one side (I have tmj; temporomandibular joint syndrome). When I don't and it is acting up, I get pain in my ear and ringing and a stuffiness like cotton in my ear. The other ear is also affected, only not as much. I have to remember to set my teeth straight, by biting my back teeth so that they are aligned right and remembering to hold it slightly, or else I move my jaw and hold it the wrong way, either off slightly on one side or my lower jaw a little too forward.

The dentist adjusted it once for me and I figured it out from there. If you press against the are just above the corners of your jaw, just in front of your ears and you slowly stretch your mouth waaaay wide open and slowly close it again, repeating over and over, it will crack and pop back into the proper alignment. INSTANT PAIN RELIEF and stuffy ears gone.

Your neck can set your jaw out of alignment, just as it can affect the rest of your spine all the way to your tailbone. If you get a chiropractor to treat your neck, at the same time aligning your back, (no extra charge, he/she does it at the same appointment each time), you can eventually do the adjustments yourself (just don't over do it, you'll know when you do, your stiffness/stuffiness and pain will get worse that day).

And anti-inflamatories help on a bad day, whether it is aspirin or voltarin, it will reduce the joint swelling so that the stretching will encourage the adjustment naturally.

[UmmTayyab]

Hi, sorry, I posted a reply to both you and Butterfly Blue, but I didn't click your message. Just posting this to signal your email that you got a reply.

[Micky2689]

To Butterfly & Tjbl (? I hope!) - I can truly sympathize with what you are going through! I had back surgery in 1998 and again in 2003, and although most of my pain did get somewhat better for awhile, it was always there in the background. Through the years, however, it progressively worsened, and spread throughout my entire body. I talked to my doctor several times about it, and had the usual tests done, and was told everything was normal, and I was just getting older (I'm 55)! Not satisfied with THAT answer, I went to an Arthritis specialist, who ran more tests, and finding nothing major, diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia! In Feb. 2007, I fell on the ice on the parking lot at my job, badly injuring my entire left side from my neck to my knee, with some problems to my right shoulder and lower back. After a long battle with Work. Comp., many different doctors, tests, scans, P.T., etc., I was told that there was nothing more that could be done for me, and that I should seek Psychological therapy! I am screaming mad, now! Oh, and I've been released to return to work with restrictions - I cannot sit or stand in one position for more than 15 minutes, I cannot sit on the floor, or get into a squatting position, and I cannot push, pull or lift more than 10 pounds! Now, I am wondering, with all these restrictions, #1 WHO in their right mind is going to hire me? and #2 if there is nothing wrong with me, why do I have all these restrictions???
My marriage is going down the drain because the meds I am on make me very tired, and if I sit down, I'm out, and he gets mad because I sleep all the time! I'm not on any anti-depressants at the moment (can't afford them) so I cry alot, and that makes him mad, and I hate to go out, because I hate people to see me this way. Plus, but the time I go to PT 3x a week, and other Dr. appts. (usually at least 2 a week), try to get something done at home, although I must admit it's hard to get much done, and get dinner on the table - I'm usually too exhausted to go anywhere! I also have sleep apnea, asthma & epilepsy, so I'm just a mess! He told me yesterday that HE can't take much more of this! I just laughed, and asked him how much more he thinks I can take! I understand how you feel about suicide, Butterfly - I've thought about it myself, but I couldn't do it to my kids and grandchildren. You see, my father shot himself (he was a pedophile - 'nuff said) and we have never gotten over it. He left all of us "holding the bag" so to speak, for his problems, and I won't do that to my kids. Not that I don't understand why people in never-ending pain like us do it, but it just isn't an option for me. So, I pray everyday that God will hear me, and help me, and all of us in this situation, to get through it. They say He hears every one's prayers, but sometimes I think He's just too busy to hear mine!
Well, I've gone on much longer than I planned to, so I'll say god-by for now! I hope you have Peace in your days, and love in your heart,
Micky