Headaches and back pain that won't go away? My doctor is lost!?!
Question: I'll try to keep a long story short. I've been having chronic (daily) headaches and pain in my neck, shoulders and back for about six years. After seeing several doctors I finally found one that is taking me seriously but it seems that he is lost. I've tried physical therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, cortisone injections and a slew of meds. Nothing seems to be working. The only injury I've had was a very minor car accident about 11 years ago... I was rear-ended at about 10 miles/hour and had minor whiplash.
Has anyone else had these problems? Any suggestions on what I should try or a possible diagnosis I could research? I'm not a fan of taking random meds "just to see if they work" but that is what my doc has me doing.
Answers: I'll try to keep a long story short. I've been having chronic (daily) headaches and pain in my neck, shoulders and back for about six years. After seeing several doctors I finally found one that is taking me seriously but it seems that he is lost. I've tried physical therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, cortisone injections and a slew of meds. Nothing seems to be working. The only injury I've had was a very minor car accident about 11 years ago... I was rear-ended at about 10 miles/hour and had minor whiplash.
Has anyone else had these problems? Any suggestions on what I should try or a possible diagnosis I could research? I'm not a fan of taking random meds "just to see if they work" but that is what my doc has me doing.
I was in a moderately bad accident about 6 years ago, and was hit by a guy going about 20mph faster then me. I've had constant chronic pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back from the whiplash. I have a few muscles that like to knot up (aka spasms), and the area is generally tight. I've had X-Rays and a MRI done, both came back 100% clean.
I used to get somewhat frequent tension headaches. I would especially feel them in the back of my head, above the neck. That tension would eventually make it to the eyes & forehead, and create one doozy of a headache.
I am a programmer by profession -- sitting in front of a computer all day does not help. If you do the same, make sure you have a proper/ergonomic work environment.
I say all this so you can get an idea of where the advice comes from -- if your pain is completely different, I may not be much help.
I have figured out a few things along the way.
1. Sane (non narcotic) pain medications are worthless for chronic pain, I do not take them for that.
2. There is no quick fix.
3. Make sure your work environment is ergonomic and be mindful of posture.
4. The only thing that makes a lasting change is exercise. Specifically, lifting enough weight to build muscle and doing a good amount of cardio.
A quick aside about physical therapy (I tried that too): It helped, to a point. I'm tempted to say it stopped helping because stretching and rubber bands only go so far. Regardless, what I'm describing here is very different from any physical therapy I have heard of.
Whiplash overextends and weakens muscles. It can also frequently cause muscles to knot up. When deep muscles do this, it can be a nice source of pain. The weight lifting serves to strengthen the weakened muscles, and release the knots.
I have also learned over the course of time that when you have a set of weak muscles, other muscles in your body end up having to compensate -- becoming tired, achy, or even knot up themselves.
I haven't been particularly good about my workouts over the years, so the pain hasn't left, and I don't know if it is a 100% cure. But I have gone about 6 months in a consistent workout, and it makes a *huge* difference. You do not need to go down the path of building huge amounts of muscle to get relief.
Here are the specifics (you can't just go lift light weight once a week and get results -- no easy answers I'm afraid).
1. If you have never lifted weights before, you need a personal trainer for a good month to teach you how to do so safely. After you have learned how to lift safely, its up to you and your pocketbook if want you keep them. Just be aware that some personal trainers will go *way* too easy on you (I guess because they don't want to scare you away with soreness). Tell them you are trying to treat some pain and seriously need to strengthen your muscles, hopefully they will listen.
You need to be careful lifting weights. Don't overdo it, and don't try lifting some crazy amount of weight without a spotter (someone that helps you lift the weight if you can't do it).
2. Avoid machines, they target muscles, and that will not help. Your supporting muscles are what need strengthening, so favor free weights (especially dumbbells).
3. You need to lift enough weight to build muscle. That means pushing yourself. It also usually means being sore the next day if you don't do something to prevent the soreness (like an ice bath) -- I don't, I'd prefer soreness to an ice bath.
4. Expect it to take 2-3 weeks to get truly noticeable results.
5. You need to increase the amount you lift as time goes on.
6. You must vary your workout every few weeks.
7. You must work out 3 times a week (more than that will not help when it comes to weightlifting)
8. Cardio helps a bunch with releasing tension. Use a bike or elliptical machine if your knees give you issues.
Here's something that will get you started (has enough available variation to keep you busy for 6-9 months, even a year): http://www.defrancostraining.com/article...
Good luck!
take frish air and no coffee take tea ,
get a new doctor......
i saw an email the other day about artificial sweeteners...do you use them see below
In October of 2001, a woman I knew started getting very sick. She
> had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around.
> Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get
> out of bed; she was in so much pain.
> By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies
> and was on 24 various prescription medications. The doctors could
> not determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and
> so sick, she just knew she was dying. She put her house, bank
> accounts, life-insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter's name, and
> made sure that her younger children were to be taken care o f.
> She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida
> (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd.> On March 19 I called her to
ask how her most recent tests went, and
> she said they didn't find anything on the test, but they believe
> she had MS.
>
> I recalled an article a friend of mine emailed to me and I asked my
> sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did. As a
> matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment.
> I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda!
>
> I emailed her the article my friend, a lawyer, had sent. She called
> me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and told me she had
> stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk! The muscle
> spasms went away. She said she didn't feel 100% but she sure felt a
> lot better. She told me she was going to her doctor with this
> article and would call me when she got home.
>
>! Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to
> call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial
> sweeteners of any kind. In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by
> the Aspartame in the diet soda and literally dying a slow and
> miserable death.
>
> When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill,
> and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning! She is well on her
> way to a complete recovery. And she is walking! No wheelc hair!
> This article saved her life.
>
> If it says 'SUGAR FREE' on the label; DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
>
> I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL
> CONFERENCE on 'ASPARTAME,' markete d as 'NutraSweet,' 'Equal,' and
> 'Spoonful.'
>
> In the ke ynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the&nb! sp;
> United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis
> and systemic lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what
> toxin was causing this to be rampant.
>
> I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that
> subject. I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the
> temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood
> alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic
> acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the
> poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity
> mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic
> lupus. Many people were being diagnosed in error. Although
> multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is!
> ;
> Systemic lupus has become almost! as ram pant as multiple sclerosis,
> especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim
> usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she
> continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it
> may become a life-threatening condition.
>
> We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once
> taken off diet sodas.
> In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the
> symptoms disappear. We've seen m any cases where vision loss
> returned and hearing loss improved markedly.
>
> This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia.
>
> During a lecture, I said, 'If you are using AS PARTAME (NutraSweet,
> Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms,
> spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo,
> ! dizzine ss, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable
> depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or
> memory loss you probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!' People were
> jumping up during the lecture saying,
> 'I have some of these symptoms. Is it reversible?'
> Yes! Yes! Yes! STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame
> on food labels! Many products are fortified with it!
> This is a serious problem.
> Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem
> to be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice,
> a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke
> addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!
> Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered,
> multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that > actually
makes you crave carbohydrates. It is far more likely to
> make you GAIN weight!
> These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat
> cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an
> absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve 'tissue
> specimens.' Many products we use every day contain this chemical
> but we SHOULD NOT store it IN our body!
>
> Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the
> 'diet pr oducts' and with no significant increase in exercise; his
> pati ents lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period.
> Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics.
>
> We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient
> with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame.
>
> The Aspartame drives the blood sugar out! of con trol. Thus
> diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that
> aspartic acid and phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without
> the other amino acids necessary for a good balance.
>
> Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE. Especially with diabetics,
> the Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrierand it then
> deteriorates the neuro ns of the brain; causing various levels of
> brain damage, seizures, depression, manic depression, panic
> attacks, uncontrollable anger and rage.
> Consumption of Aspartame caus es these same symptoms in non-
> diabetics as well.
> Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of
> children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds
> in their behavior when these chemicals have been removed from
> their diet. So called 'behavior modific! ation p rescription
> drugs' (Ritalin and others) are no longer needed. Truth be told,
> they were never NEEDED in the first place! Most of these children
> were being 'poisoned' on a daily basis with the very foods that
> were 'better for them than sugar.'
>
> It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets of
> diet Co ke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the
> Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War
> Syndrome.
>
> Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental
> retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early
> pregnancy.
>
> Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and
> should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners. There are many
> different case histories to relate of childre! n suffe ring grand mal
> seizures and other neurological disturbances talking about a plague
> of neurological diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly
> poison.'
>
> Herein lie s the problem:
> There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was included 100
> different products and strong objection was made concerning its
> use. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent
> hearings, and still nothing has been done. The drug and chemical
> lobbies have very deep pockets.
> Sadly, MONSANTO'S patent on Aspartame has EXPIRED!
> There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this
> deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced.
> Everybody wants a 'piece of the Aspartame pie.' I assure you that
> MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is.
> And i! sn't it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American
> Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and t he
> Conference of the American College of Physicians?
> This has been recently exposed in the New York Times.
>
> These [organizations] cannot criticize any additives or convey
> their link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food
> industry and are required to endorse their products.
> Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would
> require label warnings on products containing Aspartame, especially
> regarding pregnant women, children and infants. The bill would
> also institute independent studies on the known dangers and the
> problems existing in the general population regarding seizures,
> changes in brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioral > s
ymptoms.
> The bill was &nbs p;killed .
> It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are
&g
I had a really bad problem with headaches and pain in my neck, anyways after about 1 1/2 years, my doc put my on an anxiety medicine and it slowly went away. Are you stressed out all of the time, if so then maybe you should talk to your doctor about stress headaches.
More and more discoveries are being made with regards to chronic pain. Sometimes there is no cause, or the original cause has healed, but pain is still perceived. Pain management is the goal with treatment. The most important thing is to find a Doctor who is sympathetic, as women's pain is usually not treated as aggressively as men's pain.
get another doctor
i would try natural herbs. if you know what i mean. I'm not in to that but lots of people use it for arthritis and have you been tested for fibromyalgia? if not id really ask Ur Doctor and get him to test it weather he thinks its that or not. (people do the natural thing for that too and can eventually cure it ) i would also get them to monitor your brain over night and see if something going on there.
i hope Ive helped you.
good luck!
Take a long relaxing vocation
USELESS DOCTOR LOST? GOOD.
Your SI/GB Meridian seems excessive.
pl see what suits you.
If you are in cold country use all warm things.
Pl try cold water bath and observe if in hot country, if pain increases use warm.
If you have cough/cold body hot water bath will help.
Massage and exercise in front of morning sun is good thing, pl try.
Pl try simple acupressure given below for immediate relief.
If it fails you will have to go for Acupuncture.
There is hardly any medicine for H/A OR MIGRAINE. Not only these but for RA, OA, Back ache, Ear ache/ringing, Stomach ache and almost all painful diseases. Hence they become chronic.
Acidity, WORRY, sadness, excessive wind, cold , heat, sour food and sinusitis, constipation, intestinal inflammation; drug side effects, stress, bad smell, TV & COMPUTER SOMETIMES, Blockage in the flow of Vital Energy, BODY CONSTITUTION etc are their causes.
None of them can be treated with medicine.
Our 100% success in treating migraine &H/A confirms it.
Acupuncture is the best treatment.
I can treat it with naturopathy and YOG, but how can you manage pl see.
Pain killers don't treat the pain but we loose the sense of pain for some time; in that duration our body itself treats sometime and credit goes to meds.
The useless drugs have tremendous power of side effects like liver/kidney failures, ulcer, inflammation of intestines and lot more.
Avoid late sleeping if possible; worry, tension, spicy foods, sour fruits, stale bakery foods, SMOKING and alcohole.
Sweet foods, COCOANUT WATER,sweet fruits like dates, milk, rice, SPROUTS, SALADS and good sleep will help if cough is not there.
But you try one herbal remedy- two drops of drumstick leaves' juice in opposite nostril if one side pains and both nostrils if full H/A will give you rescue. Betel leaf helps but it is very strong.
If it is acute pl search a painful point (with round tipped pen/jimmy) 3-6 mm behind your thumb nail and press it, H/A will disappear within 30 seconds.
For forehead/eye pain the points are in front of nails on the finger tips or 3-7 mm below.
It may disappear naturally too.
Source(s):
SHREE SWASTHYAYOG TREATMENT, TRAINING & RESEARCH INSTITUTE
R.H. 19, Jhulelal Society, Sector 2/E, Airoli, Navi Mumbai, INDIA.