Re: trmnt besides meds & surgery?

"Bert" <bert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:140720091143584138%bert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In article <7as95iF1rsrquU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, CN
<ChattyCatty@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"kittychats" <eileen_73@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:c15e3dc2-245a-4f84-ac95-43d5dc95dcad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lori Bob-

Ditto on the TENS, but then we both have RSD...

That shiz backfired like crazy.

It eventually made the pain worse.

kittychats


Yeah, they're pushing the implanted TENS on my and I'm refusing - I've
heard
too many stories about it wither working OK for a little while and then
quits working, or that it's stressful and painful from day one. I
haven't
heard one story saying it worked long-term.

Hugs,

CatNipped


CatNipped,

Guess I'm one of those weird cpers who will try anything. Prior to
being put on narcotic analgesics, I was given a 4-electrode TENS unit.
Luckily, I was already on SSDI, and medicare paid for most of the cost.

Because my pain is due to a spinal-chord injury and nerves being
compressed for about 2 months prior to surgery, I guess things work
differently. I can derive a change in the pain level, small tho it may
be, from using the TENS. The drawback I find is simple. If I start to
rely on it too much or use it too long for one session, then any
benefit that I was receiving from its' use will diminish in short
order. Also, unlike pain meds which can be taken prior to bed, you
can't wear a TENS unit when you sleep with any comfort. The "anxious
ants" (my nickname for the sensation) keep me awake when I've tried to
sleep in a recliner with the unit on.

Just to prove how certifiable I may be, I will admit to having tried
Acupuncture & Chinese herbs recently. Both are part of TCM -
Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are other techniques (like
"cupping" that was tried instead of a diuretic) that are also applied.
I searched carefully for a TCM practicioner, and thought I 'd found a
good one. To make a long story short, I was spending almost as much
every month on Acupuncture & herbs as I had spent on Medicare Part D
co-pays & premium : about $390/month. While the experiment might have
been worth continuing if I was "the Donald", it was too expensive for
someone like me to consider it a long-term replacement for opioid
pain-control.

I have tried physical therapy and very mild exercise when I was also on
narcotic analgesics. They are an enhancement to the meds, but costs
can be high.

I have also tried meditation, and found that it might be useful as a
break-thru pain helper, but certainly not the primary answer to the
pain.

Hope this helps somehow, Cat. I just haven't had the courage to try
chiropractic or anything else. Silly me, I thought I was being brave
when I allowed the anesthesiologist to inject Botox up&down both sides
of my spinal-chord once a year to minimize increase in pain from strong
muscle activity. The injections do help to a degree, but there is a
downside. The doc often wiggles the needle around in a given muscle
till you groan loudly enough or make a severe enough "pained-face" to
insure that he has found the "sweet-spot" for that one injection out of
7-10 he gives during my annual session.

If I find anything new, I'll be back to report on the effectiveness to
the group.


With Love, Caring, & Peace,

Bert

--
No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves
must
walk the path - Buddha

====================

I'm going in on Monday for a facet joint ablation on my cervical spine. I
won't kid you, I'm scared spitless! I have *NO* more PTO time (in fact, my
next paycheck is going to be docked 8 hours because I went over the -80
limit on PTO). But at this point I'm willing to give it a try and hope for
the best.

I gave acupuncture one shot - but it hurt too much (I guess with RSD, or
whatever the heck this is I have), the tiny needle punctures feel like large
nails going into your skin. It had no effect at all on the pain so I didn't
go back.

Because of the metal plate screwed into the vertebrae of my spine, I
wouldn't go near a chiropractor - I'd be too afraid he'd jerk my head around
and rip out the screws.

I'm also, on Monday, going to see an orthopedic surgeon about my right
shoulder since the PA at my pain doctor's practice thinks it is a separate
issue from the neck pain. I'll let them do an x-ray and an MRI to see
what's going on, but if he suggests surgery I'm going to get a second or
even a third opinion. I'm hoping they can, instead, do a steroid injection
or point me towards a physical therapist.

So, Bert, how are you doing? I know you're still deeply grieving, and I
know that emotional pain can increase physical pain. I hope you're not
isolating yourself because of it (I know how easy it is to do that). I also
hope your friends and family understand how devastating it can be to lose a
beloved animal companion and that they're helping you get through this.
Hang in there, it does get better with time - there *will* come a time when
you can think of Schmendrik with a smile instead of a tear.

Hugs,

CatNipped


.

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