Ouch!

[rachMiel]

dij, howdy! Thanks for checking in.

Physical therapy is helping. The pain is still there, but less intense and more manageable.

For the first time in a couple of weeks I can see the light of healedness through the forest of yuck. I'm not there yet, but I'm headed in the right direction.

Yes, I've been in contact with pB privately, he's been great! Very supportive, a good friend in need.

Meanwhile my MD doc has prescribed me tons of meds ... all of which have had side effects for me. (My body is ridiculously sensitive to stuff.) So I'm taking only a very few meds (no NSAIDs, just a touch of oxy when things get very painful, mostly flexeril with melatonin at night to help me sleep.) And today I'm seeing my naturopath (mostly Ayurvedic) doc and talking to him about the possibility of getting off ALL my meds (which include prozac and BP pills). I want to see what I'm like without powerful chemicals being pumped into my system. Wish me luck!

Thanks,

Rick

[dijmart]

Physical therapy is helping. The pain is still there, but less intense and more manageable.

That's good. Have you ever gone to a chiropractor? I swear by them!! You could see one in addition to your physical therapy, if you were interested.

Wish me luck!

Good luck, Rick!

[rachMiel]

Physical therapy is helping. The pain is still there, but less intense and more manageable.

That's good. Have you ever gone to a chiropractor? I swear by them!! You could see one in addition to your physical therapy, if you were interested.

Yes, the right chiro at the right time can be kind of miraculous. There's a guy I really like here, but I'm not quite ready for his treatment ... trigger point massage/release ... because the muscles are still quite wacko and prone to reacting (tightening up) to intrusions, massage, stretching, etc.

Thanks, dij!

[dijmart]

Physical therapy is helping. The pain is still there, but less intense and more manageable.

That's good. Have you ever gone to a chiropractor? I swear by them!! You could see one in addition to your physical therapy, if you were interested.

Yes, the right chiro at the right time can be kind of miraculous. There's a guy I really like here, but I'm not quite ready for his treatment ... trigger point massage/release ... because the muscles are still quite wacko and prone to reacting (tightening up) to intrusions, massage, stretching, etc.

Thanks, dij!

Oh, I see. Sounds like you know what you're talking about. I have a cervical vertabrae that got knocked out of place from a fall years ago. I only found out, because one day I couldn't look to the left or bend my head to my shoulder. Per the x-ray, It had twisted completely to the left. I did some therapy at the chiro, then he started adjustments after about a week. It took a month or so to get range of motion back in my neck.


Another time I got out of bed and couldn't stand up straight, at all, chiro fixed me up, but it took 3 appts a week for 3 weeks. I try to keep my appts every 6-8 weeks now, for a tune-up or it seems I tend to fall apart...lol.

[painBody]

just a touch of oxy when things get very painfu l... talking to him about the possibility of getting off ALL my meds

Rick, buddy,

If you ever deem the Oxy superfluous, please mail it to the opposite coast, and I will mail you back the postage amount

Danke, in advance !

[Webwanderer]

There is a rather unique type of chiropractory out there known as NUCCA. I know people who swear by it as it produces technically measurable results and does not produce wear by constant adjustments over long periods of time. Here is a link that explains it in detail. There are not very many around as it is relatively new as compared to the more traditional versions.

http://www.nucca.org/

WW

[snowheight]

Hi everyone.

I just found out that the severe-ish back and hip pain I've been having for the past few weeks is from a herniated disc. It's fixable, with physical therapy, which is great news. But healing will most likely be slow, and in the meantime I am in pretty much chronic pain.

My inclination when I'm in persistent pain is to kind of fold up into myself. But I'd really like to challenge that this time, to remain present and aware through the process, even if it feels counterintuitive.

Any tips on how to deal with this?

Thanks,

Rick

If it's lower back, two words: child pose. Creating the separation between the vertebrae allows for the disk to slip back into place. Dude, I could tell you a personal story about this that would be "Cheever meets Tarantino". And .. oh yeah .. listening to the body is one of the most intimate and revealing practices of presence one can ever do.

[smiileyjen101]

((((rach)))) keep us up to date with your progress. I'm interest in what the Ayurvedic will say, one here was able to help someone with reactive arthritis for which the modern medicine 'cure' was supposedly chemo, even with ridiculous side effects and no guarantees - yep, the immune system is terribly upset and over-reacting, so let's attack it (what???). An Ayurvedic doctor thought more in line with my logic, let's soothe the immune system until it feels safe enough to drop its over-reaction. It worked too They did however advise to stay on (not the chemo) some of the prescribed drugs that were working in harmony with their treatment.

I have a neck injury and a lower back injury that can literally cripple me at times. I have a high pain threshold so sometimes I can ignore niggles until it's too late. I now learn to notice it getting out of whack first when one hip gets lower than the other, (or my leg doesn't work in harmony with my hip), or with the neck I lose the use of my arm when it pinches a nerve, which feels 'funny' at first but I've learned not to ignore it. I found an awesome god/hero/saviour ... felt like that when you're in that much pain - who was trained in chiro and osteopathy for the bones, physiotherapy for the muscles and homeopathy for the pain --- he would work on all of them in a progressive and inclusive nature. He truly was a godsend. I'd walk out of the treatment once we'd progressed to the chiro manipulation (yum, yum, yum, yum yum bone freedom!!) two inches taller I swear! We used to joke that if only I had a zip down my back where we could just take all the 'crap' off my bones and give them a good shake out.

Hey Snowy, how are you? What is the 'child pose'?

[pausesmile]

Anyways, I do pretty good for someone who was diagnosed 26 years ago. Usually, no complaints...and I stopped MS drugs 15 years ago do to side effects. I know many are not so lucky.

Congrats on stopping the meds! An interesting website on alternative medicine mercola.com. I also had my share of pain. I survived a stage 3 colon rectal cancer when my son was born, that may explain why I love him so much. He came to life when my life almost came to an end... Last year I got an herniated disk with a foot drop. I had a night of very intense pain that I tried to accept following Eckhart Tolle's advice. After more than a year of intense exercise and osteopathic manipulation, I am slowly lifting my foot more and more. I exercise before going to work and after work. The after work exercise helps me to be in the right state to deal with my wife... Anthony Robbins says" The right people in the wrong state will mess up their relationship".

[snowheight]

Hey Jen, I'm good, thanks for asking. Life just keeps getting more and more unpredictable as time goes on.

Child pose is a yoga position. It's one of the few that doesn't require any sort of strain or exertion.

rach: even a modified version from your knees can do the trick as well.

[dijmart]

Congrats on stopping the meds!

Thanks, to be honest I didn't do anything special, I just refused to continue taking the meds and it worked out for me, so far. My last MRI 2 yrs ago showed no new lesions and the ones that were there had shrunk. Go figure.

Sounds like you've been through the wringer yourself! Glad you're still around after your cancer ordeal.

..and foot drop..ugh. people with MS get that too. I've never technically had it, but my foot has dragged during an attack on occasion. Sucks. Are you wearing a foot brace?

Anthony Robbins says" The right people in the wrong state will mess up their relationship".

Sure, ...or it could really be the wrong people? Just sayin'

[pausesmile]

When I had my herniated disk which was different. My very intense pain was only for 1 night, so intense I got a foot drop. After I was rapidly pain free, except while getting out of bed. A great help for me has been a sacrowedgy (on line about 30$). Concerning the diet, I am a health nut but I had to decrease on the vitamin c like lemon because it can block the copper in the body. Since I fall asleep with the sacrowedgy, I sleep like a baby and it's easier to be in the present after a good night sleep! Don't hesitate to contact me directly.