Guest guest Posted November 11, 2000 Report Share Posted November 11, 2000 Hi Sharon and hi to the list.. My name is Pam, age 49, and I subscribed about 3 weeks ago. I have been lurking and reading, but havent introduced myself, until now. I have chronic neck pain from an injury to the neck muscles... I have what is known as Chronic Muscle Strain, ( also osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia). CMS is a neck injury that causes the delicate muscles in your neck to become permenantly damaged. These muscles are so fine that they do not repair themselves the way that the larger muscles in your body do.. so they cramp up, get inflammed, twist and turn, charlie from the top of my head, clear down my back... the natural curve at the base of my neck has been pulled straight...It isnt there anymore. When everything gets inflammed it pinches off the blood vessels and nerves that run through the vertabrae in my neck.. I use heat in the morning to loosen the muscles. Do physical therapy twice a day (for the rest of my life). The damaged muscles dont retain strength, so I do strengthening exercises 3-4 times a week. I use ice at night to try to take out some of the inflammation. Some days are worse than others... When this first flared I spent 8 weeks in intensive physical therapy with some of the most excrutiating pain imaginable.. at that point I couldnt even pick up a pencil and write.. I cant take an anti inflammatory... After the first year of treatment I ended up in ICU with my stomach eaten up... The artery in my stomach ruptured on day 4, I was very lucky to already be in intensive care.. and lucky to be alive today.. The constant pain has certainly changed my life.. And that is why I am here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2000 Report Share Posted November 11, 2000 Hi Sharon and hi to the list.. My name is Pam, age 49, and I subscribed about 3 weeks ago. I have been lurking and reading, but havent introduced myself, until now. I have chronic neck pain from an injury to the neck muscles... I have what is known as Chronic Muscle Strain, ( also osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia). CMS is a neck injury that causes the delicate muscles in your neck to become permenantly damaged. These muscles are so fine that they do not repair themselves the way that the larger muscles in your body do.. so they cramp up, get inflammed, twist and turn, charlie from the top of my head, clear down my back... the natural curve at the base of my neck has been pulled straight...It isnt there anymore. When everything gets inflammed it pinches off the blood vessels and nerves that run through the vertabrae in my neck.. I use heat in the morning to loosen the muscles. Do physical therapy twice a day (for the rest of my life). The damaged muscles dont retain strength, so I do strengthening exercises 3-4 times a week. I use ice at night to try to take out some of the inflammation. Some days are worse than others... When this first flared I spent 8 weeks in intensive physical therapy with some of the most excrutiating pain imaginable.. at that point I couldnt even pick up a pencil and write.. I cant take an anti inflammatory... After the first year of treatment I ended up in ICU with my stomach eaten up... The artery in my stomach ruptured on day 4, I was very lucky to already be in intensive care.. and lucky to be alive today.. The constant pain has certainly changed my life.. And that is why I am here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 At 01:18 PM 11/11/00 -0800, sharon lonsby wisely said: >is ther any one out there who has chronic neck pain, i sure would like to >hear from them. Hi Sharon, Did have severe chronic neck pain for more than 10 years. Could not sleep, barely able to think. Kept working though (bad idea). it was caused by 3 cervical disks crushed into the spinal canal. Have had lots more sources of chronic pai, so I chose to move to better climate (big difference) & wait the approximately 7 years for the body to reabsorb the tissue. Was scared about neck surgery. Had enough surgery for the time being. Had all the darvacet N100 I could use, but in cold weather pain was well above pain-killer level. Had wonderful doc who would shoot my upper neck & under th rear skull full of llidocaine-cortisone mix, and would get about a week's relief when it was at it's worst. Now i'm in warm dry climate & the tissue actually got reabsorbed naturall. Very rare episodes of medium neck pain now. What is the source of yours & what has been done? Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 At 01:18 PM 11/11/00 -0800, sharon lonsby wisely said: >is ther any one out there who has chronic neck pain, i sure would like to >hear from them. Hi Sharon, Did have severe chronic neck pain for more than 10 years. Could not sleep, barely able to think. Kept working though (bad idea). it was caused by 3 cervical disks crushed into the spinal canal. Have had lots more sources of chronic pai, so I chose to move to better climate (big difference) & wait the approximately 7 years for the body to reabsorb the tissue. Was scared about neck surgery. Had enough surgery for the time being. Had all the darvacet N100 I could use, but in cold weather pain was well above pain-killer level. Had wonderful doc who would shoot my upper neck & under th rear skull full of llidocaine-cortisone mix, and would get about a week's relief when it was at it's worst. Now i'm in warm dry climate & the tissue actually got reabsorbed naturall. Very rare episodes of medium neck pain now. What is the source of yours & what has been done? Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 Hi ; i received your email, i was glad to hear from someone who has chronic neck pain. well mine started about 3 years ago, when i fell and broke my left shoulder and my left humerous. i have been in therapy, i have had two nerve blocks and i am now on vicodin es and pain shots of 100mg of demerol & 50mg of vistaril on a prn basis and i also back into therapy. i have senn two different neurosurgeons they both have said i need surgery on my neck as i now have bone spurs at c3 through C5 and they are pressing on the nerves. i cannot take naisds as i am allergic to aspirin. does anyone have any answers. i sure would like to know. the pain i say is worse no matter what i do, it affects my sleeping and everything else in my life, there has to be a life beond pain. sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 At 04:36 PM 11/14/00 -0800, sharon lonsby wisely said: >i have senn two different neurosurgeons they both have said i need surgery >on my neck as i now have bone spurs at c3 through C5 and they are pressing >on the nerves. Hi Sharon, Sorry to hear about your lousy situation. I am glad you consulted neurosurgeons, as they are probably the only specialists that are going to make any sense out of your spine. Mine recommended surgery for a lower back problem, and it took me a year to come to terms with it and go through with the surgery. The prospect is frightening. However the chance for relief is very real. Short of the surgery, you might discuss with your doctor use of a patch, time release narcotic absorbed through the skin. This would give you continuous relief at a potentially lower dose of opioids than when taken by mouth. From my own experience with neck pain and a friends's here, I think it is one of the most excruciating kinds of pain. You & your doc will have to sort out whether a patch (or more than one) is right for you; but I really think you have to come to terms with neurosurgery. You may face some muscle weakness & restrengthening, but I think the damage at the injured sites will only get worse with arthritic & fibrotic changes as you continue along. You should discuss with your neurosurgeons what you can expect in terms of potential arthritic changes at the surgery sites as well. There usually is some over time. It could be insignificant, but, if also creating pain, might require another surgery in the long run. Please don't take this as frightening. My neurosurgeon told me he expected me to need to return several times as I age. Over 11 years there has been some change, but with current meds like celebrex, neurontin & effexor, the discomfort is reasonably minimized. Also, simply because you have a problem with aspirin doesn't necessarily rule out celebrex for you. Although it has the same cautions as standard NS aids, it is very different and an enzyme inhibitor. My doc put me on it even though NS aids nearly killed me & it has worked for a year without incident. But I don't think it would necessarily give you a high level of relief. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2000 Report Share Posted November 22, 2000 >X-eGroups-Return: granny@... > >To: <chronic_pain-owneregroups> >Cc: <chronic.pain-owneregroups> >Subject: chronic pain >Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2000 13:01:35 -0800 >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 >X-eGroups-Moderators: chronic_pain > >hi everyone, i thought i would reply back. i have a lung dr. who really >feels that i or should i say cannoit tolerate surgery on my neck as i >have copd,as it would put to much of a strain on my lungs. so at this >point ,i have to try and tolerate the chronic neck pain. so does anyone >have any solutions, how i can try to tolerate the pain. at this point the >pain patch is not an option as i have tried it and i get very sick,so i >need to know what else can i do. thanks one and all have a sfe holiday.sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2000 Report Share Posted November 22, 2000 >Delivered-To: kturbin@... >X-eGroups-Return: granny@... > >To: <chronic_pain-owneregroups> >Cc: <chronic pain-owneregroups> >Subject: chronic pain >Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2000 13:01:35 -0800 >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 >X-eGroups-Moderators: chronic_pain > >hi everyone, i thought i would reply back. i have a lung dr. who really >feels that i or should i say cannoit tolerate surgery on my neck as i >have copd,as it would put to much of a strain on my lungs. so at this >point ,i have to try and tolerate the chronic neck pain. so does anyone >have any solutions, how i can try to tolerate the pain. at this point the >pain patch is not an option as i have tried it and i get very sick,so i >need to know what else can i do. thanks one and all have a sfe holiday.sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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