Guest guest Posted November 21, 2000 Report Share Posted November 21, 2000 Hi Dee, cut back on all the sugar and yeast, that just feeds the yeast in your body. I take acidophilus 3 times a day. When I had trush I had it so bad that there were blisters on my tongue. What i did for some instant relief was to take spoon full of plain yogurt and let it sit on my tongue for awhile. You do yet used to the taste after the first couple of times and the soothing on you tongue is really worth it:) Dee Beeching wrote: > Hi > I just started getting the digest a few weeks back and read all that is > going on > a fellow posted on a board I frequent and my curiosity was sparked as I > have recurrent yeast infections and now am having thrush and extremely > sore tongue as a result. > I have cut way back on my sugar and yeast intake and have added caprilic > acid. > Is there anything that can help with the sore tongue froom the thrush > and bumps on my tongue? > dee > > > Send blank message to candidiasis-unsubscribeonelist if you want to UNSUBSCRIBE ! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Hi, I'm new here and need some feedback from parents who are more experienced with raising AS children than I am! I have a 6 year old son who was determined to be AS when he was just 4, after his first semester of kindy didn't go so well... anyway it wasn't so much a surprise as AS definitely runs in the family. Since AS was decided upon we have had only mild symptoms to deal with, a strabismus of the eye. He's a much larger child than other boys his age, (both height and weight) so he's clumsy. He gets excitable and has food fads, (he'll only eat certain kinds of food and he won't budge), he also has trouble controlling his volume and he sings to himself a lot. These are some of the issues that we take everyday in our stride and stupidly I thought maybe these would be all the problems we would ever had - socially awkward and that's it. However recently our son has changed it up a notch and I'm really worried. Lately we have had, an increase in rituals such as needing to do certain things before bed or he won't sleep, emotional meltdowns, constant throat clearing (nothing we say can stop it once it starts), he's taken to shouting us down or butting in relentlessly when we talk. The clumsiness has also developed into an awkward gait when he walks, he always had an odd run but now it's effects how he walks when holding my hand too. Can anyone relate to this? - Or have any idea why this might have suddenly come on now? And if so what did you do to arrest it? Does the behaviour fluctuate, come and go? Or are we stuck with this new level that we find ourselves on? Thanks, a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Some OCD behaviors that I am familiar with. The gait problem I would get some help with. Is he getting any services. I would recommend physical therapy and occuaptional therapy too for the throat clearing and voice(may be stimulating). He is getting older so he may be acting out more. Have you tried supplements, gfcf diet, behavior modification? My daughter is almost 5 and all of these helped. > > > > Hi, > > I'm new here and need some feedback from parents who are more experienced with > raising AS children than I am! > > I have a 6 year old son who was determined to be AS when he was just 4, after his first > semester of kindy didn't go so well... anyway it wasn't so much a surprise as AS definitely > runs in the family. > > Since AS was decided upon we have had only mild symptoms to deal with, a strabismus of > the eye. He's a much larger child than other boys his age, (both height and weight) so he's > clumsy. He gets excitable and has food fads, (he'll only eat certain kinds of food and he > won't budge), he also has trouble controlling his volume and he sings to himself a lot. > > These are some of the issues that we take everyday in our stride and stupidly I thought > maybe these would be all the problems we would ever had - socially awkward and that's it. > However recently our son has changed it up a notch and I'm really worried. > > Lately we have had, an increase in rituals such as needing to do certain things before bed > or he won't sleep, emotional meltdowns, constant throat clearing (nothing we say can stop > it once it starts), he's taken to shouting us down or butting in relentlessly when we talk. > > The clumsiness has also developed into an awkward gait when he walks, he always had an > odd run but now it's effects how he walks when holding my hand too. > > Can anyone relate to this? - Or have any idea why this might have suddenly come on now? > And if so what did you do to arrest it? Does the behaviour fluctuate, come and go? Or are > we stuck with this new level that we find ourselves on? > > Thanks, > > a > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Hi a, The throat clearing is definitely a tic. If he has started rituals also he must be stressed. Has the start of school caused him anxiety? Something is bothering him if it came on pretty suddenly. He probably needs therapy for the gait issues and clumsiness. Better get an OT/PT eval. Good luck, Debra Melamed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 My son got a throat clearing tic from a medication he started before. Is your son on any medication? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 6, 2006 Report Share Posted October 6, 2006 Hi a- I have 2 boys with AS and the one thing that has helped my younger son is gymnastics, trampolines, swimming and sensory activities. I don't post often but have lurked for awhile. My boys both have stiff gaits, are not good runners (although it was hard keeping up with them when they were little!) Everything is a work in progress-but these kids really reach us alot! I have also used visual aids frequently..volume control, activity level etc....As far as eating...I ask that they try at least one bite of everything and then supplement with vitamins....Hope this helps tpaulalouise <tpaulalouise@...> wrote: Hi, I'm new here and need some feedback from parents who are more experienced with raising AS children than I am! I have a 6 year old son who was determined to be AS when he was just 4, after his first semester of kindy didn't go so well... anyway it wasn't so much a surprise as AS definitely runs in the family. Since AS was decided upon we have had only mild symptoms to deal with, a strabismus of the eye. He's a much larger child than other boys his age, (both height and weight) so he's clumsy. He gets excitable and has food fads, (he'll only eat certain kinds of food and he won't budge), he also has trouble controlling his volume and he sings to himself a lot. These are some of the issues that we take everyday in our stride and stupidly I thought maybe these would be all the problems we would ever had - socially awkward and that's it. However recently our son has changed it up a notch and I'm really worried. Lately we have had, an increase in rituals such as needing to do certain things before bed or he won't sleep, emotional meltdowns, constant throat clearing (nothing we say can stop it once it starts), he's taken to shouting us down or butting in relentlessly when we talk. The clumsiness has also developed into an awkward gait when he walks, he always had an odd run but now it's effects how he walks when holding my hand too. Can anyone relate to this? - Or have any idea why this might have suddenly come on now? And if so what did you do to arrest it? Does the behaviour fluctuate, come and go? Or are we stuck with this new level that we find ourselves on? Thanks, a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 a, Our experience with AS seems similar to yours in some ways. I will tell you that in the case of my son Trevor (who's 10 now) as he's gotten older, things have fluctuated. Some of the behaviors we had when he was much smaller have seemed to evaporate but there are other things that have taken their place. Trev has had the transient tics as well (the throat clearing, sniffling, blinking) and those come and go for him. There's no rhyme or reason, they manifest when they feel like it. I found the best way to handle those is to ignore them. It's seemed like the more attention we drew to them, the worse they got (which makes sense in light of anxiety and AS). We've got a trampoline too and between that and his bike, they've helped his awkard gait and overall clumsiness. Sometimes schools will have a mini-tramp---you might want to inquire! I didn't even know that Trevor's school did until his 504 meeting this month. Trev also went thru a stage where he was having meltdowns and was more verbal but most of that was because he wasn't able to express his frustrations in a more healthy way. He sees a counselor now who is helping him learn alternative ways to express himself and to be more assertive (rather than agressive) and that seems to be helping him. Unfortunately, there's not road map to follow when traveling the highways of AS, right? I hope some of this helps. Nikki > > > Hi, > > I'm new here and need some feedback from parents who are more experienced with > raising AS children than I am! > > I have a 6 year old son who was determined to be AS when he was just 4, after his first > semester of kindy didn't go so well... anyway it wasn't so much a surprise as AS definitely > runs in the family. > > Since AS was decided upon we have had only mild symptoms to deal with, a strabismus of > the eye. He's a much larger child than other boys his age, (both height and weight) so he's > clumsy. He gets excitable and has food fads, (he'll only eat certain kinds of food and he > won't budge), he also has trouble controlling his volume and he sings to himself a lot. > > These are some of the issues that we take everyday in our stride and stupidly I thought > maybe these would be all the problems we would ever had - socially awkward and that's it. > However recently our son has changed it up a notch and I'm really worried. > > Lately we have had, an increase in rituals such as needing to do certain things before bed > or he won't sleep, emotional meltdowns, constant throat clearing (nothing we say can stop > it once it starts), he's taken to shouting us down or butting in relentlessly when we talk. > > The clumsiness has also developed into an awkward gait when he walks, he always had an > odd run but now it's effects how he walks when holding my hand too. > > Can anyone relate to this? - Or have any idea why this might have suddenly come on now? > And if so what did you do to arrest it? Does the behaviour fluctuate, come and go? Or are > we stuck with this new level that we find ourselves on? > > Thanks, > > a > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 Thanks Nikki and Lori and everyone who replied - it's so nice to know that we're not alone in this. People just want to see the solacious things about having a child that's " different " , they want to gossip, catagorize or demonize the little things that make a child somehow " not normal " and yet we realised pretty much straight away that what makes not normal is actually very special - I prefer my Aspie to most NT's! He's beautiful - sometimes just a little challenging. a --- ms_nikki24 <mistress_nixtress@...> wrote: > a, > Our experience with AS seems similar to yours in > some ways. I will > tell you that in the case of my son Trevor (who's 10 > now) as he's > gotten older, things have fluctuated. Some of the > behaviors we had > when he was much smaller have seemed to evaporate > but there are > other things that have taken their place. Trev has > had the transient > tics as well (the throat clearing, sniffling, > blinking) and those > come and go for him. There's no rhyme or reason, > they manifest when > they feel like it. I found the best way to handle > those is to ignore > them. It's seemed like the more attention we drew to > them, the worse > they got (which makes sense in light of anxiety and > AS). > We've got a trampoline too and between that and his > bike, they've > helped his awkard gait and overall clumsiness. > Sometimes schools > will have a mini-tramp---you might want to inquire! > I didn't even > know that Trevor's school did until his 504 meeting > this month. > Trev also went thru a stage where he was having > meltdowns and was > more verbal but most of that was because he wasn't > able to express > his frustrations in a more healthy way. He sees a > counselor now who > is helping him learn alternative ways to express > himself and to be > more assertive (rather than agressive) and that > seems to be helping > him. > Unfortunately, there's not road map to follow when > traveling the > highways of AS, right? I hope some of this helps. > Nikki > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > I'm new here and need some feedback from parents > who are more > experienced with > > raising AS children than I am! > > > > I have a 6 year old son who was determined to be > AS when he was > just 4, after his first > > semester of kindy didn't go so well... anyway it > wasn't so much a > surprise as AS definitely > > runs in the family. > > > > Since AS was decided upon we have had only mild > symptoms to deal > with, a strabismus of > > the eye. He's a much larger child than other boys > his age, (both > height and weight) so he's > > clumsy. He gets excitable and has food fads, > (he'll only eat > certain kinds of food and he > > won't budge), he also has trouble controlling his > volume and he > sings to himself a lot. > > > > These are some of the issues that we take everyday > in our stride > and stupidly I thought > > maybe these would be all the problems we would > ever had - socially > awkward and that's it. > > However recently our son has changed it up a notch > and I'm really > worried. > > > > Lately we have had, an increase in rituals such as > needing to do > certain things before bed > > or he won't sleep, emotional meltdowns, constant > throat clearing > (nothing we say can stop > > it once it starts), he's taken to shouting us down > or butting in > relentlessly when we talk. > > > > The clumsiness has also developed into an awkward > gait when he > walks, he always had an > > odd run but now it's effects how he walks when > holding my hand > too. > > > > Can anyone relate to this? - Or have any idea why > this might have > suddenly come on now? > > And if so what did you do to arrest it? Does the > behaviour > fluctuate, come and go? Or are > > we stuck with this new level that we find > ourselves on? > > > > Thanks, > > > > a > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 My son is 7 (will be 8 next week) he is the size of a 10 year old (4.5 ft. tall and about 94 lbs.) so I get the whole clumsy thing. I think it really has more to do with Asperger's than size though size makes more obvious. So in light of that we have done Tae Kwon Do since he was 5. It is amazing how much that has helped. It really paralelled what he was doing in occupational therapy. His particular teacher does a lot of deep pressure exercises and stretching before the class to get everyone focused. It also helps because he does a lot of cross-lateral exercises (opposite hand to opposite leg) which really jump starts making the left and right lobe of the brain talk. That helps a lot with auditory processing too. It has been a good solution because he doesn't know he is doing therapy. My only caution is that you pick a place that only requires him to do his best. has been able to make rank almost as fast as other kids because the teacher has a good sense of what he can do. That came by a lot of discussions with us. Every once in a while we run into something that we have to talk about again. For instance when he started sparing he would get really sleepy and non-attentive. Well, that was due to the pressure of the sparing equipment being so calming so we dipped his mouth piece in mouthwash to stimulate him. After a while he didn't need it. Last week he was hitting too hard during sparing because he has no sense of space. Anyway, the other thing we are starting and I have heard really good reports about it is Powerline. It is a remedial reading program that works on auditory processing and visual processing. They do a lot of drill with cross-lateral exercises to a metronome (same concept as jumping on a trampoline and developed by the same people that came up with the trampoline.) It is an after school program for 45 minutes given at school. Just recently his OT suggested we do something called interactive metronome. I guess it is the latest in helping with attention, cross-lateral training, etc but it is very expensive since it uses sensors and a computer. I took the Powerline information to the OT and she told me to try it first. So we are. Beth -------------- Original message -------------- From: " ms_nikki24 " <mistress_nixtress@...> a, Our experience with AS seems similar to yours in some ways. I will tell you that in the case of my son Trevor (who's 10 now) as he's gotten older, things have fluctuated. Some of the behaviors we had when he was much smaller have seemed to evaporate but there are other things that have taken their place. Trev has had the transient tics as well (the throat clearing, sniffling, blinking) and those come and go for him. There's no rhyme or reason, they manifest when they feel like it. I found the best way to handle those is to ignore them. It's seemed like the more attention we drew to them, the worse they got (which makes sense in light of anxiety and AS). We've got a trampoline too and between that and his bike, they've helped his awkard gait and overall clumsiness. Sometimes schools will have a mini-tramp---you might want to inquire! I didn't even know that Trevor's school did until his 504 meeting this month. Trev also went thru a stage where he was having meltdowns and was more verbal but most of that was because he wasn't able to express his frustrations in a more healthy way. He sees a counselor now who is helping him learn alternative ways to express himself and to be more assertive (rather than agressive) and that seems to be helping him. Unfortunately, there's not road map to follow when traveling the highways of AS, right? I hope some of this helps. Nikki > > > Hi, > > I'm new here and need some feedback from parents who are more experienced with > raising AS children than I am! > > I have a 6 year old son who was determined to be AS when he was just 4, after his first > semester of kindy didn't go so well... anyway it wasn't so much a surprise as AS definitely > runs in the family. > > Since AS was decided upon we have had only mild symptoms to deal with, a strabismus of > the eye. He's a much larger child than other boys his age, (both height and weight) so he's > clumsy. He gets excitable and has food fads, (he'll only eat certain kinds of food and he > won't budge), he also has trouble controlling his volume and he sings to himself a lot. > > These are some of the issues that we take everyday in our stride and stupidly I thought > maybe these would be all the problems we would ever had - socially awkward and that's it. > However recently our son has changed it up a notch and I'm really worried. > > Lately we have had, an increase in rituals such as needing to do certain things before bed > or he won't sleep, emotional meltdowns, constant throat clearing (nothing we say can stop > it once it starts), he's taken to shouting us down or butting in relentlessly when we talk. > > The clumsiness has also developed into an awkward gait when he walks, he always had an > odd run but now it's effects how he walks when holding my hand too. > > Can anyone relate to this? - Or have any idea why this might have suddenly come on now? > And if so what did you do to arrest it? Does the behaviour fluctuate, come and go? Or are > we stuck with this new level that we find ourselves on? > > Thanks, > > a > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 What do you think is the best sport for Aspies? My son had been in karate for about 3 years. He's always not really wanted to go but then loved it after he went. It got to the point where on the day of karate he really didn't want to go. So he took a break a couple times, went back, started going 2 days a week instead of 3, then 1 instead of 2 and then he wanted to just stop going. He was really indecisive about it for a while and then finally stopped. I asked him if he wanted to try ju jitsu (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) but he said no. What is something beneficial for aspies that I can try and motivate him to do? kreppsb@... wrote: My son is 7 (will be 8 next week) he is the size of a 10 year old (4.5 ft. tall and about 94 lbs.) so I get the whole clumsy thing. I think it really has more to do with Asperger's than size though size makes more obvious. So in light of that we have done Tae Kwon Do since he was 5. It is amazing how much that has helped. It really paralelled what he was doing in occupational therapy. His particular teacher does a lot of deep pressure exercises and stretching before the class to get everyone focused. It also helps because he does a lot of cross-lateral exercises (opposite hand to opposite leg) which really jump starts making the left and right lobe of the brain talk. That helps a lot with auditory processing too. It has been a good solution because he doesn't know he is doing therapy. My only caution is that you pick a place that only requires him to do his best. has been able to make rank almost as fast as other kids because the teacher has a good sense of what he can do. That came by a lot of discussions with us. Every once in a while we run into something that we have to talk about again. For instance when he started sparing he would get really sleepy and non-attentive. Well, that was due to the pressure of the sparing equipment being so calming so we dipped his mouth piece in mouthwash to stimulate him. After a while he didn't need it. Last week he was hitting too hard during sparing because he has no sense of space. Anyway, the other thing we are starting and I have heard really good reports about it is Powerline. It is a remedial reading program that works on auditory processing and visual processing. They do a lot of drill with cross-lateral exercises to a metronome (same concept as jumping on a trampoline and developed by the same people that came up with the trampoline.) It is an after school program for 45 minutes given at school. Just recently his OT suggested we do something called interactive metronome. I guess it is the latest in helping with attention, cross-lateral training, etc but it is very expensive since it uses sensors and a computer. I took the Powerline information to the OT and she told me to try it first. So we are. Beth -------------- Original message -------------- From: " ms_nikki24 " <mistress_nixtress@...> a, Our experience with AS seems similar to yours in some ways. I will tell you that in the case of my son Trevor (who's 10 now) as he's gotten older, things have fluctuated. Some of the behaviors we had when he was much smaller have seemed to evaporate but there are other things that have taken their place. Trev has had the transient tics as well (the throat clearing, sniffling, blinking) and those come and go for him. There's no rhyme or reason, they manifest when they feel like it. I found the best way to handle those is to ignore them. It's seemed like the more attention we drew to them, the worse they got (which makes sense in light of anxiety and AS). We've got a trampoline too and between that and his bike, they've helped his awkard gait and overall clumsiness. Sometimes schools will have a mini-tramp---you might want to inquire! I didn't even know that Trevor's school did until his 504 meeting this month. Trev also went thru a stage where he was having meltdowns and was more verbal but most of that was because he wasn't able to express his frustrations in a more healthy way. He sees a counselor now who is helping him learn alternative ways to express himself and to be more assertive (rather than agressive) and that seems to be helping him. Unfortunately, there's not road map to follow when traveling the highways of AS, right? I hope some of this helps. Nikki > > > Hi, > > I'm new here and need some feedback from parents who are more experienced with > raising AS children than I am! > > I have a 6 year old son who was determined to be AS when he was just 4, after his first > semester of kindy didn't go so well... anyway it wasn't so much a surprise as AS definitely > runs in the family. > > Since AS was decided upon we have had only mild symptoms to deal with, a strabismus of > the eye. He's a much larger child than other boys his age, (both height and weight) so he's > clumsy. He gets excitable and has food fads, (he'll only eat certain kinds of food and he > won't budge), he also has trouble controlling his volume and he sings to himself a lot. > > These are some of the issues that we take everyday in our stride and stupidly I thought > maybe these would be all the problems we would ever had - socially awkward and that's it. > However recently our son has changed it up a notch and I'm really worried. > > Lately we have had, an increase in rituals such as needing to do certain things before bed > or he won't sleep, emotional meltdowns, constant throat clearing (nothing we say can stop > it once it starts), he's taken to shouting us down or butting in relentlessly when we talk. > > The clumsiness has also developed into an awkward gait when he walks, he always had an > odd run but now it's effects how he walks when holding my hand too. > > Can anyone relate to this? - Or have any idea why this might have suddenly come on now? > And if so what did you do to arrest it? Does the behaviour fluctuate, come and go? Or are > we stuck with this new level that we find ourselves on? > > Thanks, > > a > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 a, When I was growing up I used to sniffle alot when it wasn't necessary for a period of time, then it was raising my eyebrows for no reason, I just couldn't help it, I felt like I needed to do it for some reason, then it was rubbing my lips together, then it was rolling my eyes, like at nothing! For no reason. I can't remember thinking much of it at the time other than my dad getting mad that I kept sniffling. I remember visiting my relatives and my dad got mad and my aunt got mad at him for getting mad at me for sniffling. Then she took me out for the day and I over heard her say later, " Oh, I know what he means about the sniffling now! " It really hurt my feelings because I really couldn't help it. I didn't mean to do it, I just felt like I had to. But it did pass. So I think not making any big deal about it is the best way to go. ms_nikki24 <mistress_nixtress@...> wrote: a, Our experience with AS seems similar to yours in some ways. I will tell you that in the case of my son Trevor (who's 10 now) as he's gotten older, things have fluctuated. Some of the behaviors we had when he was much smaller have seemed to evaporate but there are other things that have taken their place. Trev has had the transient tics as well (the throat clearing, sniffling, blinking) and those come and go for him. There's no rhyme or reason, they manifest when they feel like it. I found the best way to handle those is to ignore them. It's seemed like the more attention we drew to them, the worse they got (which makes sense in light of anxiety and AS). We've got a trampoline too and between that and his bike, they've helped his awkard gait and overall clumsiness. Sometimes schools will have a mini-tramp---you might want to inquire! I didn't even know that Trevor's school did until his 504 meeting this month. Trev also went thru a stage where he was having meltdowns and was more verbal but most of that was because he wasn't able to express his frustrations in a more healthy way. He sees a counselor now who is helping him learn alternative ways to express himself and to be more assertive (rather than agressive) and that seems to be helping him. Unfortunately, there's not road map to follow when traveling the highways of AS, right? I hope some of this helps. Nikki > > > Hi, > > I'm new here and need some feedback from parents who are more experienced with > raising AS children than I am! > > I have a 6 year old son who was determined to be AS when he was just 4, after his first > semester of kindy didn't go so well... anyway it wasn't so much a surprise as AS definitely > runs in the family. > > Since AS was decided upon we have had only mild symptoms to deal with, a strabismus of > the eye. He's a much larger child than other boys his age, (both height and weight) so he's > clumsy. He gets excitable and has food fads, (he'll only eat certain kinds of food and he > won't budge), he also has trouble controlling his volume and he sings to himself a lot. > > These are some of the issues that we take everyday in our stride and stupidly I thought > maybe these would be all the problems we would ever had - socially awkward and that's it. > However recently our son has changed it up a notch and I'm really worried. > > Lately we have had, an increase in rituals such as needing to do certain things before bed > or he won't sleep, emotional meltdowns, constant throat clearing (nothing we say can stop > it once it starts), he's taken to shouting us down or butting in relentlessly when we talk. > > The clumsiness has also developed into an awkward gait when he walks, he always had an > odd run but now it's effects how he walks when holding my hand too. > > Can anyone relate to this? - Or have any idea why this might have suddenly come on now? > And if so what did you do to arrest it? Does the behaviour fluctuate, come and go? Or are > we stuck with this new level that we find ourselves on? > > Thanks, > > a > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hi, , you been through quite a bit of the path of trying to solve your pain problem. So have I, ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS,Spinal Stenosis,Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) I to am battling a day to day medical problems. Have you tried a physiatrist? A physiatrist is a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM & R). Physiatrists are specially trained to diagnose, manage, and treat symptoms of acute and chronic pain. They also treat injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. Physiatrists generally practice out of hospitals, private clinics, and rehabilitation centers. They offer comprehensive, non-surgical treatment programs that help to treat your whole body, not just your areas of pain. I also found that swimming helps. It's better than land therapy for me. I have not had a nerve block. Remember everyone has different problems so that's a real had question to answer. Depends a lot on many factors as I am sure you realize. I have an Interferential Unit that works in different ways than a TENS unit does. It goes deeper into your muscles. I think it gives a better result. For me exercise - Aqua-therapy, using the IF unit, and rest help me cope through the day. It gives me a little bit of " quality " of life like I use to have. I have to work at it slower than I did before. May many changes in my life so good and so I did not want to change... I also filed for and obtain Social Security Disability.. (SSDI).. Something that you might want to discuss with your Doctors. You'll have to stop working as that would be one of the main thing for disability. Hopefully you have other sources of money ... talk with your Dr . Make sure you have all your medical records every MRI, X-Rays ect.. cause that is what your going to need for the first basic step. Here is one link that might give you some information on pain.. http://www.helpforpain.com/mednews.htm#11 ..just something to read over. I hope some of the information that I gave you will be helpful to you. You might look for a pain group that you can discuss your problem with other people that may have the same or similar situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hi, , you been through quite a bit of the path of trying to solve your pain problem. So have I, ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS,Spinal Stenosis,Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) I to am battling a day to day medical problems. Have you tried a physiatrist? A physiatrist is a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM & R). Physiatrists are specially trained to diagnose, manage, and treat symptoms of acute and chronic pain. They also treat injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. Physiatrists generally practice out of hospitals, private clinics, and rehabilitation centers. They offer comprehensive, non-surgical treatment programs that help to treat your whole body, not just your areas of pain. I also found that swimming helps. It's better than land therapy for me. I have not had a nerve block. Remember everyone has different problems so that's a real had question to answer. Depends a lot on many factors as I am sure you realize. I have an Interferential Unit that works in different ways than a TENS unit does. It goes deeper into your muscles. I think it gives a better result. For me exercise - Aqua-therapy, using the IF unit, and rest help me cope through the day. It gives me a little bit of " quality " of life like I use to have. I have to work at it slower than I did before. May many changes in my life so good and so I did not want to change... I also filed for and obtain Social Security Disability.. (SSDI).. Something that you might want to discuss with your Doctors. You'll have to stop working as that would be one of the main thing for disability. Hopefully you have other sources of money ... talk with your Dr . Make sure you have all your medical records every MRI, X-Rays ect.. cause that is what your going to need for the first basic step. Here is one link that might give you some information on pain.. http://www.helpforpain.com/mednews.htm#11 ..just something to read over. I hope some of the information that I gave you will be helpful to you. You might look for a pain group that you can discuss your problem with other people that may have the same or similar situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hi, , you been through quite a bit of the path of trying to solve your pain problem. So have I, ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS,Spinal Stenosis,Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) I to am battling a day to day medical problems. Have you tried a physiatrist? A physiatrist is a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM & R). Physiatrists are specially trained to diagnose, manage, and treat symptoms of acute and chronic pain. They also treat injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. Physiatrists generally practice out of hospitals, private clinics, and rehabilitation centers. They offer comprehensive, non-surgical treatment programs that help to treat your whole body, not just your areas of pain. I also found that swimming helps. It's better than land therapy for me. I have not had a nerve block. Remember everyone has different problems so that's a real had question to answer. Depends a lot on many factors as I am sure you realize. I have an Interferential Unit that works in different ways than a TENS unit does. It goes deeper into your muscles. I think it gives a better result. For me exercise - Aqua-therapy, using the IF unit, and rest help me cope through the day. It gives me a little bit of " quality " of life like I use to have. I have to work at it slower than I did before. May many changes in my life so good and so I did not want to change... I also filed for and obtain Social Security Disability.. (SSDI).. Something that you might want to discuss with your Doctors. You'll have to stop working as that would be one of the main thing for disability. Hopefully you have other sources of money ... talk with your Dr . Make sure you have all your medical records every MRI, X-Rays ect.. cause that is what your going to need for the first basic step. Here is one link that might give you some information on pain.. http://www.helpforpain.com/mednews.htm#11 ..just something to read over. I hope some of the information that I gave you will be helpful to you. You might look for a pain group that you can discuss your problem with other people that may have the same or similar situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hi, , you been through quite a bit of the path of trying to solve your pain problem. So have I, ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS,Spinal Stenosis,Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) I to am battling a day to day medical problems. Have you tried a physiatrist? A physiatrist is a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM & R). Physiatrists are specially trained to diagnose, manage, and treat symptoms of acute and chronic pain. They also treat injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. Physiatrists generally practice out of hospitals, private clinics, and rehabilitation centers. They offer comprehensive, non-surgical treatment programs that help to treat your whole body, not just your areas of pain. I also found that swimming helps. It's better than land therapy for me. I have not had a nerve block. Remember everyone has different problems so that's a real had question to answer. Depends a lot on many factors as I am sure you realize. I have an Interferential Unit that works in different ways than a TENS unit does. It goes deeper into your muscles. I think it gives a better result. For me exercise - Aqua-therapy, using the IF unit, and rest help me cope through the day. It gives me a little bit of " quality " of life like I use to have. I have to work at it slower than I did before. May many changes in my life so good and so I did not want to change... I also filed for and obtain Social Security Disability.. (SSDI).. Something that you might want to discuss with your Doctors. You'll have to stop working as that would be one of the main thing for disability. Hopefully you have other sources of money ... talk with your Dr . Make sure you have all your medical records every MRI, X-Rays ect.. cause that is what your going to need for the first basic step. Here is one link that might give you some information on pain.. http://www.helpforpain.com/mednews.htm#11 ..just something to read over. I hope some of the information that I gave you will be helpful to you. You might look for a pain group that you can discuss your problem with other people that may have the same or similar situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Dear , I think you should see another doctor. If all you have in the MRI is a mild bulge of one disc and no stenosis around the nerve roots, then probably you have muscle problems and not cervical arthritis with bone spurring and stenosis that compresses nerve roots. It is possible that you strained your neck one day at work or whatever and you didn't feel pain until the swelling and inflamation had accumulated over night and when you woke up the next morning, there it was. That is common in first degree muscle strain. Third degree muscle strain is when you feel the pain right off, in which case you know you tore a muscle really bad. Recovering from a first degree muscle strain usually takes a couple weeks. However, if one's posture is poor, one may never recover until the posture is improved. Unfortunately, most physical therapists do not seem to understand this. Most orthopedists and pain doctors don't understand it either. And I've been to a lot of them. Had lots of pt, epidurals and pain blocks (medial nerve injections to deaden the facet joints, oral steroids and high dose celebrex. None of this really lasted except the discovery that my poor posture(slouched back, head forward), which no professional ever mentioned, was causing my pain. Even my severe cervical arthritis (seen in multiple MRIs)is not the main cause of my pain. What I suggest is look at yourself, side view in a mirror or look at photos of yourself and see if your back is hunched and if your head is forward. If this is the case then the muscles at the back of your neck are working too hard and when they were damaged were unable to heal and now spasm all the time. With those muscles spasming to keep your head up straight, the muscles in front get weak. Also, the shoulder muscles and upper back muscles tend to tighten too because neck muscles are just extensions of back and shoulder muscles. One muscle attaches high at the side of the neck (attached to projections of C1, C2, C3)and low at the shoulder blade; this one in particular will make the sides of your neck hurt, especially with lifting stuff with your arms. Fixing posture requires the ability to lower and pinch together your shoulder blades in back and also consciously straightening your back and sticking your chest out. This must be done all the time, which is difficult. A physical therapist can help if you explicitly ask them to. After 2 months of this, one day I realized my neck pain was much better. In my case, I still have problems with neck pain and stiffness, if I use the computer too much, which is my downfall. And also I get tired easily and start falling asleep while sitting in front of tv and will mess up my neck doing that. I have to be very careful not to do that!!!!! But in spite of my severe arthritis, I am much, much better than previously. Hope this helps, Rochelle > > > > I joined this group about a couple months ago and now I need the wisdom of > the group. > > > > I suffer from extreme neck pain - both sides (right side worse - with > radiating numbness down to my fingers). This has been going on for a whole > year - since August 2008. I just woke up one day with neck pain - have no > idea how I hurt my neck. In August 2007, I suffered from an atypical > presentation of Bell's palsy (atypical in the sense that my symptoms - again > right sided - came on over a period of weeks rather than acutely). I was > referred to a neurologist and practically every test done (blood cultures, > spinal tap, MRIs and MRAs of my brain, CT scan, etc) to try to determine the > cause. Nothing abnormal was found. However ever since this bout I have been > suffering from severe fatigue. I finally went to see another neurologist > early last year and he ran an Epstein-Barr titer on me and it came back > higher than what you expect to see in the normal population. I still > continue to see this neurologist. > > > > When my neck pain started, he put me on Lortabs and Flexeril and did a MRI > of my neck in October 2008. The MRI showed mild bulging at C4-C5 on the left > side (but the vast majority of my pathology is on the right). He prescribed > physical therapy and I did 14 visits in November and December 2008. PT > didn't help at all with the pain. I had a repeat MRI of my brain and neck in > February 2009 - brain normal, neck the same as from October. > > > > When I saw my PCP, she referred me to a pain specialist and he looked at my > MRIs and did a quick exam (like 10 minutes) and said what I needed was > epidural injections. So I had three done (one a week) during April and May. > He injected dexamethasone (I couldn't have lidocaine because when I was > having facial pain from the Bell's palsy, I was prescribed the Lidoderm > patch and after using it for a while as directed - 12 hours on and 12 hours > off - my lower lip became extremely swollen. Went to see my PCP and she said > to never wear it again). After my first injection I had pain relief for a > few hours, then it came back. After the second and third, I had extreme pain > - I was in more pain after the injections! I called the office begging to be > seen by someone and I was told that it's normal to feel pain at the > injection site. I explained I wasn't feeling pain at the injection site, but > at my usual pain spots (I have one wicked tender point near my right > shoulder). I was able to be seen by the nurse practitioner the following > morning and she took one look at me and said that I was never getting one of > those injections again and she noticed the right side of my neck was > swollen. She placed me on oral methylprednisolone and that brought my pain > level to where it was before the injections. > > > > I saw the pain doctor for a follow up in June and he sent me for another MRI > (which basically said the same thing) and he also sent me for more physical > therapy (at his office). They've been having me do the same exercises I did > in my earlier PT, but this time I'm also being giving traction. I do have my > own TENS unit. I saw the pain doctor again last week and he looked over my > most recent MRI and said I needed nerve root blocks. This is where I need > your input. After my bad experience with the epidurals, I'm really reluctant > to do the nerve blocks. And right now I'm out of work, but looking (I'm a > certified veterinary technician) and I really can't afford the insurance > co-pay right now for the nerve block. I had two PT visits this week and both > times I left feeling more pain. I'm really getting annoyed with this pain. > The only thing that takes the edge off is the Lortabs, but I am off them now > because my appointment with my neurologist keeps getting changed and the > pain doctor doesn't want me on narcotics (says I'm too young - I'm 42 - > yeah, I'm also too young to be in this amount of excruciating pain). Muscle > relaxants do absolutely nothing for the pain - I've been on Flexeril and > Skelaxin. > > > > So if anyone has had nerve blocks done, can you tell me how it made you feel > (knowing that we're all individuals) and would you do it again. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Dear , I think you should see another doctor. If all you have in the MRI is a mild bulge of one disc and no stenosis around the nerve roots, then probably you have muscle problems and not cervical arthritis with bone spurring and stenosis that compresses nerve roots. It is possible that you strained your neck one day at work or whatever and you didn't feel pain until the swelling and inflamation had accumulated over night and when you woke up the next morning, there it was. That is common in first degree muscle strain. Third degree muscle strain is when you feel the pain right off, in which case you know you tore a muscle really bad. Recovering from a first degree muscle strain usually takes a couple weeks. However, if one's posture is poor, one may never recover until the posture is improved. Unfortunately, most physical therapists do not seem to understand this. Most orthopedists and pain doctors don't understand it either. And I've been to a lot of them. Had lots of pt, epidurals and pain blocks (medial nerve injections to deaden the facet joints, oral steroids and high dose celebrex. None of this really lasted except the discovery that my poor posture(slouched back, head forward), which no professional ever mentioned, was causing my pain. Even my severe cervical arthritis (seen in multiple MRIs)is not the main cause of my pain. What I suggest is look at yourself, side view in a mirror or look at photos of yourself and see if your back is hunched and if your head is forward. If this is the case then the muscles at the back of your neck are working too hard and when they were damaged were unable to heal and now spasm all the time. With those muscles spasming to keep your head up straight, the muscles in front get weak. Also, the shoulder muscles and upper back muscles tend to tighten too because neck muscles are just extensions of back and shoulder muscles. One muscle attaches high at the side of the neck (attached to projections of C1, C2, C3)and low at the shoulder blade; this one in particular will make the sides of your neck hurt, especially with lifting stuff with your arms. Fixing posture requires the ability to lower and pinch together your shoulder blades in back and also consciously straightening your back and sticking your chest out. This must be done all the time, which is difficult. A physical therapist can help if you explicitly ask them to. After 2 months of this, one day I realized my neck pain was much better. In my case, I still have problems with neck pain and stiffness, if I use the computer too much, which is my downfall. And also I get tired easily and start falling asleep while sitting in front of tv and will mess up my neck doing that. I have to be very careful not to do that!!!!! But in spite of my severe arthritis, I am much, much better than previously. Hope this helps, Rochelle > > > > I joined this group about a couple months ago and now I need the wisdom of > the group. > > > > I suffer from extreme neck pain - both sides (right side worse - with > radiating numbness down to my fingers). This has been going on for a whole > year - since August 2008. I just woke up one day with neck pain - have no > idea how I hurt my neck. In August 2007, I suffered from an atypical > presentation of Bell's palsy (atypical in the sense that my symptoms - again > right sided - came on over a period of weeks rather than acutely). I was > referred to a neurologist and practically every test done (blood cultures, > spinal tap, MRIs and MRAs of my brain, CT scan, etc) to try to determine the > cause. Nothing abnormal was found. However ever since this bout I have been > suffering from severe fatigue. I finally went to see another neurologist > early last year and he ran an Epstein-Barr titer on me and it came back > higher than what you expect to see in the normal population. I still > continue to see this neurologist. > > > > When my neck pain started, he put me on Lortabs and Flexeril and did a MRI > of my neck in October 2008. The MRI showed mild bulging at C4-C5 on the left > side (but the vast majority of my pathology is on the right). He prescribed > physical therapy and I did 14 visits in November and December 2008. PT > didn't help at all with the pain. I had a repeat MRI of my brain and neck in > February 2009 - brain normal, neck the same as from October. > > > > When I saw my PCP, she referred me to a pain specialist and he looked at my > MRIs and did a quick exam (like 10 minutes) and said what I needed was > epidural injections. So I had three done (one a week) during April and May. > He injected dexamethasone (I couldn't have lidocaine because when I was > having facial pain from the Bell's palsy, I was prescribed the Lidoderm > patch and after using it for a while as directed - 12 hours on and 12 hours > off - my lower lip became extremely swollen. Went to see my PCP and she said > to never wear it again). After my first injection I had pain relief for a > few hours, then it came back. After the second and third, I had extreme pain > - I was in more pain after the injections! I called the office begging to be > seen by someone and I was told that it's normal to feel pain at the > injection site. I explained I wasn't feeling pain at the injection site, but > at my usual pain spots (I have one wicked tender point near my right > shoulder). I was able to be seen by the nurse practitioner the following > morning and she took one look at me and said that I was never getting one of > those injections again and she noticed the right side of my neck was > swollen. She placed me on oral methylprednisolone and that brought my pain > level to where it was before the injections. > > > > I saw the pain doctor for a follow up in June and he sent me for another MRI > (which basically said the same thing) and he also sent me for more physical > therapy (at his office). They've been having me do the same exercises I did > in my earlier PT, but this time I'm also being giving traction. I do have my > own TENS unit. I saw the pain doctor again last week and he looked over my > most recent MRI and said I needed nerve root blocks. This is where I need > your input. After my bad experience with the epidurals, I'm really reluctant > to do the nerve blocks. And right now I'm out of work, but looking (I'm a > certified veterinary technician) and I really can't afford the insurance > co-pay right now for the nerve block. I had two PT visits this week and both > times I left feeling more pain. I'm really getting annoyed with this pain. > The only thing that takes the edge off is the Lortabs, but I am off them now > because my appointment with my neurologist keeps getting changed and the > pain doctor doesn't want me on narcotics (says I'm too young - I'm 42 - > yeah, I'm also too young to be in this amount of excruciating pain). Muscle > relaxants do absolutely nothing for the pain - I've been on Flexeril and > Skelaxin. > > > > So if anyone has had nerve blocks done, can you tell me how it made you feel > (knowing that we're all individuals) and would you do it again. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Dear , I think you should see another doctor. If all you have in the MRI is a mild bulge of one disc and no stenosis around the nerve roots, then probably you have muscle problems and not cervical arthritis with bone spurring and stenosis that compresses nerve roots. It is possible that you strained your neck one day at work or whatever and you didn't feel pain until the swelling and inflamation had accumulated over night and when you woke up the next morning, there it was. That is common in first degree muscle strain. Third degree muscle strain is when you feel the pain right off, in which case you know you tore a muscle really bad. Recovering from a first degree muscle strain usually takes a couple weeks. However, if one's posture is poor, one may never recover until the posture is improved. Unfortunately, most physical therapists do not seem to understand this. Most orthopedists and pain doctors don't understand it either. And I've been to a lot of them. Had lots of pt, epidurals and pain blocks (medial nerve injections to deaden the facet joints, oral steroids and high dose celebrex. None of this really lasted except the discovery that my poor posture(slouched back, head forward), which no professional ever mentioned, was causing my pain. Even my severe cervical arthritis (seen in multiple MRIs)is not the main cause of my pain. What I suggest is look at yourself, side view in a mirror or look at photos of yourself and see if your back is hunched and if your head is forward. If this is the case then the muscles at the back of your neck are working too hard and when they were damaged were unable to heal and now spasm all the time. With those muscles spasming to keep your head up straight, the muscles in front get weak. Also, the shoulder muscles and upper back muscles tend to tighten too because neck muscles are just extensions of back and shoulder muscles. One muscle attaches high at the side of the neck (attached to projections of C1, C2, C3)and low at the shoulder blade; this one in particular will make the sides of your neck hurt, especially with lifting stuff with your arms. Fixing posture requires the ability to lower and pinch together your shoulder blades in back and also consciously straightening your back and sticking your chest out. This must be done all the time, which is difficult. A physical therapist can help if you explicitly ask them to. After 2 months of this, one day I realized my neck pain was much better. In my case, I still have problems with neck pain and stiffness, if I use the computer too much, which is my downfall. And also I get tired easily and start falling asleep while sitting in front of tv and will mess up my neck doing that. I have to be very careful not to do that!!!!! But in spite of my severe arthritis, I am much, much better than previously. Hope this helps, Rochelle > > > > I joined this group about a couple months ago and now I need the wisdom of > the group. > > > > I suffer from extreme neck pain - both sides (right side worse - with > radiating numbness down to my fingers). This has been going on for a whole > year - since August 2008. I just woke up one day with neck pain - have no > idea how I hurt my neck. In August 2007, I suffered from an atypical > presentation of Bell's palsy (atypical in the sense that my symptoms - again > right sided - came on over a period of weeks rather than acutely). I was > referred to a neurologist and practically every test done (blood cultures, > spinal tap, MRIs and MRAs of my brain, CT scan, etc) to try to determine the > cause. Nothing abnormal was found. However ever since this bout I have been > suffering from severe fatigue. I finally went to see another neurologist > early last year and he ran an Epstein-Barr titer on me and it came back > higher than what you expect to see in the normal population. I still > continue to see this neurologist. > > > > When my neck pain started, he put me on Lortabs and Flexeril and did a MRI > of my neck in October 2008. The MRI showed mild bulging at C4-C5 on the left > side (but the vast majority of my pathology is on the right). He prescribed > physical therapy and I did 14 visits in November and December 2008. PT > didn't help at all with the pain. I had a repeat MRI of my brain and neck in > February 2009 - brain normal, neck the same as from October. > > > > When I saw my PCP, she referred me to a pain specialist and he looked at my > MRIs and did a quick exam (like 10 minutes) and said what I needed was > epidural injections. So I had three done (one a week) during April and May. > He injected dexamethasone (I couldn't have lidocaine because when I was > having facial pain from the Bell's palsy, I was prescribed the Lidoderm > patch and after using it for a while as directed - 12 hours on and 12 hours > off - my lower lip became extremely swollen. Went to see my PCP and she said > to never wear it again). After my first injection I had pain relief for a > few hours, then it came back. After the second and third, I had extreme pain > - I was in more pain after the injections! I called the office begging to be > seen by someone and I was told that it's normal to feel pain at the > injection site. I explained I wasn't feeling pain at the injection site, but > at my usual pain spots (I have one wicked tender point near my right > shoulder). I was able to be seen by the nurse practitioner the following > morning and she took one look at me and said that I was never getting one of > those injections again and she noticed the right side of my neck was > swollen. She placed me on oral methylprednisolone and that brought my pain > level to where it was before the injections. > > > > I saw the pain doctor for a follow up in June and he sent me for another MRI > (which basically said the same thing) and he also sent me for more physical > therapy (at his office). They've been having me do the same exercises I did > in my earlier PT, but this time I'm also being giving traction. I do have my > own TENS unit. I saw the pain doctor again last week and he looked over my > most recent MRI and said I needed nerve root blocks. This is where I need > your input. After my bad experience with the epidurals, I'm really reluctant > to do the nerve blocks. And right now I'm out of work, but looking (I'm a > certified veterinary technician) and I really can't afford the insurance > co-pay right now for the nerve block. I had two PT visits this week and both > times I left feeling more pain. I'm really getting annoyed with this pain. > The only thing that takes the edge off is the Lortabs, but I am off them now > because my appointment with my neurologist keeps getting changed and the > pain doctor doesn't want me on narcotics (says I'm too young - I'm 42 - > yeah, I'm also too young to be in this amount of excruciating pain). Muscle > relaxants do absolutely nothing for the pain - I've been on Flexeril and > Skelaxin. > > > > So if anyone has had nerve blocks done, can you tell me how it made you feel > (knowing that we're all individuals) and would you do it again. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Dear , I think you should see another doctor. If all you have in the MRI is a mild bulge of one disc and no stenosis around the nerve roots, then probably you have muscle problems and not cervical arthritis with bone spurring and stenosis that compresses nerve roots. It is possible that you strained your neck one day at work or whatever and you didn't feel pain until the swelling and inflamation had accumulated over night and when you woke up the next morning, there it was. That is common in first degree muscle strain. Third degree muscle strain is when you feel the pain right off, in which case you know you tore a muscle really bad. Recovering from a first degree muscle strain usually takes a couple weeks. However, if one's posture is poor, one may never recover until the posture is improved. Unfortunately, most physical therapists do not seem to understand this. Most orthopedists and pain doctors don't understand it either. And I've been to a lot of them. Had lots of pt, epidurals and pain blocks (medial nerve injections to deaden the facet joints, oral steroids and high dose celebrex. None of this really lasted except the discovery that my poor posture(slouched back, head forward), which no professional ever mentioned, was causing my pain. Even my severe cervical arthritis (seen in multiple MRIs)is not the main cause of my pain. What I suggest is look at yourself, side view in a mirror or look at photos of yourself and see if your back is hunched and if your head is forward. If this is the case then the muscles at the back of your neck are working too hard and when they were damaged were unable to heal and now spasm all the time. With those muscles spasming to keep your head up straight, the muscles in front get weak. Also, the shoulder muscles and upper back muscles tend to tighten too because neck muscles are just extensions of back and shoulder muscles. One muscle attaches high at the side of the neck (attached to projections of C1, C2, C3)and low at the shoulder blade; this one in particular will make the sides of your neck hurt, especially with lifting stuff with your arms. Fixing posture requires the ability to lower and pinch together your shoulder blades in back and also consciously straightening your back and sticking your chest out. This must be done all the time, which is difficult. A physical therapist can help if you explicitly ask them to. After 2 months of this, one day I realized my neck pain was much better. In my case, I still have problems with neck pain and stiffness, if I use the computer too much, which is my downfall. And also I get tired easily and start falling asleep while sitting in front of tv and will mess up my neck doing that. I have to be very careful not to do that!!!!! But in spite of my severe arthritis, I am much, much better than previously. Hope this helps, Rochelle > > > > I joined this group about a couple months ago and now I need the wisdom of > the group. > > > > I suffer from extreme neck pain - both sides (right side worse - with > radiating numbness down to my fingers). This has been going on for a whole > year - since August 2008. I just woke up one day with neck pain - have no > idea how I hurt my neck. In August 2007, I suffered from an atypical > presentation of Bell's palsy (atypical in the sense that my symptoms - again > right sided - came on over a period of weeks rather than acutely). I was > referred to a neurologist and practically every test done (blood cultures, > spinal tap, MRIs and MRAs of my brain, CT scan, etc) to try to determine the > cause. Nothing abnormal was found. However ever since this bout I have been > suffering from severe fatigue. I finally went to see another neurologist > early last year and he ran an Epstein-Barr titer on me and it came back > higher than what you expect to see in the normal population. I still > continue to see this neurologist. > > > > When my neck pain started, he put me on Lortabs and Flexeril and did a MRI > of my neck in October 2008. The MRI showed mild bulging at C4-C5 on the left > side (but the vast majority of my pathology is on the right). He prescribed > physical therapy and I did 14 visits in November and December 2008. PT > didn't help at all with the pain. I had a repeat MRI of my brain and neck in > February 2009 - brain normal, neck the same as from October. > > > > When I saw my PCP, she referred me to a pain specialist and he looked at my > MRIs and did a quick exam (like 10 minutes) and said what I needed was > epidural injections. So I had three done (one a week) during April and May. > He injected dexamethasone (I couldn't have lidocaine because when I was > having facial pain from the Bell's palsy, I was prescribed the Lidoderm > patch and after using it for a while as directed - 12 hours on and 12 hours > off - my lower lip became extremely swollen. Went to see my PCP and she said > to never wear it again). After my first injection I had pain relief for a > few hours, then it came back. After the second and third, I had extreme pain > - I was in more pain after the injections! I called the office begging to be > seen by someone and I was told that it's normal to feel pain at the > injection site. I explained I wasn't feeling pain at the injection site, but > at my usual pain spots (I have one wicked tender point near my right > shoulder). I was able to be seen by the nurse practitioner the following > morning and she took one look at me and said that I was never getting one of > those injections again and she noticed the right side of my neck was > swollen. She placed me on oral methylprednisolone and that brought my pain > level to where it was before the injections. > > > > I saw the pain doctor for a follow up in June and he sent me for another MRI > (which basically said the same thing) and he also sent me for more physical > therapy (at his office). They've been having me do the same exercises I did > in my earlier PT, but this time I'm also being giving traction. I do have my > own TENS unit. I saw the pain doctor again last week and he looked over my > most recent MRI and said I needed nerve root blocks. This is where I need > your input. After my bad experience with the epidurals, I'm really reluctant > to do the nerve blocks. And right now I'm out of work, but looking (I'm a > certified veterinary technician) and I really can't afford the insurance > co-pay right now for the nerve block. I had two PT visits this week and both > times I left feeling more pain. I'm really getting annoyed with this pain. > The only thing that takes the edge off is the Lortabs, but I am off them now > because my appointment with my neurologist keeps getting changed and the > pain doctor doesn't want me on narcotics (says I'm too young - I'm 42 - > yeah, I'm also too young to be in this amount of excruciating pain). Muscle > relaxants do absolutely nothing for the pain - I've been on Flexeril and > Skelaxin. > > > > So if anyone has had nerve blocks done, can you tell me how it made you feel > (knowing that we're all individuals) and would you do it again. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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