Re: For Those with Back Pain
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 5:17 am
For those with back pain you will have heard a 1000 ways of how you can have it instantly cured. People mean well, until they get bored by you.
(I don't suggest for one minute a bad word to Hairless for his points, I'm speaking in very very general terms).
I had surgery, a discectomy and it failed. Naturally I've had MRI sessions. Usually and often the Surgery doesn't fail but sometimes it does fails and in my case the scar tissue from the operation itself has led to greater and lifelong pain. There are so many ideas people give and so many expensive avenues. Like Christina I have had 3 deep Epidurals with absolutely no effect - yet I've seen with my own eyes other people leave the Clinic feeling fine. I've had acupuncture - no result. Thermal treatments whose name I've currently forgotten, no result. Alot of daily medications are giving some small help but make me SO sleepy. The best holisitic activity I had was the Alexander Technique. However I don't drive and I had to take a bus about 25 miles return over poorly maintained roads and it meant standing and waiting. (In the UK a return journey of 25 miles in a bus is an endurance, our concepts of distance and road maintenance are so different from people in Continental countries). All the good benefit of the session was wiped out before I got home. This technique is very very gentle on the body and mind and it is the best option along with my drug programme that I have had. It is not available via the UK public health system and you'd need to use a Search Engine to find a true qualified specialist.
Sometimes though, for some of us we just have to live with chronic pain
and when we do well meant 'advice' just makes your heart sink further.
If you have a friend in chronic pain please find something engaging and
interesting to chat with them about and cut the "I know someone stories".
I must end by really stressing that I imply no criticism to Hairless over this
thread. It is by discussion that we learn from each other and I am well aware that you are well versed on back pain and that you and all of us, will have come up against the 'it's only back pain, pull yourself together attitude'
that often lies behind throw away lines.
(I don't suggest for one minute a bad word to Hairless for his points, I'm speaking in very very general terms).
I had surgery, a discectomy and it failed. Naturally I've had MRI sessions. Usually and often the Surgery doesn't fail but sometimes it does fails and in my case the scar tissue from the operation itself has led to greater and lifelong pain. There are so many ideas people give and so many expensive avenues. Like Christina I have had 3 deep Epidurals with absolutely no effect - yet I've seen with my own eyes other people leave the Clinic feeling fine. I've had acupuncture - no result. Thermal treatments whose name I've currently forgotten, no result. Alot of daily medications are giving some small help but make me SO sleepy. The best holisitic activity I had was the Alexander Technique. However I don't drive and I had to take a bus about 25 miles return over poorly maintained roads and it meant standing and waiting. (In the UK a return journey of 25 miles in a bus is an endurance, our concepts of distance and road maintenance are so different from people in Continental countries). All the good benefit of the session was wiped out before I got home. This technique is very very gentle on the body and mind and it is the best option along with my drug programme that I have had. It is not available via the UK public health system and you'd need to use a Search Engine to find a true qualified specialist.
Sometimes though, for some of us we just have to live with chronic pain
and when we do well meant 'advice' just makes your heart sink further.
If you have a friend in chronic pain please find something engaging and
interesting to chat with them about and cut the "I know someone stories".
I must end by really stressing that I imply no criticism to Hairless over this
thread. It is by discussion that we learn from each other and I am well aware that you are well versed on back pain and that you and all of us, will have come up against the 'it's only back pain, pull yourself together attitude'
that often lies behind throw away lines.