Hi Mary Lou.  I heard your cry for help!  Chronic pain and uncertainty of
the future can be very frightening, as you expressed.  We all arrive at that
place at one time or another; some of us many times.  I'll try my best to
give you some support and hope.

The back and neck are one of my most troublesome spots, especially the neck.
My pain starts at the base of my skull, and radiates right down to the end
of my spine, then spreads to the hips, thighs and knees.  Besides all the
medications I take, I have learned a few things along the way.  Both
standing and sitting too long triggers the pain.  Weather changes have an
effect on the pain level.  A chiropractor once told me that the muscles
between my shoulder blades and mid back were "hard as rocks".

For some time now I have been getting chiropractic treatments and massage
therapy.  They are not a cure-all, as we all know there isn't such a thing,
but it was brought home to me recently how important both are as a part of
my health care.  I recently had surgery to repair a hernia, so for about a
month, I have not been able to lie on my stomach, which ruled out
chiropractic adjustments and massage.  I can really tell a difference, as my
pain has started to accelerate in both my back, hips, neck and arms.  I am
finally getting back to the treatments on Monday and I can hardly wait!  So,
one suggestion to you would be to consider chiropractic and/or massage
therapy.  My insurance covers Chiro care, but not the massage; however,
massage is so important to me and so relaxing, that I fit it in the budget 2
times a month.

We may have different back problems, and your most recent MRI may show
something, but if your doctor doesn't think there is much you can do about
the back pain, you may want to look into massage & chiropractic.  I see
you've already discovered the large heating pad, and I know exactly what you
mean about wanting one that extends from the neck clear down to the butt
;-).  When my back pain is at its worse, I must get off my feet, preferably
lying down, take my pain and muscle relaxer meds, and lay on my  heating
pad.  Are you taking a good pain med?  How about a muscle relaxer?  Mine is
Soma.

There's always other options, short of surgery, so don't feel defeated and
discouraged and scared.  Although, those emotions are common to us all.
Please keep us up to date on this, and don't hesitate to ask questions of
us.  Gentle hugs, Nanny

2005-12-18, Responding to MaryLou...

[...]

Not sure if this will be of any help but...

Elaine and I have noticed that when a muscle gets cramped up
with pain, the effect can spread across a range of other
muscles, joints, tendons etc. and "claim" a whole lot more
body than the problem started as.

Sometimes, working on the affected body part is just not
practical as the extra pain involved only adds to the
problem. However...

We have found that working from the "outside inwards",
figuring out where the outer reaches of the cascade of
pain-generated problems are, and trying to relieve those
secondary problems "in reverse order", can claim back enough
to "contain" the generator problem, be it a neck pain, back
pain, hip pain etc.

For instance, for a pain in the upper back, that generates
as neck pain and scalp tension (itself quite painful with
fibro), can be "worked back" with appropriate scalp massage,
and a bit of gentle attention to the neck once release
begins to occur.

We've also found that once a generator pain like this is
contained, it tends to become more managable, and
subsequently reduced.

Hugs, of course, do help a lot. :)

Mike@N.UK

((((((((((((((((MaryLou))))))))))))))))

back problems are awful.  I've been fortunate that mine have all been
treatable thus far and I've had good chiropractors, massage therapists and
PTs.  Since your insurance doesn't cover chiro or massage, does it cover
physical therapy?  PT could at least help you with what stretches and
exercises could most ease your pain and discomfort.  Also, PT is sometiems
able to do some massage under the PT guise and they also have traction
machines that I flat out love that help ease the stress in the spine.  Could
really be worth looking into.

When money was incredibly short for us and I was desperate for some muscle
relief in my back I opted to try a few half hour massages with someone who
specialized in treating chronic pain type diseases.  Turned out they had a
"scholarship" program funded by their tips and she was able to offer me a
reduced price and by keeping the massages to a half hour, we were able to
swing it (with some help from my mom, to be honest).  It might be worth
trying if nothing else works out.

BTW, a lot of those store bought massagers are pretty good these days.  We
couldn't live without ours.  I use it often for my upper back/neck.  The
other day we were at a Staples store and they had one of those back massage
cushions set up in one of their nice office chairs.  While Mike checked out
the chairs, I was checking out the cushion!  It was wonderful - I could have
sat there for an hour.  I was really surprised as I didn't expect it to be
that effective.  I'd think seriously about buying one, but we don't have any
chairs at home that it would work in.   But those might really help you out
some.  heehee, if nothing else, find stores that have demonstrators set up
and drop by periodically to try them out!  (Our GNC has one too, but I liked
the one at Staples better ;)

(Oh, an aside to Nanny - if you are ever in the same post-op situation again,
some massage therapists do chair massages.  They can't get everywhere they do
with a good massage, but they can definitely ease the stress in the back
without you having to liue on your stomach.)

Meanwhile, take it one day at a time, one minute at a time. Oh!  there are
some pain medications available now in patches.  With your stomach affecting
how much medicine you can take, perhaps your doc could prescribe some patches
for you.

My DH is a great hugger.  It took some time, but I finally got through to him
that when I really feel lousy a great big hug is a big help.  Now he can tell
it's a bad day by how much of a hug I want, but I don't have to give him the
details that I don't want to burden him with - and in fact I often don't want
to admit to myself just how lousy I feel.

Before I met him, when I had my first horrid arthritis flare, I used to lie
in bed, imagining big hugs when I really needed one.  It's surprising how
much it helped, just lying there thinking of "someone's" arms wrapping around
me - sometimes it was some undetermined, caring person, sometimes it was the
arms fo God.  Mike's real hugs are better  :) but those imagined hugs helped
a lot too.

Where is "RL"?  I'm feeling dense this morning and can't figure it out.

Hi,,,, I can tell you how I helped my lower back but it took two years and I
have no idea how you apply this warming up idea to a person neck.
   Before I tried to get out of bed in the morning,  I rolled on to my back
and put both hands on my knee of one leg as I raised the leg.  I then
brought the knee as close to my chest as I could and held it there for about
a 10 count.   If there is a sharp pain,,, do not do this......  I would do
each leg about 10 times.   I would put my feet on the floor while on my
stomach was sliding off the bed and then used my knees to stand straight up
taking the stress off my lower back to get up and start walking.
   I do not know how a person would apply this to their neck.   The neck is
serious stuff and your doctor needs to tell you what he/she is going to do
about your neck and lower back.   Expect help,,, get help or get another
doctor.   Believe me when I say that some doctors will put up with a
condition  until the person gets serious about complaining and expecting
help.
  I used to get in that heated pool every chance I got because it does
help.   You would not be human if you did not get a little depressed about
being in constant pain and losing the ability to do some things.  The best
thing you can do is get started on a better tomorrow with your doctor or
doctors,,,, a plan of action to make things better will do more for your
spirits than you realize.   Doing nothing is what brings on depression or
makes it worse.
   The people in your life that are important to you should have a full
understanding of what your day is like and what you go through.   In this
Christmas season we all end up doing and going more than we would like to.
If it makes you worse to do this,,,, Don't do it and make the people that
are important to you realize why.   You will find support from many an no
support from a few.  You will find that the few are less important than they
were.
  I have been the crusty old cocoon and some people think I still am. LOLOL
they join the few in my mind and they will for you too.  I am saying that
many here have been where you are and understand how much a bad back and/or
neck changes a persons life.  I am also telling you that many will pray for
you and your condition today and tomorrow and on and on.  May your doctors
have their best day in helping you and make sure to tell us as things happen
and get better or worse because their are people reading here that will not
talk about this problem in their life will gain from what you have to say.
Harv