# What pains you?



## BigWheels (Jun 6, 2012)

OK, I searched to see if anyone had started a pain discussion thread.

So here's the question:

What causes you pain & HOW do you deal with it? 

My back/hips/legs cause me issues, & I am trying meditation to help deal with the pain tolerance.

Anyone do something different? I know lots of us use pain meds & anti-inflammatory meds so speak up... I'd be interested to know OTHER ways to deal with my pain.


----------



## fritzi (Jun 6, 2012)

Ouch .... what a painful thread! 

(Sorry I know your intention is serious, and it's a valid question ... but I couldn't resist!)


----------



## Librarygirl (Jun 6, 2012)

BigWheels said:


> OK, I searched to see if anyone had started a pain discussion thread.
> 
> So here's the question:
> 
> ...



I would highly recommend acupuncture. I've been going for my recurrent neck pain (I've had whiplash 3 time from various accidents and it now seems to never quite go away). It really doesn't hurt and is also amazing generally - like having therapy! They talk to you about all aspects of your life and I can only describe the effect of the needles and moxa (burning a herb on key points) as being like if you were a computer that was reset. I've just been now and feel MARVELLOUS! The good thing is that it has no side-effects. Sometimes when it has a profound effect you feel really sleepy and relaxed afterwards in a good way, but then a few days later you really start feeling great.


----------



## MrBob (Jun 6, 2012)

I have recurring pain from dislocating my right shoulder over a dozen times. It's been pretty much a constant pain for about 15 years. I'm not taking any pain medication for it at the moment (But when I do, Codeine is all kinds of awesome!) and it's something I've just learned to live with. As long as I don't try to lift it straight up at 180 degrees to my body I can deal with it.

I also occasionally have bouts of Sciatica. When that happens I go see my local chiropractor/get someone to walk on my spine/self-crack.


----------



## CastingPearls (Jun 7, 2012)

I have an ulcer which is currently really tempermental but also severe stomach pain whenever I'm really stressed which likely caused the ulcer to begin with, but even if I take meds for the ulcer, if I'm under a lot of stress, the meds might as well be M&Ms. I find that meditation, guided imagery, Reiki, EMDR therapy, EFT therapy (a type of accupressure/meridian tapping thing), and good ol' psychotherapy helps out a lot. I've gotten very zen about it.


I used to be in a lot more pain and was on Percocet and Fentanyl and decided I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all and be a drooling hallucinating robot, so I went cold turkey and did the holistic route and am never looking back.


----------



## escapist (Jun 8, 2012)

Massage Therapy man! The stuff is amazing. I'm not talking about some light rub down with a special something after (although that might be relaxing). I've had a few treatments for some problems I have and the results have been amazing! I've found exercise, sleep, and ergonomics to be a big part as well. 

I know it might not make sense but I started walking when I was having extreme back pain. I could only walk 50-100 yards at a time. It was not the fastest pace in the world. I could only do it for 10 minutes or so. I just didn't give up and I kept doing it. I got myself up to walking for an hour, no more resting, no more back pain...now the back pain going away might be because I dropped 30 lbs, or it might have been me strengthening the supporting core muscles. Probably some combination of all of it, but I can tell you the change in attitude did more for me than anything.

I have other issues I'm dealing with, as some know I was diagnosed with diabetes last year when I got hospitalized. It scared me pretty good because it took my Fathers leg a few years ago, then took my Father about a year 1/2 later. Now I know why my legs swell, I get infections, and then I almost die from said (painful) infections. I learned I can not drink, I can not binge eat, and I have to exercise unless I want to increase my chances of not seeing another year.

I also use diet as a big part of my "Treatment" of issues now. For the most part I try to eat High Fiber / Protein meals, and focus on natural healing foods, antioxidants, and natural anti-inflammatory foods. I had a lot of results from the supplemental drink "Xango". I tried other mangostine products but only Xango helped.

...and when the pain so bad I can't sleep?......I don't mess around, its Oxycodone time!


----------



## LeoGibson (Jun 9, 2012)

Outside of the normal aches and pains of 20+ years of physical jobs and a work hard play hard mentality, I'm currently being nagged by tennis elbow. I have been dealing with it for just over 3 months now and it sucks. I'm currently treating it by trying, unsuccessfully I might add, not to use it too much.

However after having my Dr. chew my ass for in his words "fucking around" and not coming in for the follow up treatments 6 weeks ago for a continuation of mild steroids, he's decided to send me for a cortizone shot into the elbow this week. Hopefully that will bring some relief.


----------



## biglynch (Jun 9, 2012)

dude i will say, have the one cortizone shot but then do the rehab, trust me i broke my elbow and they are way too easy to get used to.


----------



## WhiteHotRazor (Jun 12, 2012)

My right shoulder is fucked from weight lifting. Been rehabbing it for over 6 months now.


----------



## bigpulve (Jun 13, 2012)

Lift weights.


----------



## djudex (Jun 13, 2012)

Sciatic pain, it's a motherbitch. Last few months it's been difficult to sit because when I do it feels like someone charliehorse'd my left ass cheek.


----------



## MrBob (Jun 13, 2012)

djudex said:


> Sciatic pain, it's a motherbitch. Last few months it's been difficult to sit because when I do it feels like someone charliehorse'd my left ass cheek.



Yep, it literally is a pain in the ass. The only things I found that works is chiropractic manipulation or an Osteopath...who does similar things. I did remember watching Braveheart once and seeing the bit where he's stretched at either end by horses and thinking that would be worth a try!


----------



## Critters (Jun 13, 2012)

I've had three major back injuries, the last of which was a work-related injury. Because of this, I've had severe chronic back pain for the past 13 years. I've run the gamut of most pain meds, which got sorely limited when I developed a severe allergy to NSAID-class pain meds. Everything from aspirin to toradol was out of the running, so I was limited to opioids and cotizone/nerve block shots into the nerves in my back. 
I found that most opioids made me too sleepy and disconnected, and I didn't want that. It took quite a few tries before my pain doc found an opi that worked for my pain without making me high and sleepy, and I was really shocked when that turned out to be Methadone. 
Methadone has a really bad connotation due to it's use in rehabbing heroin addicts, but it really is a hugely effective pain-control med for long-term use. I've been on it for four years now, and I just feel normal. No high feeling. No sleepiness. No disconnected fog. I'm pretty much the same as I was before I got hurt. I still have some physical limits, especially in lifting, but I'm able to stand and walk without major pain (unless I go too far too fast, then I'm sore for a while, but nothing that a few Tylenol can't knock back into submission), can lift around 30lbs without major pain as long as I'm not doing it all day, and I have more range of motion than I used to.

I've also found that regularly using my TENS machine helps, and I do better when I get the chance to go swimming regularly. I make sure to do my stretches, and I've had to change the way I sleep (have to sleep partly sitting up with my legs elevated - if I sleep flat out, I'm in serious pain when I try to get up again), and I force myself to take 'stretch and move' breaks throughout any time that I have to be sitting still for a prolonged period, but I've at least got something that works pretty well most of the time.

The methadone does have some unpleasant side effects though. It isn't perfect. In women who have undergone menopause (which I have, at the age of 24 - hysterectomy) it can really leech calcium from the bones and teeth, so I make sure to include dairy into what I eat. It really does a number on teeth, so I try to combat that by keeping them very clean. Unfortunately, I've lost 2 teeth this year due to both this side effect and because I'm a nighttime tooth grinder and just ground those two molars into breaking too badly to repair. It also does cause weight gain long term and often causes a powerful craving for sweets.. which also messes up the teeth. Despite these problems, it's a better solution than everything else I've tried.. which includes codeine, oxycodone, morphine, hydromorphone, and fentanyl. 

Since it has been more than 10 years since I had my allergic reaction to NSAIDS, I intend to have my allergist retest me with them. Sometimes an allergy, even a severe one, can taper off into nothing over time. If I'm no longer allergic, I'll still stay on the Methadone, but the NSAIDS will give me a few more options to augment what I've got.

Sorry for the essay there guys. When it comes to chronic pain, I've BTDT for a long time. And the right to adequate pain control is something I really take seriously.


----------



## Surlysomething (Jun 14, 2012)

Multiple Sclerosis. (exhaustion, some hip displasia, digestion issues)

Chronic and continual ankle sprains.


----------



## Mordecai (Jun 14, 2012)

Knee ligament injuries, neck and lower back issues but I have a very high pain tolerance and high tolerance for most drugs so, well, I just make sure I don't overdo things. Massage therapy, exercise and eating what I like in moderation helps.


----------



## Yakatori (Jun 23, 2012)

Critters said:


> "_...regularly using my TENS machine helps..._"


That is some Bruce Lee stuff right there. I would love to have one of those, just to hook up to myself while at the gym doing curls or something. You know, just to make it extra bad-ass.


----------



## Geodetic_Effect (Jun 24, 2012)

General soreness from hard training.


----------



## djudex (Jun 24, 2012)

You shouldn't train while hard, you need that blood for oxygen transportation to your muscles.


----------



## Geodetic_Effect (Jun 24, 2012)

djudex said:


> You shouldn't train while hard, you need that blood for oxygen transportation to your muscles.



But it jacks your tesosterone levels up


----------



## Kamily (Jun 24, 2012)

djudex said:


> Sciatic pain, it's a motherbitch. Last few months it's been difficult to sit because when I do it feels like someone charliehorse'd my left ass cheek.




Yes I know that pain all too well. Mine is on the right side and will make my leg go numb down to my toes.  I injured my lower back ages ago when my oldest daughter was about 5 years old. I tried to pick her up to put her in the bed and herniated the disc. I have suffered for years from this and have seen several doctors. All they did was prescribe pain meds, muscle relaxers and anti inlammatory meds. They didnt work and I didnt want to become addicted to them like so many here in this area. So Ive been seeing a Chiropractor and trying to deal with it the natural way. I feel so much better after the adjustment and therapy.

I also have pain in my ankles and knees because of the weight being on them for years.


----------



## MrBob (Jun 25, 2012)

I stubbed my little toe earlier...may have broken it...trying to maintain my composure but it hurts like a mother.


----------



## BigWheels (Jun 26, 2012)

djudex said:


> You shouldn't train while hard, you need that blood for oxygen transportation to your muscles.



Robin Williams once said "God gave men both a penis and a brain, but unfortunately not enough blood supply to run both at the same time."

Sorry, I needed the laugh


----------



## Bearsy (Jun 27, 2012)

I walk about 3 miles a day for my job and as such I'm fairly certain I've developed heel spurs. 
When I wake up standing/walking is brutally painful for about 10-15 minutes but then the pain goes away almost entirely. 
After long periods of sitting it can come back for a short time as well.


----------



## Tad (Jun 27, 2012)

Bearsy said:


> I walk about 3 miles a day for my job and as such I'm fairly certain I've developed heel spurs.
> When I wake up standing/walking is brutally painful for about 10-15 minutes but then the pain goes away almost entirely.
> After long periods of sitting it can come back for a short time as well.



One thing that _may _help is to do more calf stretching and foot flexing--both in general, and before you get out of bed in the morning.


----------



## Wanderer (Jul 2, 2012)

I think I pulled a groin muscle... my sister's power chair is really a team lift...


----------



## Bearsy (Jul 6, 2012)

Tad said:


> One thing that _may _help is to do more calf stretching and foot flexing--both in general, and before you get out of bed in the morning.



I probably doesn't help that I've been wearing the same pair of worn out shitkickers everyday for 9 months.
But I'm definitely going to start stretching, thanks for the tip.


----------



## Tad (Jul 6, 2012)

Bearsy said:


> I probably doesn't help that I've been wearing the same pair of worn out shitkickers everyday for 9 months.
> But I'm definitely going to start stretching, thanks for the tip.



Absolutely, good support can make a huge difference! If you can find yourself a pair of Doc Martens that fit well, they tend to be good, but any walking shoe that fits and supports well should help.

Another thing to consider is really good insoles, which probably mean molded, not just gel/foam. Superfeet is a brand that has worked well for me, but I suspect this is a bit of an individual foot thing. Basically, even good shoes tend to have crap insoles in them, so you put something in with more support, even in mediocre shoes, and it helps.

Good luck--I've been there with the heel spurs, and it sucks  (but I've been mercifully free for years now, between better shoes, stretching, and probably sheer stupid good luck)


----------



## MrBob (Jul 30, 2012)

My hands are in agony today. Never ever practice with the band for 3 hours in the afternoon and then play a gig for 2hours in the evening. My fingers are all shredded, blisters on several of them, I managed to take the skin off the side of my thumb too...me hurty, big time!


----------



## LifeTraveller (Jul 30, 2012)

This is an interesting thread. . I'm very fortunate on two levels, first I've an extremely high tolerance for most kinds of pain. Second is even as I get older I heal very quickly. . The problem with life is, the longer you live, many of those things you did to yourself in your youth, return to haunt you. . (sports injuries anyone?)

I only have one recurring pain, and it's shoulder related. It's partly from years of abuse, but also I overstressed it at a local gym, doing an "out of range" exercise I should not have done. .add arthritis to the mix, and what a mess your joints can be. . I've tried a lot of things, including prescription pain-killers. I agree with CastingPearls.. The mental numbness isn't worth it. I've been fortunate to find a couple of holistic medicine practitioners in my area. One of them recommended I try turmeric for the joint pain issue. . They figured out for me how much I needed to take, and after several weeks I do seem to feel a difference. . There's little if any pain in the shoulder and some of my arthritic joints feels a bit better. 

It may not work for someone else, but so far it has for me. .


----------

