Back to the Pain Clinic (by sarah)
Today found me at Stroud Hospital again this time to see a pain consultant like the people I was seeeing pre-Jean at Chelsea and Westmister. I am getting a new tens machine and some acupuncture (after alot of rechecking that I wasnt still on blood thinners - not sure where they got that idea from) and my pain monitored by someone at Gloucester, there are alos more meds I can try but due to stomache issues etc... we decided to try non-drug method but it is good to know there are still more options open to me including a chilli cream and an medication usually used for epileptics (alters nural activity which can be useful in getting rid of pain as well as controlling epilepsy - they had to do the whole be laboured - we are not saying you are epileptic thing incase I was stupid wwhich to be far I was doing a good impression of being stupid as I found I couldn't remeber what I had been prescribed in the past for my back :/).
The anti-inflamitry I had been using is not ok to use long term even with the stomach liner and would make me sick. I am again on daily paracetamol though - they say as long as I stick to the max dosage or below I should be fine.
Again the death knell - they can not do anything about the 'crepitous' and I am stuck with these injuries for the rest of my life but they can alliviate the pain and reduce the muscle tension which is actually cuasing most of the pain.
My pelvis was examined too which including squuzing my hips together - this has since caused a reassurgance of the clicking and I thought my right leg was going to explode from the pain about 20 minutes after the examination. This is apparently my hormones fualt and how they are settiling down 🙁
My wrist, stomache and other sundry things are being considered low priority as I am mostly looking after Jean and we are not dependent on money I earn. Again concerns where voiced about going to London on a regular basis for my MRes so I explained that a)it would be part time and b)I can do alot of it via distance learning. Apparently they can't inject the shoulder as its not the actual ball joint thats affected but rather underneith the shoulder blade (as I have been saying for years) - the lack of injection makes me sad though as that worked so well on my upper spine and after being told they would not opperate was my one big hope.
I really really hope this acupuncture works but have to confess that I'm a bit scared as I think of it as lots of needles being stuck into the skin - I have no idea if this is actually the case and even if it is I shall give it ago.
In the mean time I am to carry on managing things as I have been ie my physio excersises and hot baths and pillows in odd places to help me sleep.
Thu 29th May 2008 11:12 pm 
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By Becca, Sat 31st May 2008 @ 12:08 am
Apparently the needles are so small you don't really feel them. Also i remember watching a Horizon documentary about acupuncture. They tested it and found that it suppresses signals to the part of the brain that senses "pain". No one knows quite how or why, just that it does! They found this out by scanning peoples brains before and whilst they had needles inserted - it was amazing.
You could always try hypnosis as a pain blocker as well. Apparently some people can be operated on under hypnosis and without anaesthetic and they don;t feel a thing, but remember everything.
I hope you guys aren't flooded like Steve and Elizabeth!
Becxx
By Lionel, Thu 19th Jun 2008 @ 4:19 pm
I found acupuncture just fine. The only time it can hurt a little is if on the back of the hand where the flesh is so thin: even then it is a very thin needle as Becca says - not like n injection needle that has to be big enough to pipe liquid down