Baystate pain clinic - Western Mass

Hi FutureCentury:

I can't comment on how good that pain management center is because I've never been but I did want to comment on the fact that you are so young and in pain. I started having back pain when I was 16 and had my first surgery at 18 and my second surgery at 21. I've been on all sorts of pain meds. but, for most of my 20s, have been on morphine and methadone. Don't worry that just because of your age, doctors will dismiss you. I've found that, if anything, being young has helped me get attention from doctors because it's a little more unusual for doctors to see someone our age in so much pain (my problem didn't stem from any accident or anything like that).

Are you in pain management right now? Who is prescribing the vicodin to you? Can that doctor try something else for you?

How did your back pain start? Does it travel into your legs??

Danimal
Author of Chronic Stimulation- a blog about being young and in pain and living with a newly implanted neurostimulator

http://www.chronicstimulation.blogspot.com/

Hi, I have been a patient at BSMC Interventional and non-interventional pain management since 1994.  I have found the center to be kind, compassionate, understanding.  They are a comprehensive center meaning they offer all aspects of pain managemt including, which is vitally necessary, psychological support.  After almost  year of searching for answers, finally getting an accurate diagnosis, they came to my rescue and treated me until I was stable and my pain, livable.  Most of the MD's who were there when I was getting nerve blocks are no longer in the facility.  never the less, I would not hesitate trusting any anesthesiologist there to treat me and my pain.

they explain everything, they tell you what they believe your outcome is likely to be, I had my hand held, I cried, I was given the most compassionate care I'd ever hoped for.  Trust them, they are the best.  When all failed I went for a spinal stimulator.  Six months post implant the leads failed, yet they still didn't give up on me.  I went on to non-interventional (nerve blocks) medicine and am still in treatment today.  Thank-god for Baystate.  Without them, I may not be here to tell my story.  Good luck, God Bless.

I am actually doing physical therapy - I work VERY hard at it. I do stretches and strengthening exercises daily. about two weeks ago when I went home to visit my parents my mother immediately noticed I was standing up straighter as well as looking fitter. I was pretty happy about that. It seems though that the stronger my abdominal muscles get, and the more they push my spine straighter, the worse the pain gets. My primary care doctor is very nice and I had my prescription increased to 4 10/325 Norco's a day - up from 3. This definitely helps although they don't relieve all of the pain - they definitely help keep the worst of it away. If I don't take my medicine the pain is literally crippling, as in I could hardly even walk let alone do any kind of activity - it also completely destroys my concentration and seeing as how I have ADD this is certainly problematic. The pain will go down into my legs, it reaches down to the knee if I'm not taking any meds. I used to have really bad nerve pain as well which produced a noticeable limp - Gabapentin is a miraculous drug that blocks my nerve pain completely as well as acting as an excellent secondary mood stabiliser to the lamictal. 6 months ago my left leg was really weak - I couldn't even push back when my doctor would do the strength tests on it. That is completely fixed now, again because I work very hard at my physical therapy. My PCP gave me a referral to a doctor much closer who's practise is based in Northampton. Much closer than Springfield - I really hope this one works out because I almost got killed in Springfield by a mugger a couple of years ago.
Thanks for all the responses - I do appreciate it. I have to admit that having an intolerable level of pain at this makes me very angry at times, especially if I feel I haven't been prescribed an adequate dosage of my pain meds.

Peace.