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How do I best manage this ongoing pain?

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Chronic Pain
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Posted 5/14/2015 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hello.

I am new here so please pardon if this has been brought up a thousand times before .

I am a relative healthy 37 year old with a herniated disk spinal stenosis and all sorts of crazy things going on in a couple vertebrate in my necl in my neck. Under the advice of my neurosurgeon, I am to put off surgery as long as possible. Currently I am taking meloxicam along with epidurals every 3 months. Sometimes that is not enough....

What are some additional things I can do to help alleviate the pain? I am using Penetrex daily (which helps a lot) and Tylenol as needed.

Advice would be deeply appreciated!

Thank you so much.

All my best,
Matt
Posted 5/14/2015 11:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Matt & welcome to the forum. Glad you found us but sorry you have the need to be here.

By chance have you seen a pain mgt dr besides perhaps just to get epidurals? If not, you may want to consider being referred to one to discuss much better pain mgt whether it be taking a mild pain medication or a good muscle relaxer. Other than the pain in your neck, do you have any other symptoms going on? Did the neurosurgeon ever discuss the possibility of a pinched or compressed nerve? Depending on your answers depends on what I would do if this were me. I am not so sure how much longer I would be getting epidurals, how many have you had so far?

Anyway, we look forward to getting to know you & I hope we can come up with some ideas to help you.
Posted 5/14/2015 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hello.

Yes I very much have a pinched nerve due to a herniated disk with pain in my neck radiating down through my left arm. I am seeing a pain management doctor who is giving me the epidurals (which help). I am really trying to avoid any sort of narcotic based medication for now.

All my best,
Matt
Posted 5/14/2015 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
Matt, has the dr ever mentioned doing some diagnostic blocks to see if you are a candidate to do a nerve ablation? This has helped some people with neck & back pain. It worked very well on my neck but did nothing for my back pain.

Also, have you tried any of the medications use to treat nerve pain? Narcotics have little to no effect on true nerve pain. These meds you have to take for up to 2 months to get to the therapeutic level.
Posted 5/15/2015 10:52 AM (GMT 0)
Ouch! I also have bulging/herniated discs in my lower back and my neck. I also have 'military neck'. I've had 2 rounds of epidural injections in the lumbar area and am about due for another round. Lucky for me, they've each lasted about a year!

I know the things that usually 'irritate' the lower back. Standing and shopping are the worst offenders! I usually take a dose of Tramadol ahead of time. It doesn't prevent the pain, but it does give me more time before it gets really bad. I can only do this if someone else is driving! Ice packs help unless the nerve is being pinched and then I get 'lightening bolts' down my thigh, then it's time to call the pain management doc! Depending on what is hurting, I also either take Advil or Aleve.

I will be trying a tens unit soon. I get muscle knots that pull on my cervical spine and make me totally miserable.

Since we have 5 senses and pain is a 'touch sense', I make an effort to 'please' the other 4 senses. It seems the 5th sense becomes less sensitive if the other 4 are 'happy'.
Posted 5/15/2015 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
Ice or heat -- the former for nerve, the latter for muscle pain.

possibly traction -- I have an over-the-door kit (Amazon, about $25)

Wear a cervical collar if you work in front of a computer

TENS might help relieve muscle tension and also mask radicular pain.

If you want to move on to a medication that isn't a full fledged opioid, Tramadol.

Also, for neuropathic pain, gabapentin, pregabalin.
Posted 5/16/2015 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
I have similar spinal issues. Sorry for you! Why no opiates, if I may ask. All my docs have said they'd rather see me on low dose hydrocodone than NSAIDS. I take hot baths in the morning and ice in the evening and that helps.
Posted 5/16/2015 12:44 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for replying to me.

Sorry for you as well. I suffer from depression as well and have found that they tend to make me feel more depressed and tired.

May I ask what type of hydrocodone do you take? I have tried many different kinds of opiates, the last being morphine and percoset.

Could you please tell me more about the ice regimen?
Posted 5/16/2015 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
Aiki4, I think you may have posted on this thread by mistake. I just posted to you on your thread. You may want to delete the above & post your questions in your thread that you first started.
Posted 5/16/2015 3:48 AM (GMT 0)
I take generic Vicodin and have an awesome ice neck wrap from Amazon I throw on most evenings.
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