Hello, I never register to forums, but this was just too eerie that I had to. I'm responding to Timandee's post. I'm also new to this site. As Dee was, I was at first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue syndrome or various pain syndromes for musculo-skeletal pain throughout my body. Then, I had a specific injury of C5 vertebra triggered by a Chiropractor. Dr's diagnosed me with bilateral Thoracic outlet syndrome as a trigger/cause. They told me I was to get a first rib removed to subside the pain. It was excruciating for weeks / months. I opted NOT to have surgury, which i felt was extreme. The dr's then said I have ehrlers danlos syndrome, or marfan's but a lighter version of it. I have 85% of the symptoms. I had a type of surgery in my neck (prolotherapy) for the C5 injury to make it better, which did help, and an MRI discovered an irregularity on my C-spine, which causes less flow and nerve signals to other parts of my body.
About a year later, on almost a whim, for totally other reasons, I went to a 10-day meditation course, because I was interested in Eastern philosophy. It was free, non-religious in any way, and almost scientific in its approach. I had an extreme powerful experience on the 6th day. ALL my pain completely stopped - total physical ease, for a year. Both my body and mind were affected drastically, but the most noticeable was my body. No more pain syndrome symptoms in any way. This may sound weird that a simple meditation (watching your breath) could change so much, but I realised the deep connection between mind and body. Anyway, slowly the pain came back when life was getting more difficult. I'm not saying it's "all in your head", but due to this experience I realize that what we think is physical (tangible) may have other connected relationships with the mind. There are deeply related, if not the same. I'm not 'cured', and the pain comes and goes in its intensity. But meditation helps. And in my case, drastically.