Glenn--You might want to give a go to my Feldenkrais practitioner before moving to anything more aggressive for that neck of yours. She's even more amazing than the amazing Dr Theirl. I sent my daughter to her, because her scoliosis causes her mucho back and feet pain, and after three sessions (through which she slept), she's totally pain-free. I am so much better it's magical.

Me: I saw my neuro today, mainly to see if I could get him interested in finding what was causing pain at L4/5 that improved so much with the transforaminal epidural. I worked into the visit a question about the LP, and asked him if it's true that most neuropathies fall into two groups now, CMT and CIDP, and if he thinks a sensory neuropathy like mine could be one of them. Oh, you're not CMT, he says, but you could easily be CIDP. I told him I never had a spinal tap, and he suggested that if the next step is a myelogram to look at my pain generator, he'd get fluid to send at that time.

So classifications work in many ways: axonal/demyelinating; sensory/motor; inflammatory/genetic, toxic.

Sounds as close as one can get...
 

to 'pigeonholing' the whole mass of mess?
Thing is, even with a SF testing, it doesn't/usually/often shows up anything you want it to. I belive that those on the Lymes' boards will be testimony to that part of the issue.. As whatever AI titeres are showing at the time of a tap aren't necessarilly what the titres really are?

As for the testing itself? Be absolutely SURE you know not only the procedure but the follow-up afterwards? In my case, I was clueless, and got the LP, then went to a nearby hospital for an additional blood draw [that took 2+ hours] and was not, in the desired reclined position for that duration...I did feel lilke I'd been hit w/a 2x4 in one spot for about 10 days? I am truly glad I had no greater s/e' than one very good headache afterwards.. IF I'D Known... I would have been far more cautious and an assertively appropriate WIMP! I guess I have to put in the fact that I was SOOO happy to be tested in a way I thot I should be tested, that not knowing the consequences or complications at the time were probably a blessing. The s/e?s Well, they ultimately were well worth the extra pains/discomforts...
It all well could have been lots worse, for that I am grateful. - j

PS IN the DC metro area, Lymes and West Nile ARE targeted possible issues, in some cases it's REAL...It is similar to PN and other Lots other AI issues.. they all overlap so!