NeuroTalk Support Groups - 1 Day & Counting - Dual SCS Boston Scientic's Latest and Greatest

Greeting to all! I sort of stumbled across this forum and found myself quite involved in reading all about everyone else's thoughts on SCS. Surprisingly, I wasn't scared. I have had Myofascial Pain Syndrome for the last 25 years.

During those years (the first 23) it was a non-stop parade through doctor and specialists offices, trying to pin down or at least reduce the amount of pain I was having in my back, hips, shoulders and sometimes arms.

There was no rhyme or reason to any of the symptoms that I was seeing that particular physician about. For many years, I thought that it just might be in my head. Clearly, there was no empirical proof that there was something going on.

Then one day about two years ago, I met up with a pain management specialist (who specializes in FMS and others in the same genre). After about two months of trying various meds, massage therapy, acupuncture ... the physician was performing his normal 'hands on' assessment (as he's done with every appointment).

It took longer on this appointment than normal. He kept on having me perform movements with my arms and then my back, did some pressing on my back, and stood back for a moment and made a hypothesis. Since he had extensive work in the arena of FMS, it sort of led him down the path of thinking before the muscle. He palpated the tendons and ligaments and near-about set me on fire. He found multiple nodules in my back where the muscles had gone into spasm. He finally said, 'You know what, I think I've got the answer to what is going on - but it is not what you want to hear!'

Myofascial Pain Syndrome - Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), also known as chronic Myofascial pain (CMP), is a syndrome characterized by chronic pain caused by multiple trigger points and fascial constrictions. Characteristic features of a Myofascial trigger point include: focal point tenderness, reproduction of pain upon trigger point palpation, hardening of the muscle upon trigger point palpation, pseudo-weakness of the involved muscle, referred pain, and limited range of motion following approximately 5 seconds of sustained trigger point pressure.

Myofascial pain can occur in distinct, isolated areas of the body, and because any muscle or fascia may be affected, this may cause a variety of localized symptoms. More generally speaking, the muscular pain is steady, aching, and deep. Depending on the case and location the intensity can range from mild discomfort to excruciating and "lightning-like". Knots may be visible or felt beneath the skin. The pain does not resolve on its own, even after typical first-aid self-care such as ice, heat, and rest.

It was like a burden, to some degree, had been lifted. Now we know what it is! But the bigger question is.... "Now what do I do?" Round after round of narcotics led to heavy dependency upon them, dependency upon Klonapin to fight of the anxiety created by the deepening hole of depression (10 plus years). You know - that is a lot to have one on plate and still try to hold down a full time job. Eventually, the full time job became part of the problem, as MPS, in my case, would be exacerbated by emotional upheavals, for which this particular job was well known for..... and not because it was the job, it was the co-workers who were causing all the stress (ergo pain). It near about drove me to suicide. Finally, once I got hooked up with the psychiatric community, and a physician who had experience with MPS and minored in pharmacological, specifically as it related to anxiety and depression. She was able to get me off of the hardest of hardest pain killers (Fentanyl Patches) and moved me down to some less toxic to mental health.

That meant that I would start up on Klonapin. 4mg per day, which grew to eight even twelve mg per day (after about a year) as I found that as the pain came back, I self dosed up to that height (along with Hydrocodone 20-30 mg / 24 hour period. I was seriously mixed up with a toxic combination of medicines that would eventually send me to the hospital in the psychiatric ward for 7 days.

There is where I started my detox. For many days over several weeks, I would writhe on the couch, or in bed so sick to my stomach, lost close to 60 pounds, still all the while hurting in my back like I was being tortured by an ice pick.

HOWEVER - I do have to point out that there was one "SOLID" thing in my life that I could count on and that was my partner of close to 10 years. He stood by me, watched me writhe - cry - scream and retreat into a deepening depression. If I wasn't fortunate to have him beside me all the way - taking care of me when I could not even do the simplest of things for myself..it is a wonder that I am still here. :Heart:

I do want to point out that about 6 months ago I wound up going to another pain clinic. This one was TOTALLY different. After the physical exam and a long read over my history, he came back with an alternative to the meds, SCS. He said that Boston Scientific has a model called Precision Plus that would likely help me deal with the pain.

So I scheduled myself for a trial run (7 days) and to my astounding amazement, the pain was almost neutralized. I hated to see the temporary go, but he said that he'd try to fast track my file to the insurance company to get the permanent put in (dual Cervical and Lumbar .... meeting in the middle).

Today is the eve of that momentous surgery. I go to the hospital today to do all of my pre operative requirements and then 7:30 tomorrow morning I get the permanent implant. I can't wait. I have lived a painful life for most of my adult life; never knowing what is was to be pain free. HOWEVER, I do have to say that I never doubted the love of my partner. He was my grounding rod in the middle of so many hurricanes/tornados....whatever you wish to call it.

Over the next few weeks and months I will be trying to update this thread with my performance. For all of those out there that haven't yet found an answer to you dilemma - you will - you have to persevere, push through even though you don't want to. I know because I was there, I know. You will survive.:grouphug: