Need some advice
 

Hay there tosers i need some help here has any one had shots for the pain can't remember what there called but any ways since i have had tos i have done physio with out any relief in fact it only made the pain worse so Bethune put a stop to it i have been on all kinds of pain meds. I have had surgery on the right side and awaiting to find out if he is going to do the left side. Any way i am looking to see a pain doctor in the hopes to find some way to get off the meds so if any one has done this or any other ideas about getting off the pills i would appreciated. I just wont to get my brain back i am tired of being confused and at a lost. I hope some one out there has any ideas thanks waiting to hear from yas:grouphug:

mucker- i'm sorry that you are in so much pain.... i hope that you find some relief soon. I have had 3 types of shots for pain relief...
1). Nerve blocks - they were sometimes helpful for a month, sometimes for a week. I think the shot consists of lidocaine, steroid (like prednisone?), and a teeny bit of morphine on the tip of the needle to numb the area.
2). Trigger point injections - not sure what is in them, but they were used to loosen up "trigger points," like my scalenes, trapezius, and upper pectorals.
3). Botox injections - i was injected in muscle groups that were the most tight. the thought is that if you "kill" the muscle, then it will relax and not clamp down on the nerve, and you can break part of the cycle. These have been by far the most effective for me, but they are also by far the most expensive if insurance doesn't pay for them. but, I get ok relief for 3 months or so.

Check out this thread on Toradol, especially the injectable form:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...eferrerid=1500

I have also had lidocaine and nerve blocks. Don't think I ever really got relief. I also had epidurals which also did not help. I have tried acupuncture and many different meds. I have to saythe only thing that helps me is percocet which is short lasting and addictive. also, you develope a tolerance and you end up needing more. I have also tried narcotic patches.

Best of luck. It is a very frustrating thing to deal with. Linda

Everyone I know that had nerve blocks with a low dose of heparin for TOS reported good results but I don't know how common the technique is. Steriod shots don't help with TOS pain according to my doctor and I found that to be true. They help my disk problems but not the TOS.

I reduced my side effects from pain meds quite a bit by having most of them put in a transdermal compounded cream that I apply to my skin.

Sitting in a hot tub regularly is good for TOS pain as long as you don't also have RSD. Make sure the whole brachial plexus area is submerged.

Regular aoerbic exercise has been shown in studies to help repetitive strain injury pain and I also found that to help alot although it did take alot of PT for me to find ways I could exercise aeorbically and I did have to work up to it very gradually. I can walk and do some pool exercises. My friend with TOS really does well with the recumbent bikes at the gym

I also do self trigger point work with the clarie davies book

The edgelow protoccol cut my pain quite a bit but how much of it you can do depends on how injuried you are.

I find that doing all of these things have reduced the amount of oral pain meds to the point where most of the time I can think properly. only when I am flared do I have to take enough oral meds to produce brain fog. Before I did all of these things,my pain level was severe enough I was largely bedridden.

Mucker,
Did they try any of these during your PT sessions?
Heat?
Ultrasound?
Massage - addressing any spasms, knot or triggerpoints?
Electrical stimulation-{IF, muscle or TENS- IF was the best for me}
Low level laser? or LED light therapy?

Those all helped me with my muscle aches & pain- is your pain from nerves or muscles or both?

I only had ulnar nerve pain for a few months and it was due to spasms & extreme tightness in my neck muscles.
In many ways it is still all related, muscles can affect the nerves and the nerves can affect the muscles.

My last trigger point injection gave me total relief.....for a few hours (until the lidocaine wore off) but it was glorious while it lasted !

After that, my pain was lessened from baseline.....until I stated moving aroung more (wippee...taking a shower) and then it was right back to normal

I just got a referral to go back to the pain clinic to have a cervical epidural, so I'll see how that works out.

I had an occipital nerve block once that did help my severe left occipital headaches for a few weeks. I hope I can get another one now that I have the new referral to the pain clinic

Hi yes they have done heat,ten's and acupunter and none have those things have worked. I am back to message thank god for that it does help but unfornionely it doesn't work for long but i do have a few pain free hours twice a week. Now i have never heard of led light therapy is that some type of heat?

The LED light doesn't go as deep and is not as strong as the Low Level Laser {better and goes deeper into tissues}.
Basically these certain light waves will affect the cells and helps them to release toxins, uptake oxygen and good stuff and helps in the healing process as well as helps with triggerpoints.

here's some websites that explain it better, they might have updated them- I've had theses links for yrs now -
Laser/ Infrared/ far infrared
http://laser.nu/
http://www.purehealthsystems.com/infrared.html
http://www.purehealthsystems.com/mus...in-relief.html
http://www.toolsforwellness.com/far-infrared.html

this site has info on ultrasound and triggerpoints -
http://www.drlowe.com./myofascial/pr...ltrasound1.htm

Do you think you have triggerpoints or have the PT persons mentioned it at all?
The muscles can't fully release/relax as long as there are triggerpoints.
there's more triggerpoint info in our useful sticky 1st post.