After just two days of spring gardening, I suddenly developed bilateral RSD in my feet, which worsened over several horrifying months. Somehow I was able to visit a chiropracter and following one of his treatments to my lumbar spine I felt blood flow down my legs to my feet. The nerve irritation in my feet became less acute and began to subside. I soon healed up well enough to wear socks and shoes again and walk for gradually increasing lengths of time over that summer and fall. And, I stopped shopping for a wheelchair.

Then, as I sought added treatment for my lower back I had a disasterous experience with a traction machine at a conventional therapist's office. Suddenly, RSD-like pain began to spread up my back and down my arms, encompassing my head, shoulders and hands. I became home-bound and wracked with intense pain for four years. The diagnosis offered was Fibromyalgia (FMS), and I had a whole host of debilitating symptoms.

Several years later I decided to try both an elimination diet and juicing (carrots and beets at first). Miraculously, within days I could feel my muscles soften and my previously intractable chronic pain condition began to go into remission. Arm hair began to regrow on my arms and most of my FMS symptoms retreated within the first 8 weeks! God was so good to give me my life back and I wanted to encourage you with this story.

I don't believe I am the only one who can benefit from radical dietary modifications. I believe the reason I was so sick was I was not able to absorb the nutrients in food. I needed additional help from the enzymes in whole juices. Anyway, I want to suggest this treatment option to everyone with chronic pain. Blessings to you.

Hello there Maureen!
First of all I want to welcome you to this board! second of all, If this was the case, don't you think we would all be doing this with radical dietary modifications. I do want to "congratulate" you, though on becoming well again. This is my opinion and mine alone.. I do NOT believe in chiropracters at all, never will!) My best friend with whom I grew up in the country with, well her husband went to one of these guys(Chiropracters) and can't walk, has to have nerve injections, casts. The Chiropracter shoved his entire spine up into his head, neck and he was unable to walk, had to go on dissability and is so not himself anymore!! I see this is your first post. So, welcome here again. If your pain does come back, please tell us how, why! ~Love, Desi

I'm so sorry that happened to your friend Desi.
That would have scared me off from trusting or trying any Chiropractors too.

But, doctors, surgeons and nurses can make mistakes too and we try not to condemn all because of very bad results by a few.
I'm sure there are good and bad ones out there...I found a good one.


Maureen,
After the traction machine injury did you try going back the the previous chiro?
Or only the elimination diet and juicing?
It would be a simple thing to try and most likely no side effects.

I had a lot of trouble with sodium nitrite causing my symptoms to flare for over a year. This is a food additive that's in the news finally that is used to preserve almost all processed meats. It's a deadly poison in small quantities but it flushed out rapidly before it can accumulate. You can actually eat enough in a day it would be fatal if taken all at once.

Diet seems to be very important to me but needs and interactions just seem to keep changing.

[Bold added]

Desi hi
I think we could all use a radical dietary adjustment.. it is only what I and alot of oldies have been sugesting for awhile now.. and I know its helped me and others alot. ANTIOXADENTS load up on em it makes the symptoms less intense the spread flareups calm down.. Dietary adjustments will tone down the inflamitory componant of RSD to a certain extent, and if someone has been in remission before then they can mabie achieve that state again easier. never say never my friend.

hugz
Sandra

Thank you very much Maureen.. what a wonderful incouraging post, thank you, I have heard of chiropractic adjustments that have helped others as well but it's not for everybody. The dietary adjustmets now that has me very interested for I have noticed alot of changes after upping my antioxadents, with dark vegies and fruit as well I substitute my water intake with antioxadent teas..

hmm thank you perhaps I'll try the blender
Hugz
Sandra

Hi All,

I have been drinking lots of organic vegetable and fruit juices rich with Antioxidants to help with my chronic pain. Teas as well, in the place of water. It seemed to work for a little while. Even the swelling went down!

Unfortunately, now all the sudden, I'm flaring up again. My fingers are red and swollen (both hands, not just the left.) Neck burning, pain in my left arm again. All the crappy stuff!

I agree that the diet change does help, but it's obvious (at least in my case) that it settles the symptoms. It may not put me into remission for good but at least settle my symptoms and has seemed to make my tolerable days even better. So I'm giong to continue in hopes for more tolerable days to come.

Maureen, I'm glad that the diet change has put you into a long running remission! I sincerley hope you have many more days of freedom from the pain.

Congrats to you!

You should not condem a whole type of doctor just because someone had a bad experience with that type of doctor. They all are able to make horrific mistakes that can cause a person to become disabled or even dead. They all can make mistakes. And we all hope & pray they don't, specifically if they are to make one, to NOT make one on someone we know, especially a loved one. But it can happen. I know I have been to many different specialists & I am sure a doctor in anyone of the specialties I have been to has probably made a mistake. I am just lucky enough to not have been that mistake or to have known anyone who has been a mistake. Let me take that back. I had a doctor almost kill me due to his treatment for Fibromyalgia. What he did almost did me in, seriously. And I should have sued this doctor, but I had no heart for it at that time. Anyway, bad things do happen. But that doesn't mean that that whole type of specialty is bad.

I hope this made sense, cause I am not sure it did *LOL* sorry if it didn't.

DebbyV