fix my neck

Well my MRI came up ok – so now I’ve been told to concentrate on doing the physio and going to the gym, I’ve got to exercise every single muscle of the upper body apparently – all with full range of motion, perfect technique and no weight.

Fingers cross – 6 months of this and I should hopefully be sorted (smells like bullshit to me).

Well I’ve been doing physio for around 18 months now, and I’ve actively been trying to improve my posture for around 2 years.

The physio I have been seeing about my neck has arranged for me to get an MRI, apparently the symptoms I am experiencing are from cranial nerves and she believes if I don’t have any structural problems then I should see a neurologist.

Yay.

Well I’m currently undergoing neck and shoulder physio – I broke my neck around 8 years ago and never received the appropriate treatment. I’ve noticed that although the physio has explained how to do the exercise – it isn’t actually enough to follow their instructions – you have to continually play around with the movements until you feel it is working.

I’m now finally getting to grips (or beginning to) with the chin tuck exercises – this is something which I have been actively trying to do for almost two years now. It’s tough.

My neck pain is pretty crap, I get facial neuralgia too – but its bearable, as long as I think of it as temporary.

Once I’ve finished physio though, I’m not sure what I will do if this doesn’t work. Will have to wait and see…

But i dont know how to edit that. oh well. So for the last five years my migraines screwed me by evolving into a neuromuscular disorder, making it worse and more serious than ever before and it was already really bad to begin with. Why is it as soon as you think things cant any worse they do? You dont even think that its physically possible and thats when it happens. When the neck pain started it was strange, i just figured i must have slept wrong or pulled a muscle but it never went away and it was teaming up with my migraines and was just as painful. I first saw a physical therapist and then chiropractors, bio-feedback, i tried acupuncture and then many neurologists everyone had a different opinion about what it was and what was causing it. Bad posture was one of the biggies. I was even told once i had what was called neck migraines which made sense to me at the time.

Five years went by and i still didnt know whats causing the pain and how to treat it. As a result i apply for disability. Im 23 and i cant work or go to school im a really big burden to my parents. Finally by going online i find out the doctor i really need is a Rheumatologist. I make an appointment at my local hospital with the neck specialist. I have an mri and x-rays but all he sees is some straightening at the top of my spine which doesnt usually cause pain. So I end up at physical therapy again. He tells me i need to give it a try before any intensive procedures. It didnt work ofcourse and when i went back which was last week he referred me to get cortisone injected into my spine. Cortisone injections are serious stuff you can only get it every three months because they can fuck up your internal organs. You have to sign a paper saying your family wont sue them if you die. It was pretty funny to see in the same list of side effects like seizure and death they had hiccups. What was neat though was that i was set up to an xray machine throughout the procedur so the doctor could see precisely where he was doing the injection. For someone with a low pain tolerance it can be pretty painful but your given an IV which helps alot, most likely if your getting that type of procedure your useto pain already anyway. Its only been a week but the results ive had are phenomenal. Ive had a little bit of pain now and then but its went down from a 7-10 to a 2-4 pain scale. But it has to last three months to be worth it, so im still on a waiting period. If you dont have insurance which i dont it can be really expensive. 600-900 just for 3 months but its completely worth it so far. If you have neck pain i highly recommend this atleast as a last resort.

I checked this off over a week ago, but today I went for one last physio treatment and check. It’s still a little bit stiff sometimes, but she says that’s normal and I’m healing really well and don’t need to come in again unless it kicks up badly. The TENS went back today too.

Graduation!

Ouch. That took much longer than I expected, but I’m feeling really good now. I’ll keep up my stretches and be more careful in the future.

It’s not 100%, but it’s well enough to cut back on the physio. I’m going to hang onto the TENS for another week and then probably have one more physio visit to check things, but I’m nearly there. And I’m so glad.

My neck is continuing to improve. Last night I fell asleep without needing anything to dull the pain, and today my movement was even better than it was on Monday.

I have physio appointments this Friday and the following Monday, and then we’ll see. Maybe I can take it from that point if I keep up the exercises, stretching, & TENS.

The pain and flexibility are a little better. I went in both Friday and today, and there was a noticeable difference.

Today I was in for more ultrasound, laser, and massage. She checked my movement and then we went to the exercise room (which looks so cheerful with all the different coloured mats and big shiny balls) and worked on 5 new exercises and stretches to do at home. Yes, I have a lot of homework to do.

Between all this and the TENS, I can notice a difference. Hopefully by the end of the week there’ll be significant improvement.

We had an interesting conversation about matadors – she had dinner with one over the weekend. A young one (only 20) with 18 kills under his belt. Strangely he was quite against dog and rooster fighting and wants to be a physiotherapist as well. Poor, poor Ferdinand.

I’m working hard on this now.

I saw Jenny again, and she did a number of things including using ultrasound and a cold laser on my neck and back. I think it’s pretty amazing how some of the high-tech contraptions do what they do to help you heal. I’m going to have to learn more about that.

I learned some of the exercises and stretches I should be doing (particularly if I’m sitting in front of the computer) and I’m booked every other day or so for the next week.

She thought the TENS was a great idea (I used one for lower back pain when I was pregnant and it worked miracles) so after the appointment I rented one for a month.

I’m charging up the batteries now and can hardly wait to get it on. As a bonus Markus can use it on his neck as well. Hell, there are 4 electrodes – for a unique romantic evening we can cuddle up and electrocute ourselves together. Good times.

I’m going to lick this thing. As soon as I can reach, that is.
I’m unbelievably glad I switched from the fellow I first saw about this – I just wish I’d gone to Jenny right away.

My next appointment is on Friday.