Hi, Val and Laurie ....

After suffering with neck pain for about a year, I went to my GP. He told
me what the problem was and that there were shots (very involved and not
just "shots" or surgery ... read about them here:

http://mayoclinic.com/health/cervical-spondylosis/DS00697/DSECTION=8

What they don't tell you is that it is nearly a surgical procedure ... the
needle must be guided by a series of xrays.

The shots help for several weeks or several hours ... depends.

I didn't want any invasive procedures if at all possible. I asked him what
else I could try. He recommended either a chiropractor or physical therapy.
I tried a chiroprator for about six weeks. He didn absolutely nothing for
me. Used massage with a large hand held massager and some manipulation. I
think he was afraid to do anything to my neck itself.

Went back to the GP. He said to try the physical therapist. I went there
for 12 weeks ... I was told that if I didn't use it, I'd lose it. I was
given posture exercises. I was told to trun my neck constantly, even if it
did hurt. Well, it hurt so badly I was finally in tears. 'Nuf of that.

Went back to the GP. He sent me next to a pain management clinic. Would
you believe, he suggested either the shots (first) and if they didn't work,
the surgery. When I asked if there were non-invasive treatments, he asked
about my history. When I told him what the chiro did/didn't do, he gave me
the name and address of a different one and sent me there. Another 6 weeks!
This one manipulated my neck and I just kept hurting more and more.

Went back to my GP and he told me exactly the same thing Val just said ...
learn to live with it. That was about 6 months ago and you know what? ....
I took an anti-inflammatory for six months and now I don't need it except on
rare occasions when I work too long in one position ... I am nearly pain
free.

And yes, I was diagnosed with an MRI.

So I am not going to try anything more. The pain I have left (the therapist
and the chiro only made it worse, I believe) I can tolerate.

This makes me think of the old adage ... 95% of what people go to the doctor
for would cure itself. Doctors can fix 4% of what we go there for. The
other 1% is what you are going to die with. Surgery is NOT the answer to
everything.

P.S. I think the Mayo Clinic site has very good info.

http//:mayoclinic.com

If God really, really loved us, he would have made our saliva taste like
chocolate!
Kathy/Mom/Bedstemor in Kenosha, Wisconsin USA
NEEDLEWORK FOREVER!!! HOUSEWORK WHENEVER. bedstemor@...

>From: Val Charman
>Reply-To: Cervical_Spondylosis@yahoogroups.com
>To: Cervical_Spondylosis@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [Cervical_Spondylosis] (unknown)
>Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:09:26 +0100 (BST)
>
>Hi Lauri
>
> I was told by my GP to learn to live with the pain and he gave me some
>very strong painkillers that made me dizzy and disorientated so no use at
>all !! I have been wearing magnetic bracelets and wrist bands (one on my
>ankle as I have arthritis too) and I have been having Reiki healing
>treatment. It has been so good that I have learned to do the healing
>myself so I can do self healing every day. I have found it has helped
>reduce the pain and has also helped me to become much calmer and relaxed
>about everything and take one day at a time and not to worry too much about
>stuff.
>
> You can get in touch with me direct through my greyhound forum if you
>want to :)
>
> http://greyhounds4me.proboards84.com/
>
> Best wishes
>
> Val
>
>lauri schmidt wrote:
> Hi my name is Lauri Schmidt. I am a 46 year old mother of two
>g-ma of four. I found out about a week ago that I have Cevical Spodylosis
>and Cervical Stenosis. When I was 10 years old I was diagnosed with
>Scolosis and had 3 curves in my spine. I had 2 surgeries and thought it
>was all good. I've lived with back pain for the last 19 years but this
>pain is all so different. I see a nerosurgeon this Thursday ( 3-29-07) I
>am opting at this time to not have surgery but to try to manage the pain.
>My life has changed somewhat in the past 5 weeks. I never before would
>take anything stronger than motrin. I am now living on Norco and
>sometimes valium but the valium does nothing for me. I would just like to
>talk with people that know about this and could explain it better than my
>doctor did. She gave me a diagnosis and some perscriptions and sent me out
>the door with a referal to the nerosurgeon. I have had to look everything
>up I have learned online.
> Thank you for listening to me.
>
> Lauri JO
>
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