Acupuncture for nerves/muscles in neck ?

[Digital Forest]

Hi,

My main problem is that i get nerve pain in my neck which affects my face, head, neck and shoulders. The nerve pain also causes the muscles in my neck and shoulders to involunatily tense up (even when I'm not tense myself).

I have had cortisone injections, physiotherapy, reflexologyand homeopathy - all have helped to a degree (and reiki which didn't !!) but the problem keeps on coming back and that's all I do is shell out money left right and centre continuously for various treatments. For many years I was treated by the GP for migraines but of course what I have isn't a "true"migraine as such but the symptoms and pain are the same and the GPs don't appear to be interested anyway.The pain also drags me down as well as well as the fact that i don't have a bottomless pit of money to fork out. Also i can't really take painkillers very much, so that's an issue as well.

Whilst seeing aspecialist last week (who also gave me cortisone injections) he mentioned that acupuncture might help. When i pressed a point on my shoulder he said"that's an acupuncture point", so I have booked a session with my acupuncturist (who i used to see years ago for a completely different problem).

Has anyone had any experience of treating/being treated successfully for the symptoms I have ?

To be honest I'm fed up with trying different things. People have suggested things like osteopathy, chiropractors, Bowen technique etc butI just don't want to try all these things if it's money down the drain. Also to be honest it's the worst pain I've suffered. When i've had things like sciatica in the past - that's a complete picnic compared to this because this pain is in the head and is completely debilitating.

Thanks.

 

[Smelchaki]

Hello Happygirl,
Im sorry to hear things are not right for you at the moment. I have tried many treatments over the past four years trying to more forward from ill health and various other things.... and I would never say any of them was a waste of money. Im not sure if any of them worked but it didnt seem to matter to me....What i do know is thatLife is too short.... so why not try anything and everything....what have you got to lose? I have very little money but a sense of wellbeing is priceless.

Love and light
Rachelx

 

[Little Monster ?]

Hi Hallos,

Thanks for your kind note.

I think i came across as slightly penny pinching but frankly I don't mind how much it costs as long as I can get relief (and for a longer period of time too). I spend between £200 - £300 a month on treatments (thank God I have a reasonably paid job) and have to go to practitioners after work (and sometimes during work) various times a week - which is a nuisance as I don't have time to do other things like shopping for necessities (food/clothes), looking after my great aunt, doing things in the houseetc etc.

I recently had a holiday (in this country) a few weeks ago - the 1st I've had in6 years - as I couldn't go away before because of the pain.

I suppose I'm just so frustrated at the mo and also I have something which not many people can identify with whereas if I had abroken leg people can identify with that.

I sincerely hope that this acupuncture can help because I totally agree life's too short not being able to do the normal things that everyone else can do (like have a pregnancy without having to take strong painkillers and thus put the pregnancy in jeopardy - which has happened in the past).

Thanks very much for your concern.

Love and hugs.

 

[Hubert Binienda]

Hello again,
No you didn't come across like that at all....(just someonewho wants answers)
I have been ina similar situation having all these treatments/test and not getting answers.... To this day I still don't know what happen to me in 2004.....the doctors did test after test but stillcouldn't help I paid for a private consultation and they couldn'thelp... Ididn't give up I justresigned myself to the fact that I may never know....
However Over the years I have got better but still not 100 %
All that money your spending does seem veryhigh... Are all you therapist working together?
I know a very good shiatsu therapist who has also studied E.F.T and Hypnotherapy... I also know a very good homeopath...
Im not sure were you live, but im near Brighton..so if you want more info pm me.

Love and light,
Rachelx

 

[Arthur Always]

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for this offer. Unfortnately I don't live near Brighton, although I have visited a good homeopath. She did give me some Hypericum for the nerve pain - which did help. But when I stopped taking it - the pain came back. She wasn't keen to give me more straight away, as I was due to have the cortisone injections (which I've just had)and if there had been an improvement we wouldn't know which therapy/treatment worked. I'm only going to the acupuncturist as it was suggested by the specialist who gave me the cortisone injections.

Regarding the costs - I pay £38 per physio session (which I could have 1-2 times per week) - which works out @ £152 - £304 per month. I've just paid £100 for the specialist to give me the cortisone injections (the GP would have done it free - but isn't so skilled in doing it - esp in a delicate/complicated area like the neck), reflexology is £20 per session (and i used to have this twice a month). The homeopath charges £20 (excluding initial consultation which is more) and I see her about every other month. So it all adds up really !!

Love and hugs,

Happygirl

 

[dairy queen]

Hello Again,
All those treatments and still very little improvement...
Have your been under your homeopath/reflexology for a long time? Only i would say you need to be seen more often.? When i was under my homeopath i would see her every week and if i needed to phone her i couldbut most of the time she would phone me to make sure i was ok.
Also with the reflexology i would say you need to have more treatments as well..maybe once a week. You are so brave having those injections...(do they give you the most relief?).Let me knowthe treatments uve tried and perhaps i could suggest some more? I think anything to do with the meridians you would benefit from.

Keep trying...dont forget to try everything and anything.
love and light
Rachelx
P.s Could you not get your physio/cortisone injections on the NHS? If your doctor not up to it then maybe another doctor how is?

 

[VooSec]

Hi again,

Yes - the cortisone injections hurt like anything - but needs must. I had 2 at the beginning of March which did help and I was hoping that the ones I had last week would have cleared the pain once and for all (or almost anyway) but I haven't seen any improvement yet and it was just over a week ago - so it's been a bit disappointing.

The homeopath gave me treatment which worked over along period of time - hence the fact that i don't see her regularly but we do speak. I spoke to her today and we're waiting to see if the cortisone does anything before she gives me any more treatment. I have to admit I did love going for reflexology and initially it did work but I stopped going for thereasons below:

1. Rather than just seeing me as a patient the reflexologist almost saw me as a "friend" so when I went there she used to pour out all her problems. I know I sound pathetic but I didn't have the heart to tell her thatI was there to relax and not to listen to probs.
2. She started working more from home(not the clinic) - esp at the end of the day when I tended to see her. This was tobe home for her daughter. This wasn't the problem as such but it was noisier than the clinic (dog barking etc) - making it more difficult to relax.
3. Although relexology was relatively cheaper - as I started to have more and more physio I tried to cut back on other things.
4. The reflexologist diagnosed that i was preganat knowing that I'd be absolutely delighted if this was true. Unfortunately the test proved negative and I felt devastated - esp that things had gone so badly wrong before. So then i felt a lack of trust.
I did think about going to a new reflexologist but it's tying to find a recommended one.

Thanks so much for your help. Will let you know what happens.

Love and hugs.

 

[Allanah P]

Hello happy girl,
I cant believe your luck....Looks like youve been let down left right and center[&:]
It sounds likethat the reflexologist wasnt right for you .....We are not here to diagnosed[]
I am very sorry that you havent had the support you needed...but i am sureif your intentions are good you will soon see a change in direction... andthings should get better for you.

Keep in touch.

Love and light
Rachelx

 

[Bill M.]

Thanks for your kindness and support Rachel. Ironically I've been feeling much better in the last few days.

Love and hugs [sm=FIFangel.gif]

 

[carol s]

Your Very welcome Laura,
Just pm me any time.
Im glad youve been feeling better
Love and hugs to you too
Rachelx

 

[eglgpkkn]

Just to give an update. I've had a few acupuncture sessions now (didn't want 2 post after only 1 or 2) and it has definitely made me feel better. My shoulder is less tense and the muscles in my neck are a lot better. I'm also taking magnesium (which I found out totally by accident is good for reducing muscle tension and nerve pain) which has helped enormously. I'm thinking about writing a post about the magnesium on another thread as it helps a wide variety of complaints from nerve/muscle pain, to stomach cramps (IBS and menstrual) as well as migraines etc.

 

[beastt.. :P]

Hello Happygirl.
Im sooooooooo pleased things are working for you now. How did you find out about the magnesium?

Love and sunshine
Rachelx

 

[Candy B]

Hi Rachel,

I bought a magazine (not one I'd bought before and not one I'd normally buy - don't know why I picked it up really) and read a letter from a woman on the health page asking the doctor what she could do to relieve her terrible tension headaches. The reply was that magnesium citrate (300 mg per day) is good for relieving muscle tension, plus to take a vitamin B complex per day as well.

So I looked it up on the internet and read that magnesium is good for relieving muscle tension/cramps, nerve pain etc (so it's good for anything like migraines, IBS, PMS, problems in pregnancy plus a whole variety of other complaints). The problem is is that if you are deficient in magnesium (caused by stress, too much processed food, alcohol/caffeine) which so many people are - then the level of calcium in the body is not regulated and, although calcium is obviously good for the body, too much calcium causes muscle tension and nerve pain (plus many other more serious problems as well).

I've been taking the magnesium and vit B for a number of weeks now and found an immediate improvement. As I mentioned before, I'm thinking about posting it on another thread as it may benefit others suffering from a variety of complaints.

To be honest though i'm a bit cheesed off though, as before I had my cortisone injections, I specifically asked my GP if there was anything I could take (by way of vitamins, minarals or other supplements) that would help my condition. I was told "no", so went down the cortisone injection route (which did help) but was costly and painful. I'm not bashing the medical profession, but it's just that I think GPs are paid handsomely enough and they should know really basic stuff like what sypmtoms are caused by a vitamin or mineral overdose/deficiency.

The acupuncture has helped a lot as well.

Love and hugs.

 

[talefairy]

Hello Happy Girl,
Thats really good uve found out about the magnesium citrate and vitamin B complex and im sure it would be a great idea to share your findings with healthy pages...(post away)... with regards to the doctor not flagging up about vitamins im sure sometimes they just dont look at the big picture and just miss simple solutions.............he/she probably thought he had tried everything else and didnt want you too suffer...
The main thing to remember is that uve finally found something that works.
Take care
Rachelx