Perfect Doctor
April 22, 2009
After a trip to the ER, which ended with me yelling at the attending for not providing me with any relief, I knew I had to see a specialist. Thus began my journey to find the “perfect” neurologist.
This first doctor started me with prednisone and low dose Topamax. In order to try to diagnose me he ordered a few tests. A CAT scan of my brain was performed along with blood tests for autoimmune diseases and inflammation. Of course, everything was normal. I was trying to maintain my normal schedule which included a full time job, and attending school at night to complete my master’s. Unfortunately, the head pain took over my life and my sole focus was to try to get relief. After a couple of weeks, with the prednisone not working, I pushed the neurologist to help me. His solution was to perform a lumbar puncture. A lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, is a procedure used to measure the fluid surrounding the brain. This fluid is then tested for various infections and diseases. During my procedure I sat at the edge of the exam table, bent over a cart so that my back was hunched. After numbing my lower back with a local anesthesia a long needle was inserted between my vertebrae.
Posted by acarroll at 3:35pm
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My Migraine Expereince
April 07, 2009
I am a migraine sufferer. I have had one continuous migraine for over four years now. From when I wake up until when I go to bed. Headaches and migraines are something I have had since puberty and have always been able to treat them with over the counter meds, but not this time.
Posted by acarroll at 3:55pm
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Pain and Activity: Use It or Lose It
February 14, 2008
The human body is meant to move. Yet a person who experiences intense, persistent pain will probably move less and less over time. He or she is also likely to develop a number of “pain behaviors” such lying down for long periods, using unusual postures to brace against the pain, or favoring one side of the body over another when moving. After a while, these pain behaviors take on a life of their own and actually add to the pain.
Long periods of immobility disrupt the body’s pain sensing mechanisms because pain perception relies on feedback from normal muscle activity, particularly the larger muscle groups of the body. Avoidance of activity under stimulates the large sensory nerves and results in more pain when movement is resumed. The habitual use of unusual postures results in secondary pain in other areas of the body as certain muscle groups go into chronic spasm while other muscle groups atrophy from lack of use. So, rather than decreasing pain by avoiding certain patterns of movement, a person is actually increasing his or her pain as well as creating new pain. there’s more to this »
Posted by Michele Gargan, PsyD at 10:15am
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