I went to another specialist yesterday, and I had another panorex done, and it showed that I have worn down my left condyle to about 1/4 of the size it should be, and that on the right side my condyle is flipped, and dislocated.

I am quite scared now, I had a panorex a couple of months ago at surgeon in Portland, and it did not look that bad. Actually the surgeon never mentioned the left condyle, he wanted to do arthroscopic surgery to calm it down, and then he felt I had a growth on the right side, but it was actually my condyle dislocated.

The dentist wants me to have him make a mouth piece, and over time he is going to try and put my jaw back and in place, and hopefully it will fix itself by regenerating. He did say that surgery might have to be option, which I felt is not something he would ever say. He said I am not the worst he has ever seen but I am bad off.

So should I get another opinion from a surgeon again, just to cover my grounds? This has affected my life and started off my battle with chronic pain since last September. My quality of life has gone downhill, and the best I can do it take pain meds and muslce relaxants to help me maintain as close to normal life as I can. In September, my tmj flared up, and then in October the pain took over my whole body. Now I have a whole slew of dx, migraines (I have always had, and now they are worse), fibromyalgia, and myofacsial pain syndrome, along with tmjd. The doctor believes I have tendonitis is my face, and that is what is causing my headaches, and they are not migraines.

Has anybody had this medical issue with their condyles and what did you do?

Thanks,

Kassandra

That's what is so frustrating with this condition - since drs do not yet fully understand it - there are varying theories regarding it - you often get multiple dxs and treatment recommendations. Just reading the xrays and films and knowing what to look for depends on the dr and/or lab technician.

I have read numerous web sites that certain splint therapies allow the condyle to return to its normal position and function and then reshape and regenerate. It probably would be wise to seek another opinion but do it on your own and not by getting a referral from either dr you have seen already - drs tend to refer patients within their "social network" who are trained similarly so you want someone who is unbiased. Surgeons generally want to do surgery b/c that is what they are trained to do. Specialists on the other hand can often have a "one size fits all" mentality in that they use the same treatment methods on every one - so some patients do well and others do not - in the meantime, or sometimes as a result of improper splint therapy, their condition deteriorates further.

While it would be nice if you could at least get a consensus or same dx and treatment recommendation from at least 2 drs - if you see too many drs like I did you run the chance of getting too many different recommendations (like I did) and then not knowing who to believe.

Thank you for your help. I have my doctor, my reg dentist, 2 surgeons saying surgery, and that was before the latest panorex, and then the dentist yesterday, said mouth splint, but surgery might have to happen still. Do you or does anybody have condyle issues? I also had another surgeon who did nothing, but say I was going to become an addict, and that was horrible, and then I had one here who dx me myofacsial pain syndrome, and told me to go see a rheumatologist because of my body pain, and see him after I went there. My regular dr. does not think I need to see rheumy and says he can treat me. How do I get more help?

So at first it was about the discs, and now it is about the bone. Should I call the surgeon in Portland and ask for another appt.? It cannot be deemed tmj, my insurance will not pay for it, and it has affected my life so much. Like I said, in September it was the worst flair up and then my body went berserks in October. I have so many questions, how do I get more help and trying to get pain and muscle spasms under control?

If I might ask, how are you doing today, what treatments have you had, and what medications do you or have you taken? Also, do you have any other illnesses?

I cannot express my appreciation,

Kassandra

I am sure there are others here that are having problems with their condyles - some just don't log in every day so hopefully they will do so shortly and offer some advice.

I have consulted with more than 20 drs over a 4 year period - the first few told me it was imagined pain and referred me to a therapist, after several months I developed neck problems and severe body pain with facial spasms - many more told me they could not help me - said they had never seen facial spasms like mine before - but still charged me for the consultation anyway, I eventually let 5 treat me - equilibraition, crowning back teeth, replacing bridges and it got worse. This is why many people say do not do anything permanent or drastic - most splint therapies can be undone with another splint - but not teeth/bite alterations and surgery.

My primary dr tried to help but does not believe tmj can cause facial spasms, body pain, muscle twitching, tingling, vision disturbances, etc - I have just about every symptom and then some. He sent me to neuros and like yourself one said myofacial pain syndrome and offered to do botox injections he thought would stop the spasms. I tried various meds my PCP prescribed - morphine, darvocette,flexeril, skelaxin, tegetol, bextra, celebrex, vicodin, diflusinal - but they were either too strong, did nothing or had other side affects. I eventually went to a Pain Mgmt Clinic at NYU Dental school and they prescribed baclofen and triavil and they seemed at least tolerable so after several months of traveling to the city I aksed my dr to prescribe them and save me the trip which he does. Recently however I asked him for something for the body pain and he said he preferred that I go see a rheumy, too.

Its not uncommon with this type of condition to develop other conditions such as cervical/spinal problems, skeletal or neuro muscular conditions (twitching, spasms, tingling, numbness, fibromyalgia, etc.) What helped intitally more than a dentist - since they were doing more harm then good - was alternative therapies such as chiro, cranial sacral and PT. This helped buy me some time as I hopped from one dr to another. Also most of the tmj drs I did let treat me referred me to their chiro, their cranial sacral therapist, etc - so I am grateful for that b/c without some of those therapies I would be a basket case by now.

I am still unable to work and am on disability - I still have facial spasms that torque my face which seem to become more frequent when I speak or move my tongue, I still have trouble swallowing and my whole body has changed in appearance but what has improved is I now can feel my face again (it was numb and wracked with horrible pain), I am seeing better, no more ear ringing or humming and my head and neck is now able to move without too much pain or cracking although its still hard to keep it down or turn it fully to either side and is still a tad in the forward position.

Most specialists/dr offices will try and work with you in terms of submitting claims so your insurance will cover them - I have found that in my area most drs don't even accept insurance any more and want full payment up front - so as a result they are more than willing to help you get a claim through by calling your insurance co and finding out what you are covered for.

There are numerous web sites under tmj, myofacial pain syndrome, holistic dentistry, neuromsucular dentists, headaches, etc that often have dr referral listings. The same is true for alternative therapies - you could try NUCCA and ICAK for chiros.

What I have found is once you find the "right" dr - you will know him when you find him - he's the one that doesn't make the weird face or raise an eyebrow when you tell him all your "strange and unusual" symptoms - he will point you in the right direction for other assistance, referrals and therapies, etc.

Thank you for helping me, and talking things out. It started with migraines, and then a terrible tmj flare up and then my body followed. I have been up for 2 hours now, and at first I was in a great amount of pain, a lot in my legs. I took my normal pain meds, and also flexeril, and now I am not screaming in pain. I am 31, and I have 2 small boys, they are 2 and 4, and they are great. They are pretty understanding, but this has taken its toll on my marriage. At first, the pain was a 10, in the jaw and face, and then it just went throughout my body. It is amazing how I went from healthy, but had migraines this last summer, and then September 4th it all started. That is the hardest part that my husband struggles with, and how I got to this point now. Do you have days where the pain in your arms and legs make it so you can barely move, and pain is about 5-6, but makes it unbearable, and all you can do is lay down with heating blankets?

I don't know what to do next, should I follow this great dentist and try the bite splint, or should I seek another surgical opinion from an oral surgeon? I am afraid that there is so much damage that surgery is going to be an option anyway, as the dentist said that if the splint does not help then I might have to have surgery. Is there a way, now that I have so much damage to the condyle that it can be deemed something other than tmj?

I feel so bad for my husband. I have not worked in 5 years, and have stayed home since the boys were born. The copays (thank goodness they are copays and not the whole bill), prescriptions, traveling, and then the appt that we had to pay out of pocket has all added up. Like I said, it went tmj to body, and I am not any better. Like you, I have horrible muscle spasms in my face, neck, shoulders, and also my body. My husband works so hard, and I can barely keep up with the house. Most days my schedule revolves around them, I get up when they do, and I go to bed with them. My husband works different schedules, and for the most part sleeps from 4 am till 12n, then goes to work m-f 1p or so to 4-5p, and then he either plays with the boys, or takes a nap, and then on wed, fri, and sat, he works from 9p-2a. He runs a hotel with a nightclub, and this has been his schedule for 10 years. It is hard, he is going to sleep as we are getting up and he is sometimes getting up from a nap as we are going to bed.

So with your battle with tmj, have you had any other diagnosis's, and do you believe that tmj has affected your whole body, even fingers and toes? Also as I brought up my family and husband, how has this effected your whole life? And how long have you been battling this. My tmj started over 7 years ago after my mom died and then, as planned, we got married 1 month later. After all the excitement calmed down of me getting married to the man of my dreams, I thought I was the luckiest girl ever, then the depression sunk in, as I had not grieved yet, and I got sick and tmj pain started. Then over the years it would flare up, and I could treat it with ice, heat, with ibuprofen and it would go away. I never officially had it looked at, I was always too busy working at first, and then having the boys. Now here I am, and it is officially out of control. I do feel like a weight has been lifted with the xray confirming I have a real problem that is getting worse, and I have to take care of it.

I have so many questions for you, and I hope you do not mind. I applied for disability, and I started the process a week ago, I know it is a long process. I hope to help, even if it is a small amount, my husband, as he is overwhelmed and frustrated with me. I am unable to work, as I never know how much I will have from day to day, and I have a hard time standing on my feet. I have so much guilt.

I guess one of the biggest questions I have is what does my health future bring, and have you been diagnosed with other illnesses, like fibromyalgia?

Thank you, Thelma Louise.

Kassandra

Yes - I have the severe body pain as well. From what tmj drs tell me it means there as been some cranial and cervical derangement resulting from the tmj. If the jaw is not positioned correctly and muscles can not therefore work as they should the neck and head will be affected. Once the cervical spine gets involved now you are talking a host of other ailments since it involves the central nervous system.

I was at one point getting episodes that lasted 3-4 days where I couldn't get out of bed - the pain was horrible - I felt sore to the touch - let alone trying to move around which was basically impossible. After each episode I would return to where I was stiff and able stand and walk but still got muscle spasms and twitches and something that felt like charlie horses in my legs. My elbows throbbed, my fingers were stiff and numb - I still do not have much sensation in them and now can not bend either thumb so I am dropping things and not able to open jars or even thread a needle. My feet hurt all the time - I have taking to buying shoes one size larger hoping it would help and am constantly looking for the softest socks and slippers to wear.

I would try the splint - you can always return to the OS if that fails. Why jump into the frying pan when you haven't tried cooking yet - if you get my drift. My medical insurance did cover the various splints I tried - whether they were submitted under tmj or myofacial pain I am not sure. But since splint therapy is recommended to treat myofacial pain (as well as jaw dysfunction including condyle problems) its possible it could be submitted under that dx.

Yes this has become life altering - I gave up a mgmt position in a large corp, depleted my retirement savings and am basically struggling to keep my home by living in debt - something I thought I would never have to do. Fortunately I do not have a family depending on me but worry that i might have to move in with my sis if I don't get better and return to work soon. I worry about the future - its been 4 years this past March since this started and I can't imagine remaining like this for the rest of my life.

Getting disability was tough - it took me 3 years and I am not sure if thats due to the state I reside in or if its a national problem. I had to hire an SSDI attorney to represent me and present my case to the judge - luckily once the judge interviewed me and saw the facial spasms I was experiencing I was approved and recieved backdated compensation for prior years.

The good news is that once getting the right tmj treatment most of the other symptoms will abate - hard to believe but I have seen some small gradual improvment over the past year - and am told it may take a couple more years to return to normal - but its the possibility that counts.

If you do have good medical health coverage you may want to look into cranial sacral or physical therapy - both help much with the body pain and getting the muscles in the body to relax a bit and not be overly sensitized. Also I found that my latest chiro who is a member of ICAK has been able to help the most - I actually see a differnce in the severity in symptoms after each visit - although it does not correct the tmj problem it helps with the other resulting conditions and makes this more tolerable to live with until we get the root cause of the problem treated.

I'm sorry you are dealing with and I am sure it has affected your family life and quality time with your kids and husband. I'm always here if you need to talk, or cry or even share a laugh with - even though that's hard with tmj.

Thank you, I just cannot believe how tmj can effect my whole entire body. I have flareups that are horrible and I lay in bed or on the couch curdled in a ball with heat. But, I also have chronic pain everyday, so that is how i got the dx, fibro. The dr, dentist I saw the other day brought up ptsd, and tendonits of the tmj, like I have tendonitis in my left wrist. I need to see a rheumatologist, a neurologist, and eventually if I do not get better, a pain management dr. I am going to go with the bite splint, and hope it helps. I would believe that we would say we are severe cases, and maybe top percentage? Wow, what a great classification. I read all the time how most people respond to treatment and they are ok, not us, it takes over are whole body, down to our fingers, and toes. I have problems with my feet and hands too.

I am worried about so much damage. I wish you could see the condyles, and how much damage I have done over the last 2 months. The surgeon in Portland, did not see how bad the left condyle is, and that the right is flipped and dislocated. Is it more damage in 2 months, or did he miss it?

I have a cousin, and she and her husband are dentists in Florida. She has helped me through some hard times, and especially in September when the flare up stayed and was extremely painful, I was using my vicoden from my migraines and it was not enough. She told me I have to get to see a dr, or dentist. I did, and my doctor prescribed me 2mg valium, and told me to get to see dentist asap, that was Thurs,and my appt was on Monday. On Monday, the dentist told me I was an extreme case that needed an surgical sollution. My face was sliding to the right, and has gotten worse over the year. I am sure when the judge sees me, it won't be too hard, like your case, as my face is extremely asymetrical and sloping to the right.

Do your feet burn? Mine do when I stand on them for over an hour, and then it is too much, and I have used shopping carts as crutches to get through the trip and out of the store. I have found that lighter shoes help, like crocs, like the mary janes, or birkenstocks. When I was on Lyrica my feet swelled up like a balloon, and it was hard wearing shoes.

As I sit here, I am going through my morning routine, of drinking my coffee and waiting for meds to kick in so I can move. My arms and legs ache so badly, and I dread the stairs every morning, it is like stepping on nails. So you said your mornings are bad, how long does it take you to get going and able to move? I am about 2-3 hours before I can get moving.

About a month ago, my husband came on here and read all my posts. He was furious with me that I had written about my life, and ours.He took the computer away. He used to tell me I was an addict, I need help and he is going to have to tell the boys why he had to take them away from me. I have never abused the medications, if I do not manage my pain I cannot take care of the boys and house, I would be in major pain. My husband did not understand the difference between addiction and dependance. I needed somewhere to vent, and talk. My husband has a hard time with everything I have put him through. He works so hard, and even though I have not worked in 5 years, he is resentful to me that I get to stay home with the boys,and he has to work so hard, and we are not ahead. For years, until now my husband had his own social life, and he golfed alot. Last year it was not so bad, maybe 2-3 times a weeks, but the years in the past it was almost everyday except Sunday. But now that the boys are older, 2 and 4, he wants to be with them more. I think he has a hard time with all he gives me, the gift of staying home, car (I went 14 months with out one and just got one in Dec.), health insurance, dental insurance, groceries, cc's, and clothes, and here I don't feel good, and it feels to him that all he does for me and look I don't appreciate it, and I give him nothing. I explained before about my husbands schedule and how we hardly have anytime for us. The boys like to stay up and play when he is home, and they go to bed between 9-10, and I am exhausted and tired of pain. I used to love being up with him, and I still try, but I fall asleep with the boys. I feel like a failure.

My husband has a hard time with all he gives me, I give him nothing in return, except the boys, and he works so hard to come home to a house that is disorganized. I know that the constant stress of worrying about this all is wearing on me and making me sicker, how do I not let it bother me so much? Will my husband see how bad it is when he sees the xray? My life is controlled by pain, and trying to balance my husband, and I am so tired. I push myself as hard as I can to do as much as I can, and it is not enough. By doing that I am making myself worse.

How do you do it? Does your family understand the pain? I thank you for listening to me, and do you believe your tmj was brought on by extreme stress and trauma?
I guess I took you up on your offer about venting, I am in a battle.

Thank you,
Kassandra

I really do empathize with you - I am single and live alone - have been fairly independent most of my adult life - never had anything to worry about other than taking care of my parents as they got older and myself - my other sibs all have families of their own. As I said before - I do not know what I would have done had I had a family b/c this basically wipes me out. Luckily I am fairly close to my younger sister and her husband and she was not working at the time my tmj went full blown - so for 2 yrs she came to my house to help with food shopping, doing my laundry and light cleaning and taking me to various drs. I really do not remember the first 2 yrs - but I remember the exact date it started - March 26 2004. By the 3rd year after various attempts of splint therapy, chiros, PT and cranial sacral therapy I was finally able to get through the day without crying and starting to do some things for myself again. Basically my neck had become so misaligned I couldn't even raise my arms above my head so I had no upper body and arm strength at all. But it did slowly start to return and my sister went and got a job to help me out financially.

At this point my other 2 sibs still do not understand how bad this was and still is - they see the facial spasms but do not realize how painful they are - not just where the occur, in the face, but elsewhere in the body while the spasm is occurring - my feet will cramp up a second or 2 before the facial spasm becomes evident and I can feel the "cramp" travle up through my spine. I kind of got tired of trying to explain it to them - as if I needed to defend myself. I also lost 35 lbs in the first few months when this started and they thought I was "dieting". So while I understand your need to have your husband understand what you are going though - its hard for anyone to understand this unless they have gone through it. Pain is not something anyone can really see.

For SSDI - you really do not get to see the judge unless you are denied based on your application and supporting dr notes and file an appeal - for some reason they seemed to think I should have been able to work through my pain regardless of the spasms and the dr they sent me to for evaluation was a speech therapist (???). But I am also told NY denies most cases upon application and forces everyone to go through the appeal process - since it takes time to do so, they feel most people will just give up on it. Sad, really.

I'm glad you mentioned lyrica - I wanted to try it. Although the meds I take help somewhat - basically they just make me sleepy and groggy but really do not stop the pain spasms - I was looking for something to help with the overall body pain. Sometimes I will take just plain aspirin in addition to my meds and I think it helps reduce the inflamation b/c I do feel a little better - but I don't want to take aspirin everyday for stomach reasons.

My feet do burn - and they ache all the time and at night I try to bend them forward and back but they are stiff. All my shoes are severely worn on the outer edge of the heel only which indicates I am not able to stand on them fully - its also one of the things a chiro will look at. My chiro now has me wearing a lift in my right shoe to help balance the hips which will replicate what is going on with the jaw. Since my jaw is pulled to the left side my right side (hip) got affected.

In the beginning it took me 3 hrs to get moving in the morning - they were rough. Now I can get moving within an hour - so there has been some improvement. I coudn't bend to get dressed or lift my arms to put tops on so everything was done lying on the bed and I left my sneakers tied loosely so I could just push my feet in them. My clothes could not fit tightly since that would intensify the body pain - but since I had lost so much weight most of clothes eventually just hung loosely on me anyway.

I too felt like I was losing control - I was not the person I used to be and I felt like a failure as well - for me b/c I struggled to make it on my own - put myself through school and then focused on my career - I felt like I lost everything I worked so hard for. So I started slowly to try and regain "myself" again by making lists of what had to be done daily and weekly and everyday I looked at the list and tried to do one or 2 things and then increase it to 3-4 things. I can't tell you how many times I would just walk away from something I was doing due to pain or brain fog or a spasm and not remember it until a day or 2 later. But crossing things off the list made me feel a bit better about myself - like I was able to accomplish something - plus it helped make sure things that had to be done got done - like pay bills, etc. I also got a large calendar and started marking appts or reminders on it and I check it every morning - once I get moving. It helps get me focused and plan my day - even though I do not work I do try to maintain a daily schedule. I am sure this is something you are problably already doing since you have kids. Try not to be so hard on yourself - I mean you have a hard struggle right now - so just keep doing your best - b/c it will evenutally get better. You are right - not everyone gets affected by tmj to this degree, but it does happen. But I am continually told even those affected this badly do slowly recover and can return to normal lives

It could have been stress since my job was high pressure every day but more likely trauma and poor dental work. I had 2 facial accidents when younger and then braces to correct crooked front teeth that resulted from that and then chin augmentation surgery to correct a receeded chin that the braces caused and after all of that my front teeth had to be removed anyway! So I had dental implants done in the front and was fine for several years until a bridge in the front chipped and I went to a different dentist for a replacement and it never fit right and I started to get facial pain and a tired feeling in my face all the time. After 4 yrs of putting up with it I basically just woke up one morning with a stiff neck and noticed my face had changed over night and by bite was off to the left and then I had my first spasm about a week later - the pain was so intense I became hysterical and had to go to the ER - pretty much everything after that is kind of like a blur now - I really don't remember much of it anymore - you start just trying to get though each day - and one day is pretty much like the last - so it just becomes one big long nightmare. I am pretty sure though it worsened as I went from one dr to another - I made many of the mistakes they tell you not to do - such as having my bite permanently altered, picking drs that said they were tmj dentists and then finding out they really weren't, wasting too much time with the same dr and not getting any improvement. Its why I suggest you try the splint first and another if that one doesn't work - until you have tried every splint they make before you opt for surgery.

What you can do to let your hsuband know how much you appreciate him is TELL him and do it often. Thank him for the little things - I know its rough b/c you are not able to think clearly most of the time I am sure - long term pain affects the brain chemistry - but when you get a moment when you are thinking clearly - leave him a note he will see when he gets up or comes home, leave him something special in the fridge or take care of one the chores he normally does when he comes home so he gets a few minutes extra. Yes, you are in a battle - that's how I felt too - start making it more of a mission though - perserverence is what is going to get you through this and lots of faith.

Well I rattled on and on - guess I needed to vent a bit myself - but I just wanted to let you see you are not alone in this - there are a few others here pretty bad off as well - I did manage to burn a pan left on the stove wile I wrote this though. But I blame everything these days on meds - LOL. A sense of humor can help - although none of this is funny at all - but too much obsessing about it can make it worse too. My sister likes to tell everyone that now when I drive, everytime I have a spasm we change lanes unexpectedly - she hates driving and has frequent heart palpitations, so now that I am a bit better she lets me drive but obviously she must have some trepedation about this - but she says it in such a funny way that even I have to laugh.

Make the appt to get the splint and take it from there - its not the easiest route but it is probably the safest and most conservative one.

Thank you, I appreciate your time and story. I am sorry you are going through this, but we are together going through it, and can help each other. I am by myself, the boys are asleep, we wore them out today, and I planned it out so well. I drank a cup of coffee at 5:30 so I could stay up, and I am by myself. My husband went to get gas over an hour ago, and I begged him to come back soon, and that I really wanted to work on spending evenings together and he has not come back! He went to visit his sister down at a restaurant or so. I am bummed. I am trying to do special things, it is hard not to feel like a failure

As I sit here I am in pain. My whole body it spasmsing. I do not want to take anything more for the day, but I hurt too much. My hands and fingers are sore and stiff too. I want to jump through the roof when I flex my fingers. I have a good day if I barely move, or I can have a day that I have pain, but I have to take vicoprofen every 4 hours to be able to move.

I am a good wife. I kiss him hello, and good bye, I take care of him when he is sick, I get his coffee every morning, I adore him,I leave him notes, and I am now waiting. He knows I am. I am hurt, but I am not going to get upset, it will only hurt me more.Oh, well, I am enjoying my time on the computer, and watching Law and Order.

I did some research on fms, and mps today, and I have them both in addition to tmj. I am so lucky. I have to keep moving. I have a long road ahead of me to get better, and I need a team of help. Myofascial Pain syndrome is a very complex illness, and I read that it can be caused by extreme stress, or emotional abuse. Also, how I got tmj. The fight or flight tension has caused my body to fall apart.

I am curious to see what the chiropractor says tomorrow. I will let you know. I am going to move forward with the bite splint asap. What other dr should I see, or specialists?

Thanks and I hope you are having a good evening,

Kassandra

I am glad you are going to a chiro - what type is he - does he have a specialty? Does he use the tradtional manual method or activator? I never knew that chiros have different methods and underlying training - I am on my 3rd one now. Each one helped in one way or another but I found that at some point after several months I would plateau and not see any additional improvements. My current chiro is kinseologist and he has helped quite a bit.

You may want to try physical therapy for tmj - one tmj dentist I went to sent me to a therapist who specialized in it - my medical insurance covered it for 16 weeks. I went 2x weekly for an hour and they would start with hot compresses to the face and head for 15 mins, the tens unit for 15 mins,ultra sound for another 15 mins and then finish with a body massage - primarily on the head, neck and back. I would feel so much better afterwards although b/c of my bite problem everything would return by the next day. But just knowing what it felt like to have less pain even for a few hours was encouraging. Your dentist or current chiro should be able to refer you someone - I needed a prescription by a dr to have covered by my insurance.

I also did cranio sacral therapy - again the dentist referred me to someone and my insurance covered it. Its a light touch pressure point therapy that affects the thin membrane or sheath that covers muscles - when the muscular skeletal alignment becomes torqued (basically your jaw, neck, hips and pelvis are imblanced), the fascia gets torqued and supposedly twists against the muscles and causes pain. I did the same thing - 2x weekly for 7 months - I saw good improvement with muscle twitching and overally body pain - actually felt like I was returning to a more normal sleep - not waking up every hour - as I was doing. At one point I tried a different therapist closer to home and found I did not get the same benefits as I did with the first therapist - but she was an hour away and the travel was just getting to me.

So not all chiros and therapists are the same - if you do not get results after a few visits do not waste much time with them. Most will tell you they need at least a month - so give them that, but you will know if they are helping or not fairly quickly.

Aslo, if you are not yet taking dietary supplements - you should ask your chiro about some - most are into homeopathic and holistic healing. Chronic pain depletes the body's resources - so you should increase your intake of calcium, magnesium, Vit D and zinc. You may want to try glucosamin, chondroitin & MSN and a vit B complex. If you are having trouble swallowing ask about liquid or powder versions or gel caps which are easier than hard tablets.

Your hubby probably just needed a bit of a break - its not easy watching someone you love or care for being in pain and being unable to help them. And this is not an easy condition to understand - because its affects are so widespread and all consuming. He probably needs someone to talk to who can offer some support. I took care of both my parents when they were sick and I can't tell you how important my friends and an evening out occasionally helped me cope with the pressure during that period.

Let me know how you make out with the chiro.