hi there, am a 51 year old female..and I am in very good physical condition. I had 3 cervical disks fused April 29th and am still taking the hydrocodone for severe trigger points in the right shoulder/neck/trail extending down the right shoulder blade. These often result in radiating pain to the right side of my forehead and imitrix or the hydrocodone usually take the pain away. I am trying to get botox A injected into the muscles as the Dr. thinks this will help. Blue shield is dragging on it, and the Dr. has submitted an appeal and am awaiting this result. Currently, I am scheduled for another round of facet injection blocks, a diagnostic to pinpoint the troublesome nerve endings involved. The outcome will result in a facet block of these nerves, which would then block the message of pain to the brain. With the botox A and this procedure, I should be good to go. Since I am extremely active, I hope for excellent results. I am 5-6 and weigh 115 lbs. I do weight lifting, cardio, light jogging and am getting into indoor rock wall climbing, as I have the upper body strength for it. The only reason I include this, is I am not the average 51 year old, from what I see in the Reno NV area. I am so frustrated because the surgery flew by very fast and I still suffer daily with this tight muscle trigger point problem. I have had 2 deep tissue massages and they work for about a day, so that is just not for me. It feels great, but no cigar, as they say. I can't afford that. has anyone out there had a similar problem and am interested in replies from those who are physically strong and lift weights or run or some other cardio on a daily basis. Thank you in advance..
Petula!
Last edited by mod-anon; 11-18-2008 at 12:21 PM.
Reason: starting a new thread with this post.
Hi Petula,
I have the same issues in my upper back and neck area. I have been seeing a myofascial trigger point therapist for the past month, and it has been making a difference. The therapist is trained to specifically treat trigger points and work them out. This is not a deep tissue massage by any means. At the beginning of each appointment, I describe the pain I have been and the specific location, and she pinpoints the trigger point area that she has to work on. She works out the knot and it really does hurt, but eventually it turns into a feeling of heat and I know that there has been a positive chemical release. I don't feel great for the rest of the day, but the following day I can tell a difference. I am going on a weekly basis, and although I am not 100% by any means, I feel like I am improving, slowly but surely. She also has a set of stretching exercises that I do 4-6 times per day, which helps those areas in between appointments. I have also invested in a Shiatsu pillow which I put on my neck and the tender areas on either side of my spine. It's almost unbearable at first, but with the heat and the slow massage, it also helps to loosen up the trigger points. You might think about finding a certified myofascial therapist in your area, and give it a try. Lily
Nice to meet you and so glad you found this place.
I've had the botox injections and found them helpful. At the time I was having these injections done, no insurance companies covered the expense at all - botox was considered experimental. So what the doctor did was find several patients that needed the injections, we would all meet on the same day at his office, and then we would share the bottle of botox. Each person would get the amount they needed and we were all in separate rooms when the injections were given. At that time, the bottle was around $300.00. Not sure what it costs now, but if your doctor would be willing to do the therapy this way, the cost would be split up and not so expensive for your wallet in the event that your insurance company doesn't pay.
I'm physically active, living in Colorado where there are all sorts of exploits to experience! What an amazing place to live. I go horseback riding, bike riding, ATV riding, hiking, etc. But I cannot attribute the botox to my current physical status, as helpful as it was during the time I was using it. I can attribute my health to guafenesin protocol. You might want to investigate this option.
hi kirstee, nice to meet you.,.how old are you? And you sound like you are in good shape..that is the ONLY reason I ask,,haha...nothing else meant behind that...now, for my ongoing saga with my insurance and botox for my neck/shoulder...for the second time now, as of yesterday, they have denied it...said I don't meet the criteria...my doctor is going to appeal it yet again. In the meantime I am getting facet injection blocks..are you familiar with them? I had some last week, they hurt like heck when they stick the needle in. but it numbs the area and then they see if they have targeted the right nerves of pain. I am scheduled for the second round next week. Same thing, they find out from me if I am pain free for a few hours..and that determines that they have the right nerves. Then next month I am scheduled for a facet ablation, which basically fries the nerve ending and no pain message to the brain til it grows back, and that should eliminate the pain...hopefully...between this and the botox, the doctor feels we have a good chance of eliminating this and helping me heal. I had the 3 fusions 6 months ago, and that went great. These are neck/shoulder/upper back muscles predominantly on the right side that give me so much pain each day..very tight...well, thanks for writing back and take good care, Cheryl in Reno
hi there, thanks for writing,,,I have gotten several massages, and by people who know trigger points...I love it! But it does not give me any real relief for very long...maybe a day. I will look into the shiatsu pillow..I thought I've tried them all! thanks for your advice!
Cheryl
Lily
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