MUST READ: stupid therapies I did - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

julyg · 03-23-2007, 07:53 AM

last week someone asked me "what did you do to allieve your pain and also to avoid surgery?" I said pretty much what we all do pre-surgery... physical therapy, anti-inflammitoy drugs, trigger point injections, exercise, 2 rounds of epidurals, accupunture and chiro. Heat and cold wraps and purchased and made untold amount of pillows.

Below is some of the really classic stupid money/time wasting therapies I did and I really suggest if you want to do these, proceed with caution!

Ok so here is the stupid stuff I did...

Alright, I love massages, so I got a deep tissue one for neck and traps and believe me went I left the therapist I thought she was heaven on earth. That night and for next week I was in unbearable agony. The unbearable pain as a result of this sent me to pain management Doctor. That dr. suggested light "flushing" massage in future.

DRX 9000 Cervical TRACTION MACHINE sessions cost a fortune($4000)! After 22 sessions MRi taken before and immediately after showed further disc dehydraTION AND NO IMPROVEMENT. (and this center tried to hardball sell me $165 monthly vitamin supplements) This Chiro center is now out of business.
If you call the makers of drx9000 you won't get any support info but you will find on their website they offer chiropracters who purchase this machine substantial co-op ad money to pay for newspaper ad campaigns. Thats why you always see the ads.)

Sacral Cranial massage therapy..Ok my fault, should have read up on this before booking appointment with "experts" who founded this. Imagine spending $150 to have someone massage the roof of your mouth!

(This one really took the cake, boy did i walk out of that "medical center" feeling like a fool.)

Cupping. I now call it VOODOO cupping. Ok in my defense this is was early on in my ***** for pain relief.
The "therapist" lights candles in cups puts them upside down on your muscles and the suction created is supposed to wisk away pain and leave system detoxed. So stupid! All it does is leaves cup size hickys on neck and traps! My husband couldn't help but laugh.

Purchased inversion table going back to the traction theory. Didn't help! bought it a Costco for $200 sold it on craigs list for $80.

If you have any other therapies that didn't work, please reply and save us all some money and time and further injury and perhaps give us a smile!

JULY

SKZ · 03-23-2007, 08:33 AM

Is that chiropractic machine one of those decompression things that we all see advertised? My surgeon said it was a joke, if it is the same thing.

I have tried everything you tried, including cupping! hehe.
I even tried BOTOX injections, for my upper body and neck spasms, which DIDNT work.

julyg · 03-23-2007, 10:38 AM

Yes, that is the decompression machine you see everwhere on tv and ads for lower back pain? sciatica ? neck pain? new Nasa technology blah blah blah.

As you know desperate people will try all.

alex12 · 03-23-2007, 01:18 PM

I'm cracking up, you beat me only by a bit. Although I didn't realize the massage was bad,I have a machine that I use and press it into my neck (even though it advises not to.
I did the traction (I thought it was good but probably made it worse), the Chiro whcih definitely made it worse. I did Reiki, but it didnt help, I tried acupuncture and it did nothing (I was really hoping for results on that one since a lot of people say it does work).
OK here is my # Kicker!!!!!!!
I went to a healling mass where people were passing out left and right when the priest would touch them, well he got to me and nothing! Not even a flinch I had...I was like, "am I the Devil that this didn't work!!!!!???"
They said sometimes it takes time, well 5 months later and still the same...
although I am still praying that maybe it will kick in one day!

SKZ · 03-23-2007, 01:25 PM

Here's one for ya: R O L F I N G ! It helped, but not long term.