Getting rid of that pain in the neck
There's a pretty good reason most people can't seem to shake their chronic neck pains: Their own doctors are absolutely stumped by the condition.
How else can you explain their mass insistence on treatments that don't work?
A new study shows that few neck patients are given the safe and effective treatments that can send the pain packing... while far too many are given exactly what they don't need.
You probably know where this is going: Drugs. Powerful, dangerous and addictive drugs.
Ineffective drugs.
The new study finds that 29 percent of all neck pain patients use strong narcotics such as oxycodone, fentanyl, and methadone, while 23 percent used weaker--but still risky--narcotics such as codeine and propoxyphene.
In addition, nearly a third of all pain patients were given muscle relaxants, while 56 percent relied on over-the- counter painkillers, according to the study in Arthritis Care & Research.
But even mainstream research has shown that these drugs won't cure chronic neck pain. All they can do is mask the symptoms while increasing the risk of side effects and dependence with every swallow.
And if you need proof of that, just ask these patients... because despite all those powerful meds, they're still battling that debilitating, even crippling, neck pain.
In fact, researchers found that the median length of suffering is nearly 7 years--and that's despite an average of 21 office visits to five different doctors, including primary care physicians (72 percent), orthopedic surgeons (31.6 percent), neurosurgeons (29.1 percent) and neurologists (22.8 percent).
It seems like all the king's horses and all the king's men are unable to make the patient healthy, or at least pain- free, again--because the treatments that actually do work best are rarely used or even offered.
Just 3.9 percent of the patients tried acupuncture despite clinical evidence that those needles can bring big-time relief... while only 2.7 percent participated in the rehabilitation conditioning programs that have proven to help beat the condition and keep it at bay for good.
And only slightly more than half of the patients were told to do therapeutic exercises--despite a review of the research by the Cochrane Collaboration that found them to be highly effective.
If you're fighting chronic neck pain and your doctor starts by offering pills instead of the simple stretching exercises that have helped so many beat the condition, then it's time to find a new doctor.
Consider an acupuncturist, too.
And if you need immediate relief, don't turn to narcotics-- try rubbing natural compounds such as emu oil, DMSO and menthol-based creams and oils onto your neck instead.
In addition to being safe and effective, no one's ever gotten addicted to emu oil.
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Edward Martin writes House Calls, a daily letter chronicling the most cutting-edge alternative methods for beating diabetes and cancer, to the latest FDA foul-ups and Big Pharma conspiracies.
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Comments
Mark Hundley
Several injuries to my back and neck over the years have made me susceptable to bouts of pain. I have tried virtually every treatment there is and the truth is that there is no magic cure. Each person is different as is each condition. You need to find a treatment option that works for you in your lifestyle. Whether it be accupuncture, chiropractic, massage or anything else, the key is taking responsibility for your own treatment plan and not depending on some "wonder drug." I think the key takeaway from this article is that drugs are not targeting the source of the problem.
Nikki K
Thank you for the article on a chronic health issue : NECK pain.
I noticed that you did not mention MASAGE and Trigger Point therapy as possiblemethods to relive Neck pain.
Massage T.P therapy has greatly helped me.
Steve
I am really surprised this article did not mention going to a CHIROPRACTOR, and in the percentages part on Doctors, Chiropractors are not mentioned either. I go to the Chiro every three weeks now. It used to be weekly, and then every other week. I have a stage two neck degeneration condition. When I started I was in chronic pain. 6-7 out of ten. I went to physical therapy for a couple of months in the beginning, but 50-75 bucks for a half hour, was more expensive than massage at 50 bucks an HOUR. I had only 2 good days that whole YEAR!!!! Massage and PT helped but they do not adjust the vertebra, and that was the problem, vertebra out of alignment. After 6 months of CHEAPER and more effective treatments my headaches DISAPPEARED. I had some doozies!
Now I am generally pain free in the neck itself. I cannot lay on my side in bed, because holding my head up, even propped up on my hand, is painful to the muscle attachments. I don't have the headaches, (he adjusted my cranial bones as well, an MD told me Cranial bones don't move, but they DO. Micro movements are necessary for the flow of senovial fluid in the skull), and it is generally my back that bothers me now, I think that is mostly sleeping on too firm of a bed, and being too in active because of disease, and seems to be more muscular than vertebra. My Chiropractor is also the one who found my candida and leaky gut syndrome which was causing my thyroid and Grave's Disease, and NO medical doctor even suspected that they exited or were even a real problem!!!!! Leaky Gut was tested for with a home test you send to a lab.
I am finding medical doctors to be NO help these days. I just spent 500 dollars to up my levoxyl from 25mcg to 75mcg. 3 blood draws, 2 visits, and that was WITH INSURANCE!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I STILL FELT SLUGGISH AND BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My chiropractor put me on a dessicated pig thyroid supplement called GTA. I noticed more energy and aliveness within the hour!!!!! They can use Kinesiology Muscle testing to determine where the problem is, also what supplement is good for your condition, an MD is using guess work and blood tests and most of the time you end up with a med that does not work or gives you more SYMPTOMS through side-effects!!!!!!!!!!! And is ten times as expensive!!!!!! Thank God levoxyl is cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used to take 30 pills a day back six-7 years ago. Now I take about 9. Levoxyl is the only prescription drug pill I take, the rest are supplements.
I am sending all my kids to Chiropractic College!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My chiro visit is 45 bucks, insurance sometimes kicks in. I paid 30 last time because of a credit. My MD is WAY MORE!!!!!!! Blood draw and visit - 244 bucks, and needed to go back for 2 more tests just to check!!!!! about 700 bucks total. Insurance only paid about 200.
So, hee thee to a Chiropractor, and have them adjust your back, neck, hips, and head. You'll feel better!!!!!!!!!!
We say..."I'll be in Chiro next week!" Like Cairo, the city in Egypt.
Be Well and Happy.
Steve
Anonymous
Hi Guys,
Try Qigong- Chinese way of gentle exercise and you will find
a great relief and may cure the problem.
Its don't cause you a bomb and I bet you will be drug free.
Search and you shall find its., e.g google it.
Jeff
I'd be very carefully witrh Chiropractors. As I type this I'm sitting here in a neck collar from just having 3 discs fused because one of them rupured the discs in my neck.
Brian
Debiliating neck pain may be helped with conservative Chiropractic care. When a structure goes out of place the are functional changes that go with it. Put structure and function together and you will know ia 3-4 weeks if Chiropractic care would help. Too many traditional doctors only know how to dish out pills. Next time your care gets a flat change the oil and see what happens. You still have a flat tire. A pill will not put things back where they belong. They will mask the pain but not solve the problem.
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