9 responses so far ↓

• Kathy // Jan 16, 2010 at 12:34 am

  topic suggesstion energy boosters (food)

• Mitch // Jan 19, 2010 at 10:48 pm

  Dear Friends,

  I am a 54 year old “old dude” with chronic low back pain. In 1984 I was diagnosed with sciatica in the l4, l5 region of my lower back as a result of an old college football injury. Due to stubborness and fear of my doctors I have managed to avoid surgery however I have had epidurals and have taken my share of NSAIDs with limited improvement.

  My lower back pain has flared recently as a result of too much kneeling from working in my garden.

  I recently came upon this cold laser blog on wordpress and thought I would check it out but I thought I would share it with sciatica sufferers out there:

  http://www.pltcsb.wordpress.com.

  It looks interesting but I have never tried cold laser before. I may try it (nothing to lose at this point besides money) since they claim that it is painless.

  Mitch

• MrBarns // Feb 1, 2010 at 3:22 pm

  what a great site and informative posts, I will add a backlink and bookmark your site. Keep up the good work!

• Tim // Mar 11, 2010 at 10:45 am

  I have a question for you. I have a chronic pain condition similar to CRPS along with some nasty allodynia, etc. Most mornings I feel like I’m 120 years old. I am a big believer in graded motor imagery, etc., however, I am one of many people out there who have never seen a visual image in my mind. I would like to be able to find someone who has some idea of how to induce him injury without visualization. Almost always when somebody says “imagine….”, they mean “visualize…”. When someone asks me to imagine something — I have no idea what they are talking about. This certainly gets in the way of any kind of motor imagery tasks. I’m working with a very competent physical therapist, but this problem is intractable for him also. I have contacted Lorimer Mosely — and he does not have any ideas on this either. Can you provide any guidance, information, contacts, etc. towards resolving this?

• How to Cope with Pain // Mar 12, 2010 at 8:35 am

  Tim, very interesting question!

  Regarding GMI… The middle step of GMI is to imagine moving your body part, let’s say hand, into the same position as the picture you’re looking at. How to do this if you can’t imagine?

  My thoughts:

  1. I would have you do that step anyway, even if you can’t visualize it. Why? I think imagine has other components besides seeing it in your mind’s eye. For example, there is a “feeling the movement” part and knowing where your body is in space.
  2. I would have you imagine the movement in some context. For example, if there was a hand held up with 5 fingers spread apart, I would have you think about making a “stop sign” with you hand, so your brain had some other guidance to work with.

  Besides GMI, there are many paths to get where you want to go besides “visualizing.” For example:

  1. I would also have you do work in other brain re-training techniques, such as tactile discrimination, using repetitive normal movement, using a mirror, etc. This can get you some of the same benefit as GMI.
  2. Using other senses, such as hearing, touch. If you’re doing relaxation, instead of “seeing” a beach, you could imagine bird sounds, or the sounds of the beach.

  I’ll be interested in your thoughts above these suggestions. Thanks for writing in.

• Maria (Tough Cookie) // Jul 21, 2010 at 11:09 am

  I explain my recent inpatient IV ketamine infusion in great detail here: http://prefontaine44.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-new-and-improved-ketamine-tale.html

  This could be great for the pain blog carnival. Thanks!

• Maria (Tough Cookie) // Jul 29, 2010 at 1:42 pm

  Suggestion for August’s Pain Blog Carnival. I just wrote a message to the spouses and partners of those with chronic pain and illness (in the first person): http://prefontaine44.blogspot.com/2010/07/message-to-spousespartners-of-those.html

  Thank you! xoxo

• Maria // Aug 25, 2010 at 7:12 am

  Thank you so much for the mention in this month’s pain blog carnival!

  I just posted this essay on how to survive college, undergrad/post grad, with chronic pain and illness: http://prefontaine44.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-survive-undergraduate-and.html

  Could be good for next month’s carnival.

  Have a wonderful day! xoxoxo

• Denise // Aug 30, 2010 at 11:30 am

  I am currently undergoing experimental treatment for RSD and chronic pain issue call intravenous ozone therapy and created a blog for people to follow my journey. They can also listen to the radio shows at blog talk radio “living with RSD” and look at the archived guests and topics. Please visit my blog and comment and ask questions, I love feedback and want others aware of this alternative therapy. http://www.thepsycheofachronicpainsufferer.blogspot.com. Thanks!!!

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