3 ms·

I've suffered from occipital nueralgia for over 10 years now. Luckily mine isn't as severe as it ca be for some. I'm able to self treat by applying pressure whe

by le-mark 10y ago

I've suffered from occipital nueralgia for over 10 years now. Luckily mine isn't as severe as it ca be for some. I'm able to self treat by applying pressure when it gets really bad. So I manage and it doesn't effect my life much aside from usually being a cranky son of a bitch to my wife, which I do regret. Once a few years ago I had an "occipital nerve block". That's where a pain specialist injects novacain into the nerve. I was pain free for about a month, it was marvelous. But insurance didn't cover it so I never got one again. About a month ago I woke up feeling like I was high or something. I was in physical bliss. I realized it was the first time in many years I'd been totally pain free. It made me kinda sad.

pasbesoin 10y ago
A couple of months ago, I had a condition that required a week's worth of prednisone. Not a particularly pleasant experience. But one side-effect that was remarkable, to me: The decades of accumulated aches and pains "went away" while I was on it. A chance to observe, through the sort of light haze the drug left me in, just how much and varied the discomfort was that had accumulated. My primary response to the question of how to control pain, remains: Pro-active health care and preventative medicine and practice. No, it won't stop all cases, but those we can prevent, we should. And currently, too often don't. Too much is focused on "the future." The child that will be. The society we will create. The career we will -- hope to -- have. Until a primary focus is on the present, and taking care of what is at hand, my support for some "future promise" is limited. Among other reasons, because if you aren't healthy and able, you'll have less chance of building it. Or hanging onto it. Or enjoying it. I'm all for taking care of ourselves -- individually and as a society -- for the future. But that action takes place in the present. Until I see a party exercising this -- demonstrating it through actions -- my buy-in is limited. P.S. I guess I went kind of OT, here. I just see so much needless, preventable pain, these days. I really hope for better pain management for those who have pain. And I don't see having it as some "fault" that invariably could have been "avoided." But I see a lot that could be avoided. Steps that could be taken, by communities and society -- but aren't.
matthjensen 10y ago
I wish our medical system trusted patients more. Why not tattoo a tiny dot on the scalp where the patient needs to inject, train him, and then send him home with the Novocain. Have a checklist of warning signs that should terminate treatment or require a checkup. Here's a video explaining the procedure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udDaNhPNwT8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udDaNhPNwT8
- EricDeb 10y ago
  Does novocain have the same dangers as lidocaine-like if you hit a vein or artery it can cause seizures?
  - AstralStorm 10y ago
    Lesser but still bad.
- takeda 10y ago
  After watching this video, I don't think I would be able to do it myself, or even to someone. It looks complicated. I had injection to a thigh for some time which was fairly easy (you just need to make sure you don't get a vein) and even that was tough. Although, I agree that if someone can do it themselves or has someone to do it for them, then they should have an option to do it after going through some training.
EricDeb 10y ago
le-mark I suffer from occipital neuralgia as well. I've learned from experience that you don't need to go to a pain specialist to get an occipital nerve block. The right neurologist will do it for $100ish cash.

by le-mark 10y ago

pasbesoin 10y ago

A couple of months ago, I had a condition that required a week's worth of prednisone. Not a particularly pleasant experience. But one side-effect that was remarkable, to me: The decades of accumulated aches and pains "went away" while I was on it. A chance to observe, through the sort of light haze the drug left me in, just how much and varied the discomfort was that had accumulated. My primary response to the question of how to control pain, remains: Pro-active health care and preventative medicine and practice. No, it won't stop all cases, but those we can prevent, we should. And currently, too often don't. Too much is focused on "the future." The child that will be. The society we will create. The career we will -- hope to -- have. Until a primary focus is on the present, and taking care of what is at hand, my support for some "future promise" is limited. Among other reasons, because if you aren't healthy and able, you'll have less chance of building it. Or hanging onto it. Or enjoying it. I'm all for taking care of ourselves -- individually and as a society -- for the future. But that action takes place in the present. Until I see a party exercising this -- demonstrating it through actions -- my buy-in is limited. P.S. I guess I went kind of OT, here. I just see so much needless, preventable pain, these days. I really hope for better pain management for those who have pain. And I don't see having it as some "fault" that invariably could have been "avoided." But I see a lot that could be avoided. Steps that could be taken, by communities and society -- but aren't.

matthjensen 10y ago

I wish our medical system trusted patients more. Why not tattoo a tiny dot on the scalp where the patient needs to inject, train him, and then send him home with the Novocain. Have a checklist of warning signs that should terminate treatment or require a checkup. Here's a video explaining the procedure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udDaNhPNwT8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udDaNhPNwT8

EricDeb 10y ago
Does novocain have the same dangers as lidocaine-like if you hit a vein or artery it can cause seizures?
- AstralStorm 10y ago
  Lesser but still bad.
takeda 10y ago
After watching this video, I don't think I would be able to do it myself, or even to someone. It looks complicated. I had injection to a thigh for some time which was fairly easy (you just need to make sure you don't get a vein) and even that was tough. Although, I agree that if someone can do it themselves or has someone to do it for them, then they should have an option to do it after going through some training.

EricDeb 10y ago

le-mark I suffer from occipital neuralgia as well. I've learned from experience that you don't need to go to a pain specialist to get an occipital nerve block. The right neurologist will do it for $100ish cash.