Alternative treatments or therapies for chronic pain

I have tried acupuncture and a form also known as dry needling... it seems to help. I have never tried the other methods mentioned, but I want to try meditation and yoga, but sometimes the stiffness prevents my motion and trying to just meditate is hard because when I zone out I am in pain.

Any recommendations?

I have done that dry needling also. As this is supposed to release the gasses etc that causes you to get knots and pain. I was in more pain the following day after the procedure due to not staying hydrated enough. I have not tried any of the other things. My doctor is trying to get me into hydro therapy.  Physical Therapy in the water . Hopefully I am able to get in and hope it helps. 

@BeachLife18 what type of pain do you have? Or what type of pain were you trying to relieve from dry needling? Did you do more than one treatment? Success?

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Hi y'all!

I have had acupuncture for migraines. It worked for me! A-mazingly...

I do have nausea for 2-3 hours lingering after, but the pain...gone!

I also meditate, use relaxation Techniques and have a beautiful loving kitten that keeps me smiling and laughing!

I have had Aqua therapy before. It does keep you moving. It too is relaxing. With electrical stimulation and moist heat packs following water exercises, it all was helpful. Just doesn't last long. You have to go every other day religiously.

I have a pool at home and do aquasizes when I can. Like i said, it helps, but only for a short time. I enjoy doing them, so that helps too.

Make drinking water your friend y'all. (Unless restricted by your Doctor) I used to hate water! Now... I can't get enough. It is so good for so many things. I have to filter my water through the house and through the fridge due to my autoimmune issues. I don't drink sodas at all anymore. First line of defense in helping pain, or most physical conditions in my opinion.

Best of luck!

Much love & God bless!

My pain comes from herniated disk,bulging disk, Osteoarthritis, S shaped moderate scoliosis and chronic Radiopathy.  The muscles in my back constantly tighten up due to instability in back. This is why Dry needing was attempted to try and get muscle to relax so that I can try and strengthen my muscles. Unfortunately I have not yet started Hydro therapy as Dr office and therapy location seem to not have referral info together. Currently on Medicine (which I hate taken but also dont want to be in Pain) Currently taken Tramadol, Gabapentin and anti-inflammatory.  So ready to get into therapy to see if it helps. 

@BeachLife18‍ did the Dry Needling work? I have done it and it works really good for me; actually have a session tomorrow with a new practitioner since I moved. I found it really depends on the practitioner. 

It seems off to me that the goal is to get the muscle to relax when there is instability because the muscles are tight because they are protecting the instability, so I think you would want the muscles to be tight? That is what I was taught from my physical therapist and she explained to me that many practitioners, especially chiropractors, try to loosen things up and contribute pain to that without looking at the actual body and reasoning - they just start cracking and stretching. She said when there is an imbalance - like laxity - in your situation, your body corresponds accordingly and tightens up where it needs to and that it is a protective mechanism. Without addressing the true issue, she says you should not disturb the protective mechanism and in some situations the true issue cannot be resolved without surgical interventions. But she said other parts of the body could be attributing to that and that needs to be looked at.

Also, what is hydro therapy? How does it work for chronic pain?

What do you attribute your chronic pain too?

@painman‍ 

I only did a few sessions of the Dry Needling through a Physical Therapy office. It did not help during that time. Muscles being tight would be good to support instability in the spine. I have been told on several occasions that tight muscles can also cause pain. That muscles/knots in the back can contain toxins that aggravate the muscles and cause pain which is why they did the dry needling to release the toxins in the body that cause knots/ tight muscles. I also seem more confused when it comes to this.   

I am currently researching Chinese Herbs for relief of Sciatic pain that I have been suffering from chronically since last July at some level ranging from tolerable to disabling. I will try to keep you posted as I have placed an order for what seems to be a very hopeful combination. I also just want to say that with all the concern for the use of opiates to treat pain, Chinese Medicine is starting to be viewed with much less skepticism by Western medical professionals. It may be a return to nature is forthcoming. 

Hydro therapy is therapy in water. I am doing some of the same exercises you would typically do during Physical Therapy. It takes a lot of the pressure usually felt during normal therapy sessions,in order to make it easier to do the exercises. I have done 5 sessions and have had a very small improvement in my range in my neck area but worsening range in my back area. 

What do I think is causing the chronic pain....

I think several issues are causing pain. The S shaped scolisis which is two curves in thoracic and one curve in lumbar area. Also have herniated disk in neck area and bulging disk in lumbar area. Have sever degenerated disk disease in very low lumbar area. The bulging disk is pinching a nerve at the L4-L5 area which is causing the pain that runs down my leg. Your spine is your core and with all of those issues it is going to cause pain as your body is trying to stabilize itself . What has caused this???? I think several things. I was always extremely skinnny way to skinny even though I would eat. After three kids I have put on more weight. I am stubborn I try and do way to much. Lifting items, pulling items and pushing items weighing over 100 pounds.  Showing off on a balance beem doing flips and landing on it sideways. Being involved in 5 accidents over 22 years of driving ( 4 which were from people not paying attention and hitting my car when I was at a complete stop. 1 was from someone flying through the parking lot spaces and hitting the driver side door at 45 mph.)