Question
No other health changes- neurologist said she looked very healthy as well as her doctor, she is a fashion buyer/designer for work and I own a managment company and a mort broker (average stress level in our lives)- there was a serious amount of stress in the last year- her mom had a stroke, planning our wedding (bridezilla:-)...a possibilty of me getting deployed (USMC) which is not happening anymore and she now worries a lot about this problem (neck and jaw), she did lose about 10 lbs from all the stress and she is a vegitarian/vegan- she is 5 "2" and weighs about 108). Her age is 27- she likes to excercise and does drink water. she doesnt due drugs anymore but did use them (recreational) designer drugs (cocaine, exstacy and spec k) about 7 years ago. she did them for about 3 or 4 years. we are very worried- she just returned from the neurologist -stated she has tmj in the jaw and the hern disc is what causes neck pain. what do you think? thank you for taking the time.-------------------------

Followup To

Question -
MY FIANCE IS EXPERIANCING A CONSTANT NECK PAIN- STIFF NECK- SHE HAD AN MRI DONE AND SHOWED A DISC HERNIATION C4-C5 & A MINOR BULGING DISC(SHE WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT THAT BAD OF A CASE).SHE DOES COMPLAIN ABOUT SOME PAIN GOING INTO THE ARMS BUT IT HAS RECENTLY GOTTEN WORSE(60-90 DAYS). SHE HAS TO TAKE VALIUM TO SLEEP. THE PAIN CAUSES HER JAW TO LOCK AND HER JAW AND NECK IS ALWAYS HURTING HER (ESPEC AT NIGHT). SHE ALSO GETS THESE CRACKLING AND POPPING SOUNDS IN THE NECK (NOT WHEN SHE MOVES THOUGH) SHE COULD JUST BE SITTING NOT MOVING AND YOU CAN HEAR THESE SOUNDS COMING FROM HER. BOTH OF US ARE *EXTREMLY WORRIED* CAN YOU *PLEASE* SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS.

Answer -
Justin:

Thanks for writing!

What other health changes has occured with your fiance? Any illness, injury, drugs? How much water does she drink? What is her age?

Dr. Rozeboom

Answer
Justin:

Ok!

I would suspect heavy metal poisioning from the drugs, complicated by the stress and enabled by the Great American Diet.

Various heavy metal detox methods are available. The sauna and vitamin and exercise methods developed by L. Ron Hubbard is good. There are various herbs and other compounds, it is hard to say from here which is available and feasible and appropriate. You would have to check out your area.

This can be handled, I am sure. It is not a permanent situation. An operation on the bulging disc might give temporary relief but to get to the root of the problem, one has to clean up the body and get the stress out of the spine.

Good Luck! Let me know if you want more feedback.

Dr. Rozeboom