Question
I fell down a storm drain about 6 months ago. One of my legs had been hurting for quite awhile and was told to just wait out the pain, which I did. I eventually went to the emergency room since my leg began to get weak. Since then, things have gotten dramatically worse--it ws about a month or two ago. The pain progressed to my upper leg then to my other leg and then to my arms. Then uncontrollable shaking began. The shakign affects my arms, head, and legs. I now have constant nausea and dizziness. The pain is excruciating and I am not on pain pills. I did not want to be red flagged, I wanted testing done, so I refused pain killers. My arms and legs feel like they are being burned and cut at the same time and now I feel like I am constantly in the middle of an earthquake. I can no longer do normal everyday things. All of the symptoms are worse when it is cold or even a breeze blows on me and the pain makes me feel very cold and like I am being burned at the same time. Also, my feet and hands are turning purple and swelling slightly. Sometimes, I can not move my right arm or leg for a little while--the longest was an hour. And severe pain in my head that shoots to my eyes. Eventually it feels like my ears are goign to start bleeding and my eyes are goign to explode. I am taking belladonna for that since it seems to help the swelling better than advil or tylenol.

I just got an MRI a couple of days ago and have no results yet. I don't know how long it will take and I have little faith since I have had to fight for 6 months for this MRI--I am on medicaid. I am wondering what can be causing these symptoms and how likely it is that this will be permanant? Can the shaking be fixed? Is there anything I can do at home that can help? I am getting really tired of staying in bed but it is the only time the pain doesn't seem as bad and the shaking slows or stops.

Any other advice? Thank you.  

Answer
Dear Angela,

I wish I could be there to help.

I suspect that the symptoms result from the shock to your nervous system from the fall.  The MRI will rule out physical damage.

The circulatory changes in your hands and feet indicate the same thing.

Shock can be dealt with, but not by the usual medical means -- drugs or surgery.  You need to do some things to overcome the shock reaction in yourself.

Shock has both physical and psychological aspects.  The physical aspect is easier to deal with and is an easier approach.

First thing:  locate a cranio-sacral therapist.  These practitioners deal with the autonomic nervous system, which regulates circulation and also recovery from systemic shock reactions.  A couple of sessions should make a big difference.

Secondly:  start to work with somatic exercises.  Learn about them at somatics.com.  Self-help programs are available, there, as is access to practitioners.  This approach restores your control over your muscular system, to alleviate your pain and shaking.

If you can't find a cranio-sacral therapist, start with somatic exercises or a somatic practitioner.  List:  somatics.com/practitioners.htm.

That's my direct advice.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold