Question
Hi,

Not sure if this falls within your area of expertise, but here goes: I am wondering what to do about a back problem I've had recently. I'm a 45-year-old female, and suffer from anxiety/panic disorder, which is usually manageable with my meds. In very severe circumstances, I tend to carry stress in my back and neck. A few months ago, this happened, and now it's happening again.

That first time, I was suddenly seized with such an excruciating, cramping pain in my neck and rhomboid muscled that I had to make my way to a nearby couch, where I instantly became stiff as a board and virtually paralyzed. My son had to call an ambulance, finally, and I had to be taken out of my home on a stretcher, three paramedics required to move my dead weight because I couldn't be made to lie flat. In the ER, after all tests to rule out anything serious, I was given pain meds and muscle relaxers, which did the trick, but I was not able to work for three days, and had minor stiffness and cramping for about three more weeks.

Now, I am able to move, and hope this won't get worse. I don't have health insurance, right now, and hate to think of paying for a doctor visit just to get a script for a muscle relaxer. Is there a way to deal with such stress-related pain through other means, like special exercises, effective over-the-counter meds, or herbal remedies?

Thanks so much for your time!

Mia

Answer
Mia:

Thanks for writing!

This sounds to me like a magnesium deficiency. The Best form of magnesium is magnesium citrate in a powder form, Available at any health food store. Look for the Natural Calm brand.

A good chiropractor would help a lot. Go to www.sorsi.com and/or www.icak-usa.com and look for one near you.

The American diet is deficient in magnesium. without it, calcium cannot be used by the body and one gets muscle cramps. In addition, the meds you are on lay a heavy load on the liver and require more nutrients to process.

Get away from all processed foods, no tv dinners or fast food. Eat food you cook yourself, the restaurant food is over procssed and preserved. Drink 1 ounce of filtered water for every two pounds of body weight every day and night.

This should help keep the spasm away.

If it does not, talk to the doctor who gave you the meds or research them online. Some meds can also cause muscle spasms.

Dr. Rozeboom