Question
I am asking the question on behalf of my daughter.

She is 30, in good health, enjoyed sports till 3 years ago when she began feeling pain in her feet.

She has seen a number of doctors, most recently had EMG as well as bone scan, and all test deny abnormality.

The doctors do not know what to diagnose. They have her on daily dose of pain medication.

Do you have any suggestion as what she should do next?

thank you

Perry Labib

Answer
Perry,

I can certainly sympathize with her predicament; it's frustrating when doctors do not seem to understand or know what to do to treat our pain. But there are several ways to work with this, so please tell her not to give up hope.

Now, the first question I always ask is this: was the pain precipitated by an injury? Since you said she had enjoyed sports, I assume that it's highly likely. Most people who develop chronic pain were before very active and healthy. If the pain has been caused by injury, an orthopedist should have been able to find and treat it when it occured. If she has not seen one, I suggest that she does, if only to attempt a rehabilitation. It will be slow and painful, but many times, with chronic pain, rehab is a must; I went though two years of it myself, and it's been the most beneficial thing I've done. However, before she can begin that, all mechanical problems need to be ruled out. You say she's been to many doctors; I imagine they've done most of the tests that would be recommended for discovering actual, blatant problems.

One thing that I feel I must advise her on: be very, very careful with that pain medication. I know that if she's anything like I was, it's probably one of the only things that helps her through the day. However, it's dangerous to rely on it, because it can cause physical (or mental) dependency, as well as cause the body to build up a tolerance, meaning that she'd need higher and higher doses for the med to work. This is what happened to me, to the point that I was unable to function without my pain medication. My body was simply too reliant on it. I had to go through a difficult detoxification period. Please understand that I am not discouraging her to cease using her pain meds. I'm sinply providing a warning in hopes of preventing for others what I went through.

Okay. My next suggestion, and probably the best one at this point, is that she find a pain clinic. Pain clinics are practices that focus specifically on treating chronic pain. Many chronic pain sufferers find relief at them, but be sure to choose a recommended and accredited one to avoid disappointment. From my own personal experience, I also reccomend alternative therapy, such as accupunture and herbal remedies. This has been what has helped me, but of course any treatments affect people differently, according to individual pain.

Finding the cause of the pain can often be like finding a needle in a haystack. Use the internet like a big resource book; look up things related to her symptoms, seek out others who have experienced the same difficulties. There is plenty of help and support for chronic pain out there. If you find or hear of a doctor that has seen good results relating to her problems, encourage her to go. You never know when you'll stumble upon a doctor who can help. *Never*, however, stay with one who belittles the pain, or tells her to get over it. It's a tough battle, but if she's made it three years, she'll be able to handle herself.

For immediate pain relief, there are always the tried methods. Try a heated rice bag, which you can make yourself by folding a handtowel in half length wise, sewing two sides together, filling 2/3 full with dried rice, and sewing it closed. Then you pop it into the microwave, warm it, and it makes a much better heating pad than normal, because the heat source can be centralized. I love them^^ Also try heat rubs, such as Icyhot, or emu oil/MSG rubs that are normally used for arthritis.

I hope that something I have said might help. Your daughter is very lucky to have a parent who is willing to help her in her quest for pain relief. I believe that family support and faith are two of the most important ingredients in feeling better. Please feel free to contact me again if you feel I can help you further. Please convey my well wishes to your daughter. Good luck, and God bless!

Sincerely,

Celeste

"May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." --Romans 15:13