Question
I've had strong strong neck pain for years (10-15 yrs.). Not to mention my mother and sister have neck and back problems also and currently seeing a chiropractor for short term relief. Most of the time the pain is where the neck meets the head on either one or both sides of the neck. I have tried everthing from acupuncture, prolotherapy injections, electrical stimulation, massage, and chiropractors. I now just see a chiropractor which is the only modality that gives me temporary relief, but only for a couple of days. Now, I have problems with my pelvis/hips. I see the chiropractor for this also. My hip hurts a lot from it. I thought maybe I was lacking in some mineral so I was began to take Calcium, Magnesium or Phosphorous conjunction with my multivitamins. This didn't work, so then I tried glucosamine with chondroitin and that didn't work. Finally I had an MRI recently and the reports states that I have minor degenerative hpertrophic changes at the C5-6 level. This certainly doesn't feel minor. On a scale from 1 to 10 it can get up to 8 many times. I am only 34 yrs. old and have attended the gym on a regular basis for 10 years doing moderate exercising. I eat healthy and weigh 120 pounds and I'm 5'2" tall. Any solutions or possible recommendation for pain killers or why I'm having theses problems at such a young age?

Answer
Melissa,

I'm very sorry you're having such bad pain. Especially at a young age ( I know, I'm eighteen) it can get frustrating. I must remind you that I am not a doctor, so I could not give you a diagnosis. I too have very bad neck pain in just the place you decribed. I had a head/neck MRI, and they found that my neck was hurting due to a bulging disc.  Have you had a neck MRI? Unfortuneatly, there is absolutely nothing to be done about it until or unless the disc ruptures. Great news, huh.  It rather bothers me that neither accupuncture nor chiropractors have helped your pain.  Those are two homeopathic solutions that usually help pain well. That leads me to believe that your chronic pain might be arthritic, especially since you have hip problems. The hip problems intruiged me, because my younger sister has that same problem.  It seems that chronic pain such as neck problems are a tripping block to the medical community; all I can offer you are suggestions. First, do you use heat on your neck regularly? THat can help alot, but of course it's only temporary. I have come to believe that there is not a permanent cure for neck pain in otherwise healthy people. I eat healthy and was a good athlete until I got sick, so it stands to reason that healthy habits and excersize have nothing to do with it. Does your pain worsen or become exacerbated by rain or temperature changes? Are you tired or fatigued? You might try a pain clinic, where they give you pain blocks and epidurals, among other things, to help cope with the pain.  With your pain being localized in two places, you should be able to get better help at a pain clinic. I am sorry I cannot give you a cure or advice on pain relievers, because neither I nor the medical world has yet to find anything that significantly helps chronic pain. The one thing on the line of painkillers I would advise is this: do not take narcotics such as Percocet, Vicodin, or hydrocodine. They help for a while, but then your body adjusts to them, and they no longer help. Plus you run a terrible risk of becoming addicted. Please trust me on this one. Narcotics just arent worth it. Good luck, I hope you are able to find something to help you.  If there is anything else, please ask. Like I said, Im not an MD, but I suffer with pain too, and I can at least be here to listen to other who need a sympathetic ear. God bless!

Sincerely,
Celeste