Hi everyone, I'm a college student and I've been suffering from chronic back pain for a little over a year. Despite many many doctors visits and lots of imaging my doctors still don't know what is causing it. So I guess I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how to deal with the frustrating uncertainty of dealing with pain and not knowing what's wrong? I've been struggling especially since none of my friends or family can understand what I'm feeling.
4 Hearts
Hi. So sorry you're dealing with this. I've had chronic pain on and off for years, and it is the absolute pits. And I've also found that it's really hard for people to understand unless they have it. I suggest a book "The Brain's Way of Healing" by Norman Doidge, M.D. I got it from the library. The first chapter explains how someone can heal themselves of chronic pain. I tried it, and I am now about 90% pain free. It takes about 8 weeks. It's a boring and tedious process but I thought it was worth it. I started having moments of less pain after day 3 on the program. I am sending you a big hug and best wishes.
Welcome :)
I think for me it depends on the type of pain. I've a very predictable, static pain. It has a list of rules that it follows (and that I've had to learn over the years) and rarely ever deviates or surprises me. Even though no one has ever been able to explain what is causing this pain, how it works, or what should help, I have found it emotionally easy to deal with. Then I have another pain that is very, very different. It started in college and gets progressively worse every year. The symptoms can change drastically and it breaks the "rules" it's established all the time. Again, no one can tell me how this pain works, what causes it, or how to get rid of it. But it terrifies me because of how unpredictable it is.
Which is your back pain like?
1 Heart
@Raine14 It is more like the second kind of pain that you experience. Anything can set it off and it can be excruciating. I never know when it will pop up and it rarely ever goes away completely. I really relate to how your pain scares you because I feel that way too sometimes.