Please can anyone give me advice ? I am desparate. I suffer from neuralgia in my face. I took pregabaline for three months ( from 2 x 75 to 2 x 100 mg/day) but got a lot of side-effects. I decided to stop accordingly to my neurologist. I tapered off in two weeks to zero mg. But now - since I stopped 5 weeks ago- I have 10 times more pain then i had ever before I started pregabaline. Has anyone the same experience ? And how long does it take for resetting my brain and diminish the pain down to the former lower level ? Can I use something in between to overcome this painful period ? Thanks a lot!!
Oh man, that sounds awful! I'm so sorry! I tried Lyrica twice, and once it worked to stop the chronic pain and once it didn't. But I never got the backlash that you did when I went off it. However, I got a book out of the library called "The Brain's Way of Healing" by Norman Doidge, M.D. There's a chapter on healing chronic pain. I did the technique for 8 weeks, and I'm now 90% pain free. I recommend it. Best of luck. I hope you feel better really soon!
@L2015 Thank you so much for your response! That sounds very good. I am interesting in the book you mentioned. But I live in the Netherlands, I will look for it… maybe a ISBN number of the book could help. Can you give me that as well?
Thank you so much for your response! That sounds very good. I am interesting in the book you mentioned. But I live in the Netherlands, I will look for it... maybe a ISBN number of the book could help. Can you give me that as well?
I found the book!! I can buy it here as well. Can you mention in particular the chapter ( and method) you used ? Thanks a lot!!
I believe the info you need is in the first chapter, which is entitled something like "Physician, hurt then heal thyself. Michael Moscovitz discovers neuroplasticity to heal chronic pain." In a nutshell, the techniques are to "re-imagine" the area not being in pain, until the brain re-patterns itself to experience the area as comfortable. Here are some sample ways you might do that - and they sound really dumb, but they work:
1). Draw your body. Color in with pencil the areas that are in chronic pain. Then, take an eraser and slowly mindfully erase the colored areas, thus returning the drawing to "health."
2). Look at the part of your body that is in pain through the wrong end of binoculars, so that that area looks smaller, not larger. That means that the area in pain looks smaller. Wow. How about that.
3). Notice the area of chronic pain. Then imagine that area ever so slightly smaller. Once you've gotten that in your mind, (a new, smaller outline of the pain area), imagine the area as ever so slightly smaller. Keep going, til the area is gone.
4). Ask yourself how bad the pain is, on a scale of 0-10. 0 = no pain. 10 = worst pain. Whatever # you decide that part of your body is, then ask yourself, "Hmm, what would it feel like at 1 number lower?" Work on that in your head til your body produces that lower level of pain. Keep going, to 0 if possible.
You can make up any exercises like this.
These sound really dumb. But they work. A few specifics: You have to do it every time you feel pain. You have to expect the pain will shoot up to "10" later or become a "big area" later, and you'll have to do the exercises all over again. So you have to do it on and off for minutes or hours a day. Etc. The book gives details - don't go by my outline, but read the chapter carefully. (If you're in chronic pain, it's possible that you're just lying in bed all day doing nothing anyway, so you might as well give this a try.) You have to do it for about 8 weeks, every time you feel the pain. You're creating new habits in your brain.
It's difficult at first. It's discouraging at first. It's boring....
After 3 days of doing this, I noticed a brief moment of surprising warm comfort in that part of my body for 5 seconds. After 8 weeks, I'm 90% recovered from the pain, which has gone on for years.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions! Let us know if it works!
Reply
@L2015 Thank you so much for your extensive and detailed answer! Very kind of you to help and support me. I think because you suffered a lot as well and so you can feel my situation precisely. In the meanwhile I bought the book and read the chapter you mentioned. Indeed very impressive!
But I would like to ask you some more questions, cause not everything is clear in the method you mentioned. Shall we continue our conversation here or by email ? What do you prefer ?
I'd prefer here. Please feel free to ask me any questions! Glad you were able to find the book!
@L2015 Thanks again. Yes I have some questions. About your first method: I wrote already I am suffering from neuralgia in my face; after dental problems and surgery 20 years ago I kept pain in my lower left jaw and gums. This is a constant chronic pain 24 hrs a day, always on the same level so not coming in bursts. About the drawings: which part in the drawing has to filled with color, the left or right lower jaw. Because when I see my face in a mirror, the painful left side is in the mirror the left side as well. But in a drawing of my body it should be the right side… but this feels unnatural and I wonder if I am not doing it in the wrong way… Furthermore In the book the author is speaking about brain maps ( visualisation of the brain parts where the pain may be localised) and not about drawings of the body you mentioned. Secondly: can you tell me how many times a day and how long each method you did practice ? F.i how long do i watch to the drawing with pain and the one without pain,? And every day all four and in the same order ?
Did you do it all without guidance of a practitioner? I would like to do it by a good guide, because I am afraid doing things wrong… Is there an institute or website where a can find further information and advice on this matter ? Sorry for all my questions, but I am inspired by the book and your story. I will certainly give it a chance!
Hi Volvox,
Just wondering how you were doing. Did you ever see the doctor about the jaw abnormalities? Were they able to fix it? How's your pain?
Also, I was wondering how you are all doing in The Netherlands. Are you sheltering in place (staying home?) I know The Netherlands has a wonderful tradition of mutual help and community, so I hope you are doing better than some. I live in a large city in the USA. Since my boyfriend lives with me, and I have social anxiety so don't go out much anyhow, my life is pretty comfortable and not much changed, for which I am very grateful.
Hello dear penfriend,
Firstly very sorry for my delay in answering you. Your mail was getting down under in my mailbox, so I forget to answer you. Thanks for your interest. Yes I was end of January at the special dentist, but it was rather disappointing, he could not find anything. He send me to another doctor specialized in jawpain, but then corona came in and all regular appointments in the hospital were cancelled. On this moment the infections and death rate in the Netherlands is grading down, so hospitals restart their regular work. I think I get an invitation soon. Fortunately is in the meanwhile the severe pain I had before somewhat lessened. Since last week I started an alternative method for pain reduction, called TENS. Maybe you've heard about it. It works with soft electrical pulses. I will give it a try for a couple of weeks. So in general it is going not bad and I can handle it rather well. Yes it's a strange period of time we live in. The society here is reopening carefully, but I think I must work at home for a longer period. I miss my colleague's a and students, it feels so unnatural not being in contact with other people.. In the US the crises is the most heaviest in the world with lots of death.. How is your life going on? And how is it with your pain in the feet? Greetings F
Hi F,
So nice to hear from you again. I'm sorry the specialist was not able to do anything to help you. But yes, I have heard of TENS. I've never tried it. Have you found it helpful for the pain?
Regarding me, I am still physically well, and I don't know of anyone personally yet who got the virus. I am doing well emotionally too, because of my boyfriend living here, and also because I have been enjoying many classes via Zoom (tele-conferencing). I have taken acting classes, laughter yoga, attended lectures, etc. I am even teaching a free Zoom class on Nonviolent Communication to help people through the stresses of the pandemic. I'm enjoying that a lot.
Re: my foot pain, it is mostly gone. On the other hand, since the pandemic, I don't walk anywhere except in my apt. and around my building to the front and back yard, so I'm not overusing my foot. The one time I walked all around the woods, my foot did hurt for 2 weeks again.
Maybe you can answer a question for me and my boyfriend. We are so grateful that people all over the world are marching in solidarity for justice for African Americans. But at the same time we're curious how people in Europe etc. came to care about social justice in the U.S. Thanks for any insights.
Sending you warmest wishes!