Can we have a chronic pain topic please?

[DunravenBadger]

I've seen a couple of threads about this where MN have said they're "interested" in what's being said but nothing ever comes of it. Posts get lost on the general health board and chronic pain / limited mobility doesn't come under "special needs".

Mrs if you can afford it, I'd recommend findimg a good osteopath- should be able to tell you if it's piriformis syndrome.

Dunraven I reported my post... poss more encouraging response?

Thank you for that, I will look for an osteopath, in my area. I am in so much pain. I have been buying Paramol online. When that stopped working, I spoke to the GP, and he gave me Co-dydramol which, again does not take the pain away.

I have had sciatica since I was about 38, don't know why.

Forgot to say, I am very wobbly on my legs in the morning.

Don't know if it is my pain or the fact that I am partially sighted

For me (L5 prolapse conpressing S1 causing sciatica) my muscles are usually really tight in the morning. Do yours feel like that?

Have you ever had an MRI? Prolapsed discs can be one cause. If there's no dusc issues, you can often get a lot of improvement with specific physio (and pilates/yoga). I find anti inflammatories help most.

My muscles feel really tight in the morning and I have to walk with my legs quite apart.. I have never had an MRI, perhaps I should ask for one.

I would ask for one. Then you'll have some info as to whether it's a disc issue, or more muscular. If muscular, eminently poss to improve/resolve with physio etc

Thank you colouringindoors

I get wobbly legs I have lumbar spine problems, I think it's when nerves get compressed.
I have effussions on my facet joints

Not a problem x

I've not heard if that doadeer but it doesn't sound good x

I'd use it, I have Fibromyalgia & arthritis, I agree that it could help with diagnosis too as pain is one of the key symptoms people seek help and answers for.

Morning, everyone.

We just wanted to pop in and reassure you again that we are still reading both this thread and the one started in General Health with interest.

We're sorry we haven't been able to just set a board up straight away but it very much isn't a 'no', more of a 'we need to see how it goes first'. We just need to be certain that a topic would be really well populated before we can commit to it, and the usual way we do that is by asking people to start threads and seeing how they take off.

The one in general health does seem to be being well used at the moment and we'd be glad to see that continue. Don't forget, you're very welcome to start other threads there, too, if there's a topic that needs it's own 'spin-off', if you like, from the main thread, such as seeking diagnosis, or a straightforward support thread. We understand that sometimes a very specific conversation about one aspect of a subject can derail a more general thread, and actually, the odd 'specific' thread working well would help show that there's enough support for a whole topic, too.

We hope that helps anyway. Please do let us know if you have any questions and we'll continue to keep watching those threads.

Thank you for that, it helps to have some idea of what we can do to convince you.

I think on that basis, if we start spin off threads, (making sure to put chronic pain in the titles) we can easily show the need for our own board.

And I assume if we did that it would make it easier to migrate those threads to a board if we do get it? Is that right @HebeMumsnet ?

Waves to express interest.

Checking in.
Middle of the night up with pain here, we very much need a board. These people “get it” and have more knowledge of how I live than my own family and friends. We are connected through chronic pain which is quite sad really but could also be seen as a positive thing.

Pls @MNHQ give us a chronic pain board

Just out the shower, does anyone else find it absolutely exhausting? I'm flaring right now too so it'll likely be the only thing I can manage until making dinner. There's literally no way I could shower every day. Thankfully I have psoriasis so it's not good for my skin that regularly anyway.

I'm now sitting and drying off in absolute agony, my arms and shoulders hurt from washing my hair (I can't use a hairdryer for the same reason but my hair is better drying naturally thankfully) and my back is aching from shaving my legs and just washing myself. It didn't help that I tried out a charcoal body scrub and it stained my skin all over so I had to scrub loads to get it all off, I've managed to stain my body brush and a sponge from it too.

I can't handle the pain of cleaning the bathroom so DD1 is going to love me when she sees the bath and tiles, I wiped down what I could but it just kept appearing elsewhere. Our bathroom is all white too so it's really noticeable and I'm worried it's stained the grout, fingers crossed DD can get it all off.

Yep, people will recommend a shower or warm bath, but not take into account the physical strain of using either. I find baths especially hard, just getting in and out of them. We've got a shower over the bath, so it's not much better, hopefully one day I'll have a shower I can just step into.

I'd use a chronic pain board because not all chronic pain is equal in terms of what's causing it.

Me blathering on about biologics or dmards to someone with fibro wouldn't be helpful at all because what helps my pain can only be used for certain diseases and certain people.

@MedusasBadHairDay

Yep, people will recommend a shower or warm bath, but not take into account the physical strain of using either. I find baths especially hard, just getting in and out of them. We've got a shower over the bath, so it's not much better, hopefully one day I'll have a shower I can just step into.

My shower is over the bath too so stepping in and out is so much effort. We have a really deep bath with no handles on it so while having a soak is actually great (and I find better for me than a shower) I struggle to get out again. I know if I had a handle put on the wall I would bash into it constantly too so I just have to deal with it.

I really feel like I have to plan a shower too. I'm too stiff first thing in the morning to manage, and have to time it for when my painkillers have kicked in but then I also have to judge between that and other things I need to do while I'm up to them. It's a constant balancing act which I'm not very good at.

I know that a bath would help DD hugely but in nearly 8 years I've only managed to get her to the bath once ( by a terrible method, I tipped her wheelchair up and she basically fell in, she was less than 6 stone at the time). But getting her out was so dreadful. We trialled an electric bath seat that went up and down but the nursing team decided that it would make her faint ( the stair lift did too) so that was deemed unsafe. Went back. So now it's baby wipes. When she has the energy. DD dreams of swimming. She was in the swim team before all this. She cries when she wakes up.

Yes please.

I would love a good group whinge about opiates just now, and presumably a pain board would cover all of that - treatments and side effects and interactions, tips, ideas, holistic medicine and psychological aspects.

It’s a great idea.