Devonviolet Acres

[frustratedearthmother]

Anybody ever tried DMSO? I don't know anything about it - just have heard of it...

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I know of a few here in NC that supply the duck/eggs for Balute.... Don't think I could force myself to eat willingly

 

[Mike CHS]

@farmerjan have you by any chance tried Fish Oil? I started taking one capsule a day about a year ago and I have a major drop in knee pain that I have had since my 20's. I have no science to back that up other than the fact that pain I have lived with for a good part of my life is no longer there.

 

[Devonviolet]

@farmerjan, I feel your pain. As I have said before, I have had a total left knee replacement, with years of severe pain that led up to that. I have also had severe plantar fasciitis, which swelled up from normal 1/8" to 3/4" in thickness, before a Pediatrist finally diagnosed how bad it was, and treated it with excruciating cortisone injections. Failed bunion surgery led to constant nerve pain, and now really bad arthritis in my right ankle.

I don't have your problem, with pain meds not working. But, can't take them, nonetheless, because my liver doesn't handle them well.

I tried Synvisc injections, in my left knee, 16 years ago, but they didn't help much. In the end the doc couldn't get the needle into the joint, because I had bone on bone.

Now days, I rely pretty heavily on a homeopathic rub, with Arnica and other homeopathic remedies, called Muscle Therapy gel. It is made by Hylands. It helps a multitude of pain issues: nerve pain, Fibromyalgia, sore muscles, joint pain, and even pain & itching from fire ants and. chigger bites. The thing I have learne about using homeopathics, is that it isn't a once & done thing. Sometimes I have to use it, wait 15 minutes to a 1/2 hour & use it again. It may not give 100% relief, but does minimize the pain.

Something else that has worked, on my arthritic hands, is a lotion, that they sell at our local farmer's co-op. it is called Two Old Goats. I have only ever used the sample, on my arthritic thumb, in the store, so I don't know how it would work on your knee. But it worked on my thumb.

 

[greybeard]

Anyone else use anything that works?

I do.
2 ruptured disc.
1 bulging disc.
residual pain from a snakebite.
pain from reduced circulation from vein harvest same leg as the snakebite.
residual pain from burn skin grafts on both legs boot tops to knees.
Both shoulders in need of joint replacement.
Feet pain from type2 diabetes.

The phrase "It (pain) is all in your head" is more true than most people want to admit or even consider. The brain deals with pain exclusively. No matter what the malady or injury, pain doesn't happen until the neural pathways tells your sensory parts of the brain that "Hey, your back hurts".
In a very quick injury (like a bullet passing thru muscle at 1000'/sec) there is often no pain registered for quite some time--many people have been shot and never even realize it until blood appears) The injury happened faster than the nerves can pass the info to the brain and the brain process what happened. A comparatively slower injury, like cutting yourself with a carving knife allows the info to get passed and processed, and we feel the pain, but even then, it's not instantaneous, even tho it may seem so to us at the time.

But, chronic pain is different. We already know we have back/leg etc trouble, so we recognize it hurts.
When I was in the Naval hospital in Japan (over 40 years ago) getting my burns tended to, I was on morphine for a couple of weeks, and because it was jet fuel burns, they were unable to remove all the JP from my tissue. The docs told me I would be in pain for weeks, months, maybe even the rest of my life.

After a few weeks, an old Navy Corpsman chief came in and talked to me about pain. Told me I had 2 choices. Take pain medication to the point I was addicted to it, or deal with it within my thought processes, and if I chose the 2nd option, he would teach me how to do it. He first explained what I have typed in the first part above..how pain and neural pathways and receptors work. I will paraphrase what he said:
"We all have traumatic or unpleasant things that have happened in our lives, but we don't think about them on a daily basis. We've simply and partially unconsciously put those into a part of our brain we just just don't go to. We just don't. You can do that consciously if you really try. Replace that ought with something else to start, and soon, the thoughts of that event just won't be in the forefront of your thoughts. When you wake in the morning, the first thing you feel right now is pain. Move that pain to a part of your brain you don't access, and replace that 'pain thought' with some other thought."

It's a little more complicated than that, and it rarely works on people who are predisposed to believe it will not work, especially those who have been on long term pain medications. It is not self-hypnosis. It is simply controlling your brain pattern & thoughts instead of allowing the brain to control you.
The reason it doesn't work well on long term pain med folks is because the meds have altered how the brain works. Meds, especially opiods train the brain to expect a feeling of euphoria. They don't really stop the pain, they just trick the brain into not caring anymore that you hurt. Many Americans are psychologically addicted to the Oxys. Even tho they no longer get the rush or euphoria, the brain cells do--it just doesn't let them (the 'I'm not addicted' addict) know any more. Take their oxy away, and their personality changes..they get angry, or depressed, or do things normal people wouldn't. That's their brain reacting to being deprived of what it has come to expect.

Every morning I get up, and as soon as I start to move around (like putting on my clothes) my back starts hurting. A few seconds of thoughts and it's gone. Those thoughts of pain replaced. Those thought moved, like files moved on a hard drive to a folder I just don't access.
I do have trouble suppressing sudden onset severe pain, like dental work or dental pain. It takes a little longer to sit down and concentrate but still doable, which drives my wife nuts. I don't bother filling the pain prescription the dentist gives me and she can't get her head around what I am doing.

 

[Devonviolet]

WOW, WOW, WOW, @greybeard!!! You have been through the ringer & back!!!

You said a mouthful there!!! I totally agree!!! Having chosen to deal with my pain without drugs, I now realize I do what you described, on a daily basis.

My hat's off to you!

 

[Mike CHS]

@greybeard - I think I had the same Chief in my hospital room at Pensacola in the early 80's.

 

[TAH]

Anybody ever tried DMSO? I don't know anything about it - just have heard of it...

DMSO is my best friend when it comes to myself and animals animals... Swelling, Cuts, Bruises, back pain, knee pain, headaches, etc... I have always had some issues and ever since DMSO it will go away really fast... I have since been doing Stop Pain, it has DMSO in it and essential oils.

 

[greybeard]

Other than my heart and diabetic meds, the only other thing I have ever used is an antibacterial such as neosporin. (I cannot will away antigens)
Used some last night after I had a little wreck on my bicycle. Have to be careful..I bleed like a pig nowadays because I'm on blood thinners.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I have and do take demerol, but rarely....but, I take 3-4 green BCs everyday. Most of the time the lessening pain allows me to function, and certain pain I can "Override" as GB says, but sure not anywhere near his ability or pain. I had an old Internist doctor that told me that asprin is the best pain reliever for arthritis, and it has worked for me, but I take 3 fish oil capsules each day, too...so, Mike may have a point also.