My WebMD Sign In

Please enter email address

Enter your password

Keep me signed in on this computer

Show more Information

If you select "Keep me signed in on this computer", you can stay signed in to WebMD.com on this computer for up to 2 weeks or until you sign out. This means that a cookie will stay on your computer even when you exit or close your browser which may reduce your levels of privacy and security. You should never select this option if you're using a publicly accessible computer, or if you're sharing a computer with others. Even if you select this option there are some features of our site that still require you to log in for privacy reasons.

Forget your password? Having trouble signing in?

Why should I
sign up for WebMD?

With a WebMD Account you can:

Track your way to weight loss success
Manage your family's vaccinations
Join the conversation

See more benefits Sign Up

Why WebMD?

My WebMD

Show Menu

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

WebMD Home

pain management support group

For all of the chronic pain sufferers out there, whether it be from ... more

Announcements

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5195404&id=538598688

Discussions

Sort by:

Chronic pain patient - with perplexing issue

A few weeks ago I saw a pain specialist who specializes in Spinal problems. I have several bulging discs in...

Posted by An_223014

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Chronic pain patient - with perplexing issue A few weeks ago I saw a pain specialist who specializes in Spinal problems. I have several bulging discs in...

A Question

Hello :> My name is Rikku, I'm 20 yrs old and I broke my left shoulder/collar when I was 9. And...

Posted by EternityRikku

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:A Question Hello :> My name is Rikku, I'm 20 yrs old and I broke my left shoulder/collar when I was 9. And...

RFA Pain

Today is a bad pain for me. I have a few things wrong with my spine and lower back. I have severe arthritis in...

Posted by CtPaula

Take the Poll

What is your opinion of this procedure?

Thanks.

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:RFA Pain Today is a bad pain for me. I have a few things wrong with my spine and lower back. I have severe arthritis in...

Help! Excessive Chronic pain

I have had chronic pain for over 14 years now.I am a 24 year old female.These are my symptoms: ·...

Posted by broken_prophet

I have had chronic pain for over 14 years now.I am a 24 year old female.These are my symptoms: · Insomnia:Unable to sleep without medication for 5+ years. ( I have tried sleeping without medication multiple times for long spans of time and it always takes a very long time for me to fall asleep.If I can manage to sleep,I wake up about every 2 hours or so and very rarely am able to make it back to bed.)
Excessive and Chronic Joint Pain- 1.Hands & Fingers: Can not open things I was able to open just a few years ago (example: any type of screw on cap,lids ect.) My hands constantly ache and I have to clench my hands and crack my finger joints to get any sort of relief.I am unable to do regular day to day activities with out expirencing pain-sometimes a dull "ache" and sometimes a sharp pain in my finger & wrist joints. 2. Hips &/Or General Pelvic area: This is the area that gives me the most trouble on a daily basis,and has lasted the longest.I have had hip pain since I was very young, my first memory of it being when I was 7 years old. The pain is mostly centralized in the hip joint.I feel extreme pain ( I deal with a pain level of a 7 or 8 on a daily basis on a "good" day) in no other way to describe it but "inside" the hip joint. There have been incidents where I can walk the night before and wake up the next morning, go to put weight on one leg or another and my hip cannot support my weight and I collapse. Also, there have been multiple incidents where my hip(s) give me no warning what-so-ever and will suddendly "go out" from underneathe me. My hip joints constantly make an audible "pop" noise which others have heard on multiple occasions,and the popping is always acompained by a sharp pain. 3. Knees: My knee joints constantly lock in place and it is very painful to "unlock" the joint.The only way I have found to make the pain stop ( as with my hips when they "lock"as well) is to force the leg back into a straight legged position.It causes a brief,level 10,sharp pain. I cannot sit cross-legged or with one leg bent under me for any amount of time with out my knees "locking"
I also have recently been having very chronic migraines.I have had a headache on a pain scale of a 5 or 6 for almost 6 months now,and it escalates to a migraine occasionally that is joined but a sharp stabbing pain that feels like I am being shocked in my brain.I have also had problems concentrating as well as keeping words in the correct order.I have had many tests,but no doctor seems to know what is wrong with me .I would be greatly appreciative of any help,since this has had a very negative impact on my life.Thank you in advance!View Thread

Posted by broken_prophet

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Help! Excessive Chronic pain I have had chronic pain for over 14 years now.I am a 24 year old female.These are my symptoms: ·...

Pain in right/left hand

Recently I've been having pain in my hands when I'm sleeping. I work for Pepsi doing various jobs. I was doing...

Posted by bnporter

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Pain in right/left hand Recently I've been having pain in my hands when I'm sleeping. I work for Pepsi doing various jobs. I was doing...

Leg Muscle Pain

Hello, I am 38 years old and I have been having pain in the thighs of both of my legs for about a year now. My...

Posted by kooler72

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Leg Muscle Pain Hello, I am 38 years old and I have been having pain in the thighs of both of my legs for about a year now. My...

what should I do?

I have been living with severe pain for many years and in 2009 was diagnosed with RSD. I have been on...

Posted by diamondjewl69

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:what should I do? I have been living with severe pain for many years and in 2009 was diagnosed with RSD. I have been on...

please help know whats wrong with me

I forgot to say that I am a diabetic and take oral medicine. I also take anti-depressants like cymbalta,...

Posted by mammakat07

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:please help know whats wrong with me I forgot to say that I am a diabetic and take oral medicine. I also take anti-depressants like cymbalta,...

Please Help me understand whats wrong with me!!

I have been in constant pain for over 15 yrs now. It seems like it just gets worse as time goes on. I have...

Posted by mammakat07

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Please Help me understand whats wrong with me!! I have been in constant pain for over 15 yrs now. It seems like it just gets worse as time goes on. I have...

Can anyone help me understand my diagnosis?

I am a 38 yr old female that was diagnosed @ 22 with Bi-Polar 1. I have managed my illness over the years and...

Posted by MES4EVER

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Can anyone help me understand my diagnosis? I am a 38 yr old female that was diagnosed @ 22 with Bi-Polar 1. I have managed my illness over the years and...

Lumbar Fusion Patients have Worse Outcome than Non...

There have been variable successes of lumbar-spine fusion surgeries reported in patients with work-related...

Posted by cweinbl

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Lumbar Fusion Patients have Worse Outcome than Non-Surgical Patients There have been variable successes of lumbar-spine fusion surgeries reported in patients with work-related...

Neurospinal stimulator implant and supplemental pa...

hi, folks i'm new to this site but long-time acquainted with chronic pain. my peripheral neuropathy is a...

Posted by tofucookie

19 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Neurospinal stimulator implant and supplemental pain control hi, folks i'm new to this site but long-time acquainted with chronic pain. my peripheral neuropathy is a...

is it a law that your dr. give you a ua before pre...

The last several times I went to Dr. ,he gave me ua . Is this a new law?

Posted by ree2please

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:is it a law that your dr. give you a ua before prescribing contr The last several times I went to Dr. ,he gave me ua . Is this a new law?

stopping meds question.

I had to quit taking my arthritis meds due to surgery tomorrow. Getting my gall bladder out. When I quit taking...

Posted by kron89

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:stopping meds question. I had to quit taking my arthritis meds due to surgery tomorrow. Getting my gall bladder out. When I quit taking...

Diabetes and Pain

Does having chronic pain affect your blood sugar levels?

Posted by monteshel

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Diabetes and Pain Does having chronic pain affect your blood sugar levels?

duragesic patch

I have a problem that has been going on for months now and cannot find it in my heart to explain my actions...

Posted by An_223012

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:duragesic patch I have a problem that has been going on for months now and cannot find it in my heart to explain my actions...

Loss of Memory

This has become a huge problem for me in the last 2 years. I have been on pain meds for over 5 yrs now and...

Posted by missietl19

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Loss of Memory This has become a huge problem for me in the last 2 years. I have been on pain meds for over 5 yrs now and...

Methadone for Pain

I have been on methadone for chronic back pain for the last 3 yrs. It does help my pain but I am very...

Posted by missietl19

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Methadone for Pain I have been on methadone for chronic back pain for the last 3 yrs. It does help my pain but I am very...

Interested in Latin Rx talk so I'm wondering..

How do you write this -;-? Is it Latin? Roman? I wanna impress my PM Dr by showing him I know stuff like BID...

Posted by Anhedonist

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Interested in Latin Rx talk so I'm wondering.. How do you write this -;-? Is it Latin? Roman? I wanna impress my PM Dr by showing him I know stuff like BID...

Anyone using Exalgo 16mg. (hydromorphone hydrochlo...

My doctor is switching me from methadone and oxycodone to Exalgo 16mg Qid with 4mg dilaudid for break thru...

Posted by rjbeck77

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Anyone using Exalgo 16mg. (hydromorphone hydrochloride) My doctor is switching me from methadone and oxycodone to Exalgo 16mg Qid with 4mg dilaudid for break thru...

feed back

iv sufferered fybromyalgia most of my 52 years, am i the only one who has ''tried it all'' to no avail? im...

Posted by hlsaunders52

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:feed back iv sufferered fybromyalgia most of my 52 years, am i the only one who has ''tried it all'' to no avail? im...

xerer2 posted:

How are you doing?

Posted by Charl1942

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:xerer2 posted: How are you doing?

Cant straighten out leg fully without sharp pain b...

This occurred last night while sleeping when i got up this morning I cannot fully straighten out my leg...

Posted by shocker350

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Cant straighten out leg fully without sharp pain behind knee joint This occurred last night while sleeping when i got up this morning I cannot fully straighten out my leg...

help

fasttimeport posted: I am a 36 year old female with three boys. I have fibro and a unknow muscle...

Posted by fasttimeport

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:help fasttimeport posted: I am a 36 year old female with three boys. I have fibro and a unknow muscle...

pain need relief

after daughter born (i was 36) have nerve damage in legs i can onlysay it was the epidheral. i had lost...

Posted by An_223011

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:pain need relief after daughter born (i was 36) have nerve damage in legs i can onlysay it was the epidheral. i had lost...

Looking for Advice

Hello, I'm not sure I'm in the right place or not, but this group was the closest to what I'm going through....

Posted by An_223009

Hello,
I'm not sure I'm in the right place or not, but this group was the closest to what I'm going through.

So, I had a surgery back in March 2009 to add inches to my lower left leg to correct a birth defect. I was under the impression that I would initially have the surgery and recover within 6 months tops. I had no idea that 21 months later, I would still be "recovering" from this event.
The first surgery in March went very well. I had an external fixator on my leg for 5 months, wore a cast for a month, then got my walking boot. Everything was supposed to get better and I should have been walking soon.
Unfortunetly a completely unforseen complication occured. During my rehabilitaion and recovery my leg was actually bending the opposite direction! I can't walk on a bent leg! there is no way! It took us (the doctor and myself) to determine that another surgery and more external fixators would have to be installed to correct the curveture in my leg.
June 2010 I had the surgery and shortly after, more complications. The pins supporting my leg had almost all become infected, and there was no real way to treat them. These wounds became larger and more inflamed and I was struggling every day to just make it through until the next. I had to keep the pins on until the bone healed and the pins could be removed, which meant 4 months wearing the fixator. This became more and more difficult for me to cope with since there was no way to treat the growing ulcers around the pins sights.
The end of Oct finally comes and we get to remove the pins!! I was excited to get rid of the damn metal gear and focus on my recovery, the only problem is my ankle still looks crooked to me. The doctor says it is because my muscles have tensed up in that position and need to relax in the straighter position. I can only really do that by standing on it, and that hurts since the muscles are so tense and I have lost ampel amounts of muscle in my lower leg.
I have been taking pain meds the whole time, but now he wants to cut me back, maybe even take me off of them completely and I'm not too confident that completely stopping the meds will be benificial to me. I only take one pill a day. Surprisingly that manages my pain. But if he wants me to continue to "straighten my own limb" I do not want to remove the meds completely.
I don't know what to do anymore. I can't work due to my condition, I haven't been able to do anything "fun" in almost 2 years, the meds are giving me mood swings, flu like symptoms from reducing my doseage and I feel utterly trapped.
Sorry this post was so long, I just wanted to explain the situation and possibly get some feedback.
Thanks for listening
PixiView Thread

Posted byAn_223009

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Looking for Advice Hello, I'm not sure I'm in the right place or not, but this group was the closest to what I'm going through....

Kickbacks to Surgeons for Performing Spinal Fusion...

According to the Wall Street Journal, five surgeons at a Kentucky hospital are among the largest recipients...

Posted by cweinbl

According to the Wall Street Journal, five surgeons at a Kentucky hospital are among the largest recipients nationwide of payments from medical-device giant Medtronic Inc. Medtronic pays surgeons to use their hardware and instrumentation. In the first nine months of this year alone, the surgeons—Steven Glassman, Mitchell Campbell, John Johnson, John Dimar and Rolando Puno—received more than $7 million from the Fridley, Minn., company.

Corporate whistleblowers and congressional critics contend such arrangements—which are common in orthopedic surgery—amount to kickbacks to stoke sales of medical devices. They argue that the overuse of surgical hardware ranging from heart stents to artificial hips is a big factor behind the soaring costs of Medicare, the government medical-insurance system for the elderly and disabled.

Conservative spine surgeons argue that a spinal fusion is appropriate only for a small number of conditions, such as spinal instability, spinal fracture or a severe curvature of the spine known as scoliosis, and that financial incentives have caused the procedure to become overused. The most hotly debated use of spinal fusion surgery centers on patients who merely suffer from aging disks, a condition known as degenerative disk disease.
Fusion by the Numbers View Interactive

See hospitals' case counts and total Medicare reimbursements for spine fusion, 2004-2008.

One health insurer, the nonprofit Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, announced in September that it would stop paying for spine fusions performed on such patients beginning on Jan. 1. The insurer said that the procedures are "considered not medically necessary."

Some recent studies have suggested poor outcomes for spinal fusion. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA, in April found that Medicare patients with a condition called spinal stenosis who had more than two vertebrae fused, a procedure known as a complex fusion, were nearly three times more likely to have life-threatening complications than patients who had a less invasive procedure known as a decompression.

Another study of workers' compensation cases published this year in the online edition of the journal Spine showed that patients who had a spinal fusion were much less likely to return to work within two years after their surgery than a group of patients with similar conditions who didn't have surgery, and that 27% of them had to be re-operated on. Their rate of permanent disability was more than five times as high as the patients whose spines weren't fused, and their daily intake of powerful narcotic painkillers increased by 41% after surgery.

Read the entire Wall Street Journal article here: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703395204576024023361023138-lMyQjAxMTAwMDIwMTEyNDEyWj.html .View Thread

Posted by cweinbl

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Kickbacks to Surgeons for Performing Spinal Fusions According to the Wall Street Journal, five surgeons at a Kentucky hospital are among the largest recipients...

OSS Hospital in York, PA?

Anyone here from the York, PA area? Just heard they have a new Orthopaedic & Spine Specialist Hospital....

Posted by brokenmom2

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:OSS Hospital in York, PA? Anyone here from the York, PA area? Just heard they have a new Orthopaedic & Spine Specialist Hospital....

stellate ganglion injection

I just had my second injection for post-herpetic neuralgia resulting from Shingles. My first injection, five...

Posted by xerer2

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:stellate ganglion injection I just had my second injection for post-herpetic neuralgia resulting from Shingles. My first injection, five...

back sufferer who feels at end of rope

Hi guys, I'm Emmie, 42yrs old and a 10yr sufferer of severe lower back pain with radiation to hips and legs...

Posted by tiredpain

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:back sufferer who feels at end of rope Hi guys, I'm Emmie, 42yrs old and a 10yr sufferer of severe lower back pain with radiation to hips and legs...

1 2 3 4 5

See Related Pain Management Communities

See All Communities

Women's Health Newsletter

Find out what women really need.

Spotlight: Member Stories

BrenBren30813

Since my onset of chronic pain, just 4 years ago, I have experienced the selflessness of family, the kindness of many healthcare professionals, the tr...More

See All Posts by BrenBren30813

More Members

CindyKM55

Edit your story | See All Members

Popular Discussions

Start a Discussion | See All

Helpful Tips

Study Shows Chronic Back Pain Erodes Concentration, Memory

Recent research observes that people living with persistent spinal pain experience difficulties with mental concentration and remembering ... More

Was this Helpful?

12 of 16 found this helpful

Post a Tip | See All

Helpful Resources

"The Secrets of a Bulletproof ...

Post a Resource | See All

Related Drug Reviews

Drug Name User Reviews

Report Problems to the
Food and Drug Administration

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Other Member Communities

Dieting Club: 10 - 25 Lbs Member Community Share Your Tips and Support!
Caregiving Member Community The Support and Understanding You Need!
Parenting Friends Talking Member Community Get Support from Members Like You!

The opinions expressed in WebMD User-generated content areas like communities, reviews, ratings, or blogs are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training. These opinions do not represent the opinions of WebMD. User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance, objectivity, or any other reason except for compliance with our Terms and Conditions. Some of these opinions may contain information about treatments or uses of drug products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

Do not consider WebMD User-generated content as medical advice. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your care plan or treatment. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health care provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.

pain management support group

See All

Preferences

My Communities

My Discussions

My Email Digests

Announcements

Discussions

Take the Poll

Poll Results

See Related Pain Management Communities

Women's Health Newsletter

Spotlight: Member Stories

More Members

Popular Discussions

Helpful Tips

Helpful Resources

Related News

Related Drug Reviews

Report Problems to the
Food and Drug Administration

Other Member Communities

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

More From WebMD:

Find us on:

pain management support group

See All

Preferences

My Communities

My Discussions

My Email Digests

Announcements

Discussions

Take the Poll

Poll Results

See Related Pain Management Communities

Women's Health Newsletter

Spotlight: Member Stories

More Members

Popular Discussions

Helpful Tips

Helpful Resources

Related News

Related Drug Reviews

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

Other Member Communities

More Related Communities

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

More From WebMD:

Find us on:

Report Problems to the
Food and Drug Administration