Chronic Pain, Headaches

n 2004 I was involved in an car accident that left me with serious neck problems. The pain I was having in my neck was like pain I have never felt before. The pain would be so bad that it would cause me to have terrible headaches, so bad that I was unable to continue with daily activities like work & take care of my son.

The pain would radiate down my arm & cause my face & arm to go numb, the pain was so intense at times that it would literally make me sick. This was occurring several times a week, which was getting in the way of my everyday life. I couldn't do normal activities anymore; lift, push, pull, look from side to side. I couldn't even play with my son anymore without it causing me to have awful pain.

I was referred to go to a regular chiropractor, advised that this was all I needed & I should feel better. I was going to the chiropractor 3-4 times a week for months with only temporary relief. After the chiropractor wasn't working I was then referred to a physical therapist, where I was told that all I needed was to do some stretches & would feel better.

After months of going to the physical therapist with still no lasting relief I was then referred to a pain management Dr, who then put me on several different medicines & starting giving me injections in my neck. After a few months of that with no lasting relief he decided to combine all these things & that should do the trick.

So, I was seeing a physical therapist twice a week, taking muscle relaxers & a prescription anti-inflammatory daily, & getting painful injections in my neck once a week. Still no lasting relief.

After that, I saw a neurologist who still couldn't find the problem along with a few other Dr's. After that I tried massage therapy, still nothing that would last. I had several MRI's that all came back normal. No one could seem to find what was wrong with me, but here I am, with obviously something wrong because I am in so much pain. It was so bad that I was now taking Vicodin to help with the pain but even that didn't give me much relief.

After all that I gave up. I thought this was just something I was going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. Then, after 5 long years of suffering through this, someone referred me to a NUCCA specialist Dr. Friedman. I went in with not much hope that he was going to be different than anyone else who I had seen before. But he was different. He was the first Dr I had seen in 5 years that actually wanted to find the source of my problem instead of trying to just put me on medicine.

He explained to me in detail what was going on & what he was going to do to make me better. I have been going to Dr Friedman for almost a year now & although I am not completely pain free I am so much better than I have been in a long time & I am continuing to follow his treatment plan to feel even better. No more laying in bed 2-3 times a week because I'm in so much pain. I can play with my son again! I finally, after 5 years of agonizing pain, have my life back!

-Anonymous,