ALLOPATHY & HOMEOPATHY

THE COTTAGE PHYSICIAN Original 1895 First Edition of “The Cottage Physician for Individual and Family Use; Prevention, Symptoms and Treatment. Best known methods in all Diseases, Accidents and Emergencies of the Home, Prepared by The Best Physicians and Surgeons of Modern Practice. Allopathy, Homeopathy, Etc., Etc., A Complete Hand Book of Medical Knowledge for the Home. ” by George W. Post A.M., M.D. :: Published by King, Richardson & Co. Springfield Mass :: Measures 7 x 8 3/4" :: Complete with 642 Pages. VERY CONDITION: A tightly bound volume, very minor cracking to front hinge, generally clean pages, complete with all pages and illusrations. An excellent copy for this rare 18th Century Victorian Guide. The Cottage Physician was intended to be a practical home medical book to prevent sickness, promote health, to diminish human suffering, and to lessen the expense of maintaining the blessing of health in home. Technical names and medical phrases have been studiously avoided or carefully interpreted, and the entire work stripped of that cloud of mystery which characterizes other books of similar nature. This volume will be found so broad in its scope of information, so simple in language, so clear in expression, and so comprehensive that even those of very limited knowledge will find it a never ending-failing guide in promoting health, curing disease, and in the emergencies of the home. The practical instructions for the home range from Medical Cures, Homeopathic Remedies, Homeopathic Prescriptions, Hydropathic Treatment, Medicines, Antidotes, Disinfectants, Patent Medicine Recipes, Ointments, Mineral Waters Possessing Healing Virtues, Food, Toilet Remedies, Household Memoranda, and much much more! Written by George W. Post, M.D., Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Medicine in the College of Physicians and Surgeons Chicago, he includes such wonderful topics such as: DISEASES AND THEIR REMEDIES Treatment of Asthma Back Pains Treatment Baldness Treatment Bed Sores Treatment Nose Bleed Treatment Cancer Treatment Cataract Treatment Chapped Lips Treatment Chicken Pox Treatment Cholera Treatment Congestion Treatment Constipation Treatment Treatment for Coughs Diabetes Treatment Diarrhea Treatment Earache Treatment Epilepsy Treatment Treatments for Fevers Bad Breath Treatments Gangrene Treatment Gonorrhea Treatment Gray Hair Treatment Headache Treatments Heartburn Treatment Hiccup Treatment Hip Joint Treatment Inflammation of the Stomach Inflammation of the Kidneys Inflammation of the Bladder Inflammation of the Eye Influenza Treatment Insanity Treatment Intoxication Treatment Cold Treatment Leprosy Treatment Lice Treatment Nausea Treatment Nightmare Treatment Palsy Treatment Pneumonia Treatment Treatment for Rashes Ringworm Treatment Scurvy Treatment Small Pox Treatment Sore Throat Treatment Squinting Treatment Syphilis Treatment Herpes Treatment Toothache Treatment Ulcers Treatment Vomiting  Warts Treatment Wax in the Ear HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES  Monkshood Poison of the Honey Bee Deadly Nightshade Prepared Oyster Shell Spanish Fly Charcoal Red Cinchona Bark Wormseed Indian Cockle Coffee Wild Cucumber Bitter Sweet Nitro Glycerine Sulphide of Calcium Wolf's Foot Quicksilver Opium Phosphorus Pasque Flower Poison Oak Cuttle Fish While Hellebore American Hellebore PURELY VEGETABLE TREATMENTS (Home Made Remedies Prepared from Root, Herbs, Barks, Etc.) Anti-dyspeptic Powder Anti-dyspeptic Pills Anti-spasmodic Tincture Balmony Bayberry Barberry Bitter Root Black Snakeroot Burdock Butternut Chamomile Chamomile Pills Wild Ginger Compound for Canker Cayenne Pills Powder of Diarrhea  Remedy for Colic Composition Powder Cough Drops Cough Syrup Cough Powders Remedy for Stomach Cramps Powder for Diabetes Diuretic Powder Female Restorative Pills Female Corrective Powders Remedy for Fevers Syrup of Ginger Headache Snuff Healing Salve Liver Pills Indian Pills Indigestion Tonic Inflammation of Eyes Lotion Inflammation of Stomach Decoction Itch Wash Injection Powder Liniment for Cramps Ointments for Plies Scrofula or Scurvy Powder Spiced Bitters Pills for Spitting of Blood Strengthening Plaster Tincture of Ginger ANATOMY DOMESTIC SURGERY AND EMERGENCIES OF THE HOME BURNS AND SCALDS HOW TO PRESERVE TEETH - SPECIAL CARE AND REMEDIES HOW TO DISGUISE THE UNPLEASANT TASTE OF MEDICINE HYDROPATHIC TREATMENT ELECTRO-THERAPEUTICS ADMINISTERING MEDICINES ANTIDOTES AND DISEASES  DISINFECTANTS POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES PATENT MEDICINES COOKERY FOR THE SICK MEDICAL DICTIONARY  PHRENOLOGY ILLUSTRATED TOILET REMEDIES PRESCRIPTION REGISTER WOMANHOOD & MOTHERHOOD Menstruation The Womb Pregnancy Diseases of Pregnancy The Breast Confinement Abortion Miscarriage Anemia Hysterics Premature Birth Puerperal Convulsions Puerperal Mania or Nervousness Flooding Cancer of the Womb Falling of the Womb Whites Milk Fever Gibier's Diphtheria Antioxine  CHILDREN CARE, DISEASES & TREATMENT The Meconium Washing and Dressing The Dress The Food of Infants Employment of Nurses Artificial Nursing Exercise Air and Temperature of Nursery Weaning Washing and Bathing Tongue-Tie Inflammation of the Beasts and Navel Jaundice of Infants Retention of Urine Teething Diabetes Erysipelas Thrush Canker Colic Constipation Vomiting Diarrhea Worms Sore Eyes Cold in the Head Whooping Cough Convulsions, Fits, and Spasms Measles Rickets Infectious Febrile Diseases Ophthalmia Parasitic Diseases Felons The Biocholride Gold Treatment MEDICINAL PLANTS - HOW TO GATHER & HOW TO USE Absinthe Carbolic Acid Muriatic Acid Nitric Acid Alcohol Allspice Almond Sweet Aloes Ammonia Anise Arrow Root Balm Barberry Bearbery Bitter Root Blackberry Blood Root Caffeine Chamomile Castor Oil Catnip Cayenne Pepper Chalk Charcoal Cinnamon Cloves Cod-Liver Oil Compound Spirit of Ether Dogwood Dover's Powder Fennel Seed Fever-Root Flaxseed Garlic Ginger Ginseng Ground Ivy Gum Arabic Hemlock, Poison Hops Horse Balm Iron Jamestown Weed Kerosene Oil Lime (Calcium) Licorice Logwood Magnesia Malt Mustard Milkweed Onion Opium Parsley Peppermint Pink-Root Poison Ivy Pumpkin Seeds Queen's Root Saffron Sage Sarsaparilla Seidlitz Powders Skunk Cabbage Soda, Bicarbonate Soda, Borate Soda, Chloride Spearmint Spice Bush Star Grass Sulphur Sweet Spirit of Nitre Tansy Tar Tulip Tree Virginia Snake Root Wild Cherry Wild Indigo Witch Hazel Wormwood :: *Please remember though, this homeopathy materia medica is provided for information only, with no guarantee of accuracy; it is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, nor as a claim for the effectiveness. If symptoms persist, seek professional medical advice - minor symptoms can often be a sign of a more serious underlying condition. Homeopathic remedies are very dilute, and while the homeopathic remedy may be beneficial, the raw product may be harmful.

I THINK I AM GOING TO TRY TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE INSTEAD OF THE ROUTE I HAVE BEEN GOING

I AM SO TIRED GUYS AND I HAVE BEEN DOWN FOR SUCH A LONG TIME AND I AM SO WEIRY, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T FOUND THE ANSWER TO WHAT HAS BEEN KEEPING ME DOWN. UNFORTUNATELY, I LI VE IN THIS BED AND DREAM OF A DAY WHEN MY LIFE TURNS BACK AROUND AND I START LIVING AGAIN.
I DON'T WANT TO LIVE HERE THE REST OF MY LIFE. I KNOW, IT IS HARD FOR ANYONE THAT DOESN'T EXPERIENCE THIS "NIGHTMARE", TO UNDERSTAND. IT IS UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, UNLESS U TRULY KNOW WHAT PAIN AND DISPAIR IS AND ARE OR HAVE FELT IT IN UR LIFE.
I MUST SAY, I ONCE HAD A LIFE THAT WAS FULL AND BUSY. I LOVE TO WORK AND BE AROUND PEOPLE AND I LIKED THAT KIND OF LIFE. IT WAS A LIFE TO WHERE, WHEN U WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, U CAN PLAN UR DAY AND DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. 
THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT MY LIFE NOW...NO, I LAY HERE AND SUFFER MOST OF THE TIME, BUT I DO THINK @ WHAT LIFE I HAVE HAD AND WAS BLESSED WITH.  I COULD GO AND DO ANYTHING THAT I WANTED AND FELT SO ALIVE AND WELL, BUT NO NOW. NO, I DREAM A LOT AND THINK @ HOW MY LIFE USED TO BE AND I AM GREATFUL THAT I DID AT LEAST, GET TO EXPERIENCE WHAT I HAVE IN MY LIFE
 I GOT TO SING AND GIVE MY MUSIC TO EVERYONE AND TO ME,  IT WAS LIVING.:))


I AM GREATFUL GOD 4 THE LIFE YOU HAVE BLESSED ME WITH AND I THANK YOU 4 IT.  I TRULY HAVE HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE, BUT IT SURE CHANGED ON ME SO FAST.
PLEASE LORD, GIVE ME SOME OF MY LIFE BACK. HELP ME TO BE THE MOM THAT I NEED TO BE. I KNOW THEY HAVE DONE WITHOUT ME, MANY TIMES AND WANTED ME TO BE THERE, BUT I COULDN'T. I WASN'T ABLE...GOD KNOWS, IT IS TRUE.
IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I COULD'VE DONE TO BE THERE, I WOULD DO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY...MOM WASN'T ABLE AND THAT IS THE GODS HONEST TRUTH.
IF I HAD A CHOICE IN THE MATTER I WOULD ALWAYS MAKE EACH AND EVERY FUNCTION OR IMPORTANT TIME THAT U WANTED ME TO BE THERE. IT HAS HURT ME SO MUCH...MORE THAN U KNOW TO NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE OR CAPABLE TO BE THERE AND I AM SORRY TO THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.  IT HAS TO BE ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS FOR A MOM TO HAVE TO DO...BE AWAY FROM MY SONS.

I KNOW, THEY HAVE MISSED ME, ON MORE THAN ONE OCASION AND I AM TRULY SORRY. MOM IS TELLING THE TRUTH. AS BAD AS I HATE TO SAY IT...I AM REALLY SICK AND IT SEEMS THAT NO ONE IS TAKING ME SERIOUSLY. WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR PEOPLE TO SEE JUST SICK I AM? I CAN'T STAND ON MY OWN TWO FEET FOR 5 MINUTES, B4 I START FEELING MY BACK START TO BURN. IT STARTS IN MY RIBS AND IT WILL COVER MY BACK. I AM TALKING @ A SHEET OF FIRE AND I HAVE TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO LEAN BACK STRAIGHT ON (that is the only thing that will give me a minute b4 I have to get to the bed and fast)OR IT WILL GET SO BAD THAT THE PAIN IS SO EXCRUCIATING AND IT IS HORRIBLE.:((

     I AM SCARED, AT TIMES. ESPECIALLY, AT MOMENTS, BUT THE LORD IS THERE...HE IS WITH ME AND HE COMFORTS ME.:))) IF IT HADN'T BEEN 4 HIM, I DON'T THINK...NO, I KNOW , I WOULDN'T BE HERE. SO, I THANK HIM 4 ME SURVIVING THIS FAR AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS REALLY MORBID, BUT U JUST DON'T KNOW THE TIMES I EXPERIENCE. IT IS MISERY WHEN I HAVE THE "EPISODES". I CALL THEM THAT BECAUSE IT IS SO SCARY THAT IT IS AN EPISODE. I WILL GET TO FEELING MY SKIN TIGHTEN UP ALL OVER..LIKE, I AM SUFFICATING IN A WAY OR MY BODY IS. IT FEELS LIKE IT CAN'T GIVE ANYMORE, THEN MY HEART WILL BEAT SO HARD IN MY CHEST...THEN, THIS IS THE KICKER...MY FACE WILL GET COMPLETELY NUMB, WITH PIN/NEEDLE FEELING(same feeling, as when u foot goes numb and how it feels when u stomp on it. It is the same feeling u get after the Dentist has given u a few shots of NOVACANE in ur jaw).
I MUST SAY THIS IS ONE OF CREEPIEST, SCARRIEST FEELINGS A PERSON CAN ECER HAVE. IT FEELS LIKE UR HAVING A STROKE. NOW, ONE TIME,WHILE ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING...THE WHOLE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY WENT COMPLETELY LIMP. I COULDN'T MOVE, AT ALL. I HAD TO CALL 911, BECAUSE I COULDN'T MOVE THE WHOLE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY, AT ALL. IT WAS PARALYSED COMPLETELY. I FELT LIKE A 40LB. WEIGHT WAS LAYING ON MY LEFT ARM AND LEG. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT I WAS HAVING A STROKE. WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE?..A HEART ATTACK, MAYBE, I DONNO I AM THE ONE WHOS BRAIN IS NUMB..LITERALLY AND SCARED OUT OF MY MIND THINKING...WELL, THIS IS IT.
WOULDN'T U WANT TO KNOW WHAT CAUSED UR BODY TO GO COMPLETELY NUMB AND TO DO THIS?...WHY OF COURSE U WOULD. GUYS, I AM JUST TIRED AND KNOW THERE IS SOMEONE WRONG AND IT HAS GOT TO BE FOUND. THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT HELP ME..SURELY THERE IS SOMEONE THAT CAN FIX ME.
I THINK, I MADE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING A NEUROLOGIST WAS THE ANSWER TO WHAT I HAVE, I GUESS. NOW, I AM LEANING TOWARD SEEING AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST, AN ONCOLOGIST AND AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOC. I ONLY THINK THAT SINCE I HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH MY BLOOD THAT IS WHERE I SHOULD START, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, IT WON'T HURT ME TO CHECK OUT THE TCM. IT MIGHT HELP ME, SO IT IS WORHT A TRY.:)
      THIS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE. IT IS ALL NATURAL AND MAYBE WHAT MY BODY NEEDS. IT IS WORTH A TRY. I HAVE HEARD SO MANY EXCELLENT OUTCOMES FROM IT. I AM JUST READY TO GET THIS SITUATION TO CHANGE. IT HAS TO, SOMEWAY.
I KNOW THAT THIS HAS GONE ON FOR TOO LONG (it started in '03, with just a neck pain and i couldn't sleep and wound up with surgery that took my C5-C6 out) I JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS RIDICULAS THAT THE DOCS CAN'T GIVE ME AN ANSWER.
AGAIN, I HAVE ONLY BEEN GOING TO SEE NEUROLOGISTS, ALL THIS TIME AND THINK THAT THIS WAS MY FIRST MISTAKE. I SHOULD'VE GONE TO SEE SOME OTHER KINDS OF DOCTORS...I SEE THAT NOW, BUT, I WAS HURTING IN MY NECK AND FELT IT WAS SOME KIND OF MECHANICAL PROBLEM THAT HAS GONE WRONG WITH THE TITANIUM PLATES OR THE SCREWS THAT HELD THEM IN PLACE.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT PEOPLE ARE WONDERING. I CAN SEE ALL SORTS OF THE WRONG THING S CIRCULATING OUT THERE AND WHEN...HERE, I LAY HELPLESS AND SOMETIMES FEEL HOPELESSTHAT I WILL NEVER BE ME AGAIN. I AM IN DEBILITATING PAIN THAT I JUST WANT TO END..SOMEWAY. ALL I WANT IS MY LIFE BACK.
THE PICTURE ABOVE, SHOWS THE SWELLING IN MY FACE(moon face) AND MY OVERALL BODY WEIGHT GOT UP TO 199...WOW, I WAS FAT AND MISERABLE. NOW, AT LEAST, I AM BACK DOWN TO 145 AND THAT IS SOMETHING, BUT THE PAIN IS STILL THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS ME, I JUST KNOW THAT I AM LIVING BASICALLY A "HELL ON EARTH" SCENERIO ,RIGHT NOW. (forgive me Lord..don't mean that disrespectfully in any way) BECAUSE, ANYWAY THAT U LOOK AT IT, I AM STILL BLESSED.:))<3
I DO KNOW GOD HAS A REASON 4 EVERYTHING AND AS LONG AS HE IS IN CONTROL, I WILL ACCEPT WHAT MY LIFE IS BECAUSE I KNOW GOD IS IN CONTROL. I WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO FIND THE ANSWERS AND TRY TO GET MY LIFE BACK... AND WHO WOULDN'T?
WE ARE SUPPOSE TO STRIVE TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE AND TO LIVE IT FOR THE LORD. HE GAVE US EVERYTHING...HE EVEN GAVE US HIS LIFE AND I KNOW THAT I AM GREATFUL. I WAS BLESSED WITH TWO WONDERFUL PARENTS, THAT LOVE AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME. MOM COOKS ALL THE TIME AND SHE IS NOT WELL. I WORRY @ HER AND WHAT SHE TRIES TO DO FOR ME. SHE PUSHES HERSELF SO HARD, BUT I CAN SEE IT. I CAN SEE THAT SHE ISN'T WELL. AFTER ALL, SHE DOES HAVE A CYST ON HER LIVER. AND DAD RUNS ALL THE TIME DRIVING ME HERE AND THERE...IF, I CAN GO THAT IS AND HAVE A DAY TO WHRE, I CAN AT LEAST, GET READY TO GO.

I NEED TO GET WELL, SO I CAN TAKE CARE OF THEM FOR A CHANGE. I PRAY THAT IS SOON, LORD. I WANT AND NEED TO BE ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME LAUGHING, FISHING, EATING, SINGING AND LOVING AND LIVING MY LIFE...BUT, THIS TIME LORD...U WILL BE RIGHT THERE BESIDE ME, ALL THE WAY.:)))<3  
REGARDLESS OF MY PAIN, I DO HAVE A GOOD LIFE, BUT MAYBE THIS IS A LESSON THAT I NEEDED TO LEARN. I DO KNOW THAT I REALLY HAVE BEEN HUMBLED, SINCE I GOT SICK. IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE...ONLY 4 THE BETTER, BECAUSE I KNOW GOD AND THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING, IN THE WORLD. I AM SO GLAD, I AM HIS.:D 
I AM GLAD THAT I FOUND HIM...AND THAT HE FOUND ME.:)))

DEAR LORD, U KNOW WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH AND I PRAY THAT MY LIFE IS GOING TO CHANGE, IF IT IS UR WILL...TO WHERE I CAN JUST WALK AROUND AND BE HAPPY AGAIN. I PRAY 4 MY FAMILY TO GET THROUGH THIS AND TO UNDERSTAND IT ALL. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING IS SEIOUSLY WRONG WITH ME AND I HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE JUST YET. IF IT IS "UR WILL LORD". I JUST WOULD LOVE TO ENJOY MY FAMILY AND DO THINGS WITH THEM AGAIN. I JUST MISSED OUT ON SO MUCH AND SO MANY THINGS WITH MY FAMILY I WANT TO MAKE THAT UP, IF I CAN. I REALLY NEED AN ADVOCATE, LORD..TO FIGHT TO GET ME WELL.
DEAR LORD, SEND ME AN ADVOCATE BECAUSE MY MOM AND DAD DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEAND I KNOW THEY ARE SO TIRED. MY HUSBAND, WORKS ALL THE TIME AND THAT MAKES IT HARD TO DEDICATE ANY TIME, TO TRAVEL AND GO TO DOCS. 
LORD, EVERYDAY I BATTLE THIS PAIN AND I PRAY THAT I WILL GET WELL. I DO ALSO PRAY THAT NO ONE HAS TO FEEL THIS PAIN, IF I MAY BECAUSE IT IS SO BAD. ...AND I JUST WANT IT TO BE OVER. I KNOW, LORD...YOU HAVE KEPT ME HERE AND I AM THANKFUL 4 THAT. :D
PLEASE ANSWER MY PRAYER LORD AND GET ME WELL.:)<3

WELL, I MUST SAY THAT I HAVE REALLY TRIED TO SEE IF THE WESTERN MEDICINE COULD HELP ME, BUT I AM NOT GETTING ANY BETTER. I AM STILL IN PAIN AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I AM GETTING WORSE(sad 2 say). SO, I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO GET WELL BECAUSE THIS PAIN IS EVERYDAY, ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE IT COULD KILL ME SOMETIMES, BUT I KEEP MOVING ON...AND IT DOES GET VERY VERY OLD TO DEAL WITH.
ALSO, I DO KNOW THAT IT MUST BE HARD ON THE ONES I LOVE AND THAT LOVES ME. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE IT BEING ONE OF MY KIDS. MY HEART WOULD BE BROKEN. I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE THEM LIKE THAT. SO, I KNOW MY MOM AND DAD HAVE REALLY WORRIED @ ME AND HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT. SO MANY TIMES HAVE THEY GOT UP EARLY IN THE MORNING TO DRIVE ME TO ANOTHER DOC OR HAD TO SIT AND WATCH ME SCREAM OUT IN PAIN. IT MAKES ME SAD THAT THEY ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO THAT COULD MAKE IT ANY EASIER ON THEM??;( 
I AM THE ONE SUFFERING HERE AND IT IS HARD, WHEN SOMETHING SO PAINFUL HAS A HOLD OF U AND IT DOESN'T JUST STOP OR LET UP...NO, IT EASES UP SOME AND I CAN BREATH WITH SOME ~SIGH~ OF RELIEF...UNTIL, IT COMES BACK.
IT IS HORRIBLE AND SO DEBILITATING AND EXCRUCIATING AT TIMES, I FEEL LIKE I AM HAVING A STROKE OR SOMETHING,FOR THE WHOLE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY GOES COMPLETELY NUMB AND IT HAS GONE COMPLETELY PARALYZED ON MY LEFT SIDE. THAT IS BAD.
THIS CAN BE A SIGN OF "MS", BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH THAT AND AM GLAD, BUT AND YES, THERE IS A BUT IN THERE. THE DOCS DID FIND A LESION ON MY THORACIC AND THE THE NEUROLOGIST THAT FOUND IT SAID THAT IT WAS OUT OF HIS AREA OF EXPERTISE AND JUST LEFT ME HANGING WITH NO ONE TO GO TO OR SEE. I JUST WANT TO SEE SOMEONE THAT HAS EXPERTISE, BUT WHERE ARE THEY? IT IS HARD TO FIND A DECENT DOC THAT WON'T TREAT U LIKE A SWINGING DOOR..."NEXT". I HOPE THAT I DON'T HAVE MS AND THEY HAVEN'T SAID I HAVE THAT YET AND I AM PRAYING THAT I DON'T.
I DO KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG, BUT I AM NOT A DOCTOR. ALL I CAN DO IS RESEARCH AND BE INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITIES. I NEVER TRY TO DIAGNOSE MYSELF, I ONLY COMPARE ALL OF THE SYMPTOMS OF SOMETHING AND THEN, I WRITE THAT DOWN AND COMPARE FROM THE LIST. I THEN, TAKE MY THEORIES TO THE DOC TO SEE, IF THEY SAY IT IS A POSSIBILITY OR NOT. THERE IS SO MANY DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT IT COULD BE. WE HAVE TO BASICALLY BE OUR OWN BE ADVOCATES SOMETIMES, BUT I AM TIRED AND NEED HELP.
      NO, I CAN'T DIAGNOSE MYSELF, NO ONE CAN AND IT MUST SEEM THAT WAY BECAUSE, I POST SO MANY DIFFERENT ARTICLES AND @ MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. THE ONLY REASON I DO IS BECAUSE I FIND IT INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, TO SAVE IT AS A SORT OF DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH AND ALSO, TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. I KNOW, THERE COULD BE OTHERS THAT COULD HAVE A PARTICULAR INTEREST, IN SAID SUCH ARTICLE, SO I POST IT FOR ALL.

     I DO THINK OF OTHERS AND TO ME...MY MOTTO WOULD BE, "I WOULD RATHER BE INFORMED, THAN UNINFORMED"...ESPECIALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR HEALTH. THESE DAYS, IT IS WAY TOO IMPORTANT TO TRY TO STAY AS HEALTHY AS WE CAN.   
I HAVE BEEN GOING TO DOCS AND TELLING THEM WHAT I FEEL AND WHAT I GO THROUGH AND THEY HAVE MADE DIANOSIS'S AND PRESCRIBED THERAPY, MEDICINES AND RUN MANY TESTS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T FOUND THE ELUSIVE ONE YET...NO, NOT THE ONE THAT IS KEEPING ME IN THIS BED! 
I AM SO TIRED OF SEEING DOCTORS THAT ARE NOT FINDING THE ANSWER TO WHAT IT IS THAT IS MAKING ME SICK AND IN SO MUCH PAIN. SO, THAT IS WHY I AM LOOKING FOR SOMEONE THAT PRACTICES TCM. I FEEL IF IT CAN CURE SOME CANCERS, IT POSSIBLY COULD CURE ME.
ONE MORE WORD OR TWO B4 I GO. I DO KNOW THAT IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SOMEONE IS GOING THROUGH AND NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO SOMEONE ELSE'S PAIN, NOT TOTALLY. I AM IN CHRONIC PAIN AND I AM SO TIRED. 
      I MUST FIND AN ANSWER TO WHAT IS TAKING MY LIFE AND THROWING IT ALL AWAY. I HAVE BEEN IN BED NOW FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, GOING ON 3 AND I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE. I JUST WANT TO LIVE AGAIN...FIND SOME WAY OF GETTING BETTER. WHY NOT TRY THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE?..IT SURE ISN'T GOING TO HURT ME. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT JUST MIGHT CURE ME.:)))<3 Karen 


I RAN ACROSS THIS ARTICLE BELOW, TONIGHT AND FELT LIKE IT HAD HIT ON SOMETHING, THAT I HAVE BEEN JUST OVERLOOKING. I HAD TO GO TO THE DERMATOLOGIST BACK LAST YEAR FOR SOME SMALL BLISTERS THAT WERE COMING UP ON MY ARMS AND LEGS AND PLACES ON MY FACE. SHE TOLD ME THE REASON THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING, THAT MY HORMONES WERE OFF. SHE DID SAY THAT ONCE I HAD RETURNED TO MY USUAL HORMONE INJECTIONS OF REPLACEMENT THERAPY,  THEN, I WILL BE JUST FINE AND I WAS BETTER FROM THAT STAND POINT AND GREATFUL FOR IT.:) 
AS THE BREAKOUTS STARTED TO GRADUALLY COME BACK, I WONDERED IF IT WAS JUST HORMONAL. IT MADE ME THINK THERE COULD BE ANOTHER REASON 4 IT
. 
I'VE WONDERED, IF THE HORMONAL THING COULD NOT BE THE EXACT REASON AND WHY, I WAS GETTING BLISTERS ON MY ARMS/LEGS AND SOME ON MY FACE. COULD IT BE ANOIHER REASON 4 IT?  
THIS TIME, IT SEEMS TO BE DIFFERENT. I BURN LIKE FIRE ON THESE LITTLE PLACES THAT COME UP, MOSTLY ON MY ARMS. THEY DO LOOK AND FEEL LIKE SOMEONE HAS LITERALLY CUT ME OR SOMETHING AND WHEN THE TAKE A BAHT, THE WATER HITS IT AND IT REALLY BURNS.
I DO BELIEVE THAT MY BODY COULD BE DEALING WITH SOME KIND OF TOXICITY. MY MEDICATIONS MAYBE A REASON OR IT COULD JUST BE THE COMBINATION THAT THEY HAVE ME ON OR SOMETHING.

IT COULD BE AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE THAT JUST HASN'T BEEN RECOGNIZED OR FOUND AS OF YET AND THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES THAT A PERSONS HEAD COULD SPIN BECAUSE OF IT. I HAVEN'T BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ONE ANY I AM SO GLAD I HAVEN'T. I AM TIRED OF WAITING FOR AN ANSWER. I AM DYING HERE, JUST A LITTLE BIT EVERYDAY.

I AM THINKING @ LOOKING UP THIS THING CALLED "SYDROME X" THAT I FOUND WHILE RESEARCHING THE NET. IT THAT IS ALL @ TOXICITY. WHO KNOWS, MAYBE, THIS ALL CAME FROM HAVING TO TAKE THIS STUPID MEDICINE THAT THEY HAVE ME ON, BUT I DONNO, I HAVE FELT THIS WAY FOR OVER 3 YRS AND THE MEDICINES THAT I HAVE TAKEN, HAVE BEEN THE SAME ONES FOR THE PAST 2 YRS. UNLESS, I HAVE DEVELOPED AN ALLERGY OR SOMETHING. IT IS POSSIBLE. SO, IF IT IS THAT I WILL BE SURPRISED THOUGH. IT COULD BE THE ANSWER.  
WHEN I READ THIS, IT MADE SENSE. SO, I AM CALLING TO FIND ME A "TCM" DOC AS CLOSE AS I CAN. MAYBE, THEY CAN GET ME BACK UP ON MY FEET AGAIN. I AM PRAYING AND I HAVE FAITH. I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE UP, ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN TIMES TO WHERE I FEEL I WON'T MAKE IT, BUT IT IS ALL UP TO THE LORD.:)))<3 Karen

HERE'S  LINK TO THE SYNDROME "X" I WAS TALKING @
https://www.livehealthytoday.org/pages/syndrome-x.html

Acne - Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acne is considered a disease primarily related to the Pathogenic Influence of Heat and Damp Heat on the meridians, Zang Fu, and Fundamental Substances. This Heat may be a product of poor diet, stress, overwork, a congenital condition, or the natural ascendance of Yang energy, which is typical in adolescence.
Heat may affect the Lung or Stomach Meridians, from where it is transmitted to the skin of the face and chest, causing the condition's inflammatory response. If the Heat tries to escape from the Tai Yang channel, acne occurs on the back. Heat usually is exacerbated in the Lung Meridian by the External Wind Pathogen, which causes skin redness. In the Stomach Meridian, it can be aggravated by a diet of greasy and spicy foods, which weakens and creates more Damp Heat in the Spleen Zang and the Stomach Fu.
Heat also may enter into the Blood or transmute into Toxic Heat, both of which can cause lesions. Finally, emotional health can contribute to acne. Extreme emotions of sadness, anxiety, stress, or anger can cause Disharmony in the body. This can lead to stagnation of Qi and cause Heat and Dampness to rise to the skin.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Categories of Acne
In TCM, Heat affects the different Meridians, Zang Fu Organs, and Fundamental Substances, providing the substratum that allows acne to occur. The different manifestations of Heat in these aspects of the body's energetics appear as different complexes of signs and symptoms. Acne requires a careful differentiation of Heat so that proper treatment can be formulated to match the Pattern of Disharmony.
Lung Heat and Stomach Heat are the most common forms of acne. If Dampness is present, the skin will be greasy. Sores and bleeding signify toxicity. Itchiness can be caused by Wind and Dampness. The most common form of itchiness in acne is from Wind that arises from Heat.

Lung Heat: Symptoms include acne with a predominance of lesions on the forehead and near the nose. There may be slight itching as well. In cases with a rapid onset of new lesions, the patient may complain of chills or sensitivity to Wind. The patient may have an aversion to heat and feel thirsty. The tongue is generally red with a thin yellow coat, and the pulse may be rapid and floating.

Stomach Heat: Symptoms include acne with a predominance of lesions around the mouth and on the chest, shoulders, and back. The patient may have an aversion to heat; have a large appetite and thirst; and prefer greasy, spicy foods. There may be a tendency to pass dry stools as well. The tongue is usually red with a thick yellow coating, and the pulse is rapid and forceful.

Toxic Heat: Symptoms include severe acne, strongly inflamed with pus-filled nodules and much reddening of the skin around the lesions. The patient may have an aversion to heat as well and may complain of malaise. The tongue is generally red with a dry yellow coating, and the pulse is rapid.

Damp Heat: Symptoms include acne composed of deep, pus-filled, inflamed nodules. The skin usually is oily, and the patient may have an aversion to heat. He or she may be thirsty but have no desire to take fluids. The tongue generally is red or crimson, with a greasy or sticky coating. The pulse is rapid and may have slippery or wiry qualities as well.

Blood Heat: Symptoms include acne that is accompanied by a flushed face and strong aversion to heat. The patient may complain of thirst, dark urine, and dry stools. The tongue usually is red (with a redder tip) and has a yellow coating, or may be crimson in color. The pulse usually is rapid and thin.

WE NEED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY B4 IT TURNS OUT TOO LATE TO CHANGE ANYTHING

THIS IS ANOTHER  EXAMPLE OF A PERSON HAVING ISSUES WITH PAIN AND WAS MADE TO WAIT TOO LONG B4 THEY FOUND WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PAIN. NOW, HE HAS TO LIVE WITH THE DEBILITATING PAIN EACH AND EVERY DAY. THIS PERSON, ALSO HAD A CERVICAL SURGERY (like I did)  AND HE WOUND UP WITH COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING.

IT MAKES A PERSON WONDER JUST WHY THEY WON'T LOOK BEHIND MY TITANIUM PLATES. THAT IS ALL I WANT DONE. IF YOU CAN'T SEE BEHIND TITANIUM PLATES  FROM A PREVIOUS NECK SURGERY AND HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR 6 YRS. OR MORE AND CAN'T RECEIVE AN ANSWER TO WHY THE SUFFERING HAS TO CONTINUE. WHEN, IT IS VERY POSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE PLATES SO THAT THE NEUROSURGEN CAN GET A COMPLETE VIEW OF THE AREA AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PROBLEM ISN'T COMING FROM THIS AREA, IN THE FIRST PLACE. I HAVE TO  RULE  OUT ANY CONNECTION TO THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THIS DEBILITATING AND EXCRUCIATING PAIN THAT THE I EXPERIENCE EVERYDAY.

A PATIENT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANY AMOUNT OF PAIN...ON A DAILY BASIS, IF THEY CAN FIND THE CULPRIT. I REALLY THINK, THE PLATES SHOULD BE REMOVED AND THE AREA FULLY VIEWED, BECAUSE THERE HAS YET TO BE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. WHY DOES IT HURT TO JUST LOOK? MAYBE, THEY CAN PUT SOME KIND OF CAMERA IN AND TAKE A PEEK OR SOMETHING. ANYTHING, BUT NOTHING!!!  I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD JUST SUBJECT ME TO LIVE IN THIS MISERY THE REST OF MY LIFE...THE WAY I AM LIVING, WHEN TO ME, THIS IS NOT LIVING. ONE MORE THING, I AM NOT STRETCHING THIS. THIS PAIN IS REAL AND HORRYFYING, AT TIMES.

I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN BASICALLY BEGGING TO GET THESE PLATES REMOVED, SO THAT A FULL COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THE POSSIBLE AREA THAT IS APPARANTLY HAVING MORE PROBLEMS THAT I CAN STAND...CAN BE VIEWED AND THEN THEY CAN RULE IT OUT, IF THERE IS NO PROBLEM BEHIND THEM, BUT DON'T ASSUME THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN THERE. I FEEL IT AND I KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG SOMEWHERE. IS THAT ASKING TOO MUCH?...NO. THEY CAN'T SEE BEHIND THEM AND I AM DYING HERE. I MUST SAY, THAT IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE ANYWAY. AT LEAST, I WISH THEY WOULD LOOK, SO I CAN MOVE ON TO FIND THE ANSWER, INSTEAD OF JUST LAYING HERE WITHERING AWAY. NO, I MUST AND CAN FIND THE ANSWER...SOMEHOW.


MY BODY IS TIRED OF BEING IN PAIN. WHY CAN'T SOMEONE SEE THAT? WHY CAN'T SOMEONE MAKE THEM LOOK FURTHER...DEEPER TO FIND THE PROBLEM, INSTEAD OF COVERING IT UP OR TRYING TO MASK MY SYMPTOMS BY MEDICATING ME. WELL, MY SYMPTOMS ARE BECOMING A VERY BIG PROBLEM. THEY ARE TAKING MY LIFE AWAY FROM ME AND I AM TIRED NOW AND I HAVE TO FIGHT BACK OR I WILL BE IN MY GRAVE, AT AN EARLY AGE. I KNOW THAT DOES SOUND MORBID, BUT IT IS TRUE. IF A PERSON DOESN'T FIGHT TO LIVE...THEY WON'T MAKE IT.

THIS HAS NEEDED TO BE ATTENDED TO FOR A LONG TIME NOW. NOW, I AM IRATE AND ANGRY BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN LEFT HERE TO FEND FOR MYSELF...BASICALLY. I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES THAT DOES HAVE SOMEONE TO AT LEAST TEND TO ME AND HELP ME GET THROUGH MY DAYS AND I AM SO GREATFUL THAT I DO, BUT WHAT @ THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO HELP THEM? THEY ARE OUT THERE.:( 

I WANT TO LIVE AGAIN AND ALL I HAVE IS THIS COMPUTER TO SAY WHAT IT IS THAT I NEED TO SAY, BECAUSE IT IS VERY EVIDENT THAT GOING TO DOCTORS ASKING THEM TO HELP FIND WHAT IT IS THAT IS KILLING ME...GETTING VERY OLD AND I AM GETTING NO WHERE, IN THE PROCESS.
 AFTER DEALING WITH A CERVICAL SURGERY, I SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW, IF THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG IN THERE AND NOT BE JUST LEFT IN THE DARK @ IT.




THIS PERSON BELOW, NAMED "JS", IS SUFFERING AND HE, LIKE ME, HAD A CERVICAL DISKECTOMY, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE FOR HIM TO EVER REGAIN HIS LIFE BACK, LIKE IT ONCE WAS..AGAIN.
IT JUST TOOK TOO LONG TO GET ANYONE TO LISTEN TO HIM AND I KNOW HOW HE FEELS. THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I AM AFRAID OF, IT TAKING TOO LONG TO FIND THE CULPRIT. 
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, IF ONLY A DOCTOR WOULD HAVE SEEN THE SIGNS ,B4 IT WAS TOO LATE. HE DIDN'T GET HIS ANSWER FAST ENOUGH AND BY NOT FINDING WHAT IT WAS THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT, HE WOUND UP HAVING PRESSURE ON HIS SPINAL CORD,4 TOO LONG.  
IT, ALL CAME DOWN TO THE DOCTOR, NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. THIS PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, IF ONLY THE PATIENT, WOULD HAVE BEEN LISTENED TO, IN THE FIRST PLACE .
YEAH, WE DO KNOW OUR BODIES.

JS in SD

This paper study and others like it will be used by insurance companies to justify not paying for needed surgeries or for delaying them while they try other options, causing more damage. I have had surgeries on my cervical spine and was left permanently disabled due to delays before the last surgery. I had degenerative disk disease in my cervical spine. An initial surgery to fuse three vertebrae were initially successful at getting me back on my feet. I was back at work and doing well in a couple of weeks. I then had another disk bulge that started crushing my spine. I was getting severe shocks down my entire body and was starting to have difficulty walking. The HMO refused to authorize the surgery until they tried other options, which even the doctor knew would not help in my case. They delayed the surgery while they tried epidural injections, physical therapy, etc. By the time they authorized the surgery, the pressure on my spinal cord had cut off the blood flow for too long. The damage to my spinal cord was permanent and I am in constant pain that medication barely touches. It keeps it to the point that I do not have to be permanently hospitalized, but that is about it. If the surgery had not been delayed by the HMO, I would not be in the condition I am in and would likely be back working and enjoying life, instead of permanently disabled. I am afraid that paper studies like this will result in more people unnecessarily ending up in the same situation I am in. It will be used to justify delaying or denying needed surgeries, even when it is clear that the alternatives will not help the particular case.
The success of back surgeries is determined by a couple of factors. The most obvious is the skill of the surgeon. A good surgeon knows when it makes sense to operate and when it does not. They also know how to minimize or eliminate secondary problems resulting from the surgery itself. Another factor is how well the person that had the surgery follows the doctors instructions following the surgery. This includes not trying to push things too quickly as well as doing the physical therapy that is needed to recover. A final factor is, unfortunately, just luck. Some people will come back well and others will not. Know one really knows why some people respond better than others.


I DO AGREE THAT BY THE TIME THE DOCTORS DO GET A CLUE, THEN IT COULD BE TOO LATE. I CAN'T STAND TO HARDLY BRUSH MY OWN TEETH...I CRY. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY VERY WRONG HERE, BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO GET ANYWHERE. I HAVE BEEN TO DOCTORS, BUT MUST SAY THAT THEY DON'T TAKE YOU THAT SERIOUSLY. NO, THEY THINK YOU ARE FULL OF HOT AIR AND JUST WANT ATTENTION. "NOT"..NO, UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT I HAVE IS REAL. IT IS VERY PAINFUL AND I TRY...I REALLY DO TRY TO GET THROUGH EACH DAY WITH A SMILE AND MOST OF THE TIME...I HAVE TO GRIN AND BEAR IT AND HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I AM SCARED.
I DO KNOW THAT I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN AND THAT MAKES IT HARD AND I HAVE TO TRAVEL. I DON'T LIVE WHERE IS SOMEONE WHO COULD FIX ME. I HAVE TO GO TO THEM AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE, FOR SOMEONE THAT EVERY LITTLE BUMP IN THE ROAD, IS LIKE SOMEONE ACTUALLY HURTING YOU?

ALL I WANT IS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND FIND THAT DOCTOR WHO IS GOING TO PUT ME BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. AFTER THAT SURGERY OF THE ACD & F SPINAL DISKECTOMY OF MY C5-C6, MY LIFE HAS DONE NOTHING, BUT GO STEADILY DOWNHILL. SOMETHING IS WRONG IN THERE AND IF THEY CAN'T SEE BEHIND MY TITANIUM PLATES AND I HAVE BEEN CHECKED EVERYWHERE ELSE IN MY BODY, I THINK. THEN, I THINK IT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AND DONE. DON'T YOU?
I HAVE GOT TO WHERE I CAN'T DO ANYTHING AND LIVE IN THE BED..80-90% OF THE TIME. I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE, SPONDYLOSIS AND SPINAL STENOSIS....WHY? WHERE DID IT COME FROM, WHEN THEY TOLD ME THAT ALL I HAD AT THE TIME OF SURGERY WAS A RUPTURED PETRUSION?  THEY HAVE EVEN DOCUMENTED THAT I HAVE A T3-T4 COMPRESSED FRACTURE...."WHAT?" WHAT IS GOING ON IN MY BODY? I WANT TO FIND OUT NOW. I AM TIRED OF LIVING LIKE THIS!!!
GOD BLESS ALWAYS.:)))<3 Karen

WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO BE UNDER A PALM TREE, SIPPING ON A COSMOSPOLITAN AND JUST LOVING LIFE. BEING ABLE TO BREATH...IN THE FRESH AIR AND LAY IN A HAYMOCK UNDER THE SUN. (JUST A DREAM OF MINE...RIGHT NOW.:)))

LIFE...CAN BE SO HARD, AT TIMES. JUST LAYING HERE...YEAH, I AM BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO JUST LAY HERE AND OF COURSE, IT SEEMS LUXURIOUS, BUT IT COULDN'T BE FARTHER FROM IT. BEING STUCK ISN'T FUN, BUT IT IS FUNNY HOW SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT BEING DISABLED. THEY THINK IT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF AND IT IS, BUT WE CAN'T CHANGE WHAT IS WRONG WITH US...NO, ONLY A DOCTOR CAN CHANGE UR OUTCOME IN THAT FIELD.
I DON'T WANT TO BE DISABLED. NO, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ONE TO WORK AND ACTUALLY, I WAS THE ONE WHO LOOOOVED TO WORK. NOW, THAT I AM DISABLED AND AM STUCK TO WHERE I CAN'T DO A GOSH DARN THING...IT IS HARD, IT IS VERY HARD THAT IS...TO NOT TO BE ABLE TO JUST GET UP AND DO WHAT IT IS THAT I WANT. AND PAIN THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT, REALLY MAKES IT SO MUCH HARDER. I KNOW THAT IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND FOR SOME, BUT IF UR THERE...U CAN RELATE AND PUT URSELF RIGHT THERE WITH ME.:(
I LAY HERE AND SOMETIMES, I LOOK OUT MY WINDOW AND SEE THE BEAUTIFUL DAY I AM MISSING...AGAIN. ANOTHER DAY OF JUST LAYING HERE MISSING OUT ON THE THINGS THAT I COULD BE DOING. I COULD BE MAKING THIS PLACE LOOK LIKE A LITTLE DOLL HOUSE. INSTEAD, MY HUBBY CLEANS OUR HOUSE AND WORKS 12-14 HOURS A DAY 2.  HE HAS WORKED LONGER THAN THAT SOME DAYS, BUT HE NEVER LETS US DO WITHOUT OR LIVE IN A MESS EITHER(THANK U GOD:)) I HAVE TO ADMIT AND GIVE CREDIT TO MY WONDERFUL HUBBY GARY. HE WAS RAISED RIGHT, BY A GOOD MOM AND I LOVE HER FOR HOW SHE TAUGHT HIM TO DO WHAT HE DOES. THANKS NANA 4 TELLING ME WHEN HE SAYS THAT HE WILL DO IT TOMORROW...SAY, "NO, U R GONNA DO IT TODAY"..BUT U KNOW, THERESA, I REALLY HAVEN'T HAD TO USE THAT.:)))
IT MIGHT GET OLD TO HAVE TO LAY HERE, BUT I AM BLESSED..I KNOW THAT. I COULD BE IN THIS SAME PAIN AND NOT HAVE SOME OF THE LUXERIES I HAVE. I AM TRULY THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE..
ALL I WANT IS TO BE PAIN FREE, THEN I WOULD BE UP AND DOING THE THINGS I WANT. IT IS SO FRUSTRATING NOT BEING ABLE TO EVEN TYPE WELL FOR THE CRAMPS IN MY HANDS. MY FEET AND LEGS HURT CONSTANTLY TO WHERE I HAVE TO RUN THE ELECTRIC VIBRATOR IN MY BED. I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO WITHOUT IT. MY LEGS CRAMP SO MUCH AND MY MUSCLES STAY SO TIGHT. IT FEELS LIKE THE PARTS OF ME THAT BEND ARE CONSTANTLY BEING HIT, SOMEWHAT LIKE HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE YOUR FUNNY BONE HIT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I DESCRIBE IT LIKE THAT BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE YOUR FUNNY BONE HIT. I MUST SAY THAT IT IS ONE OF THE MOST AGGRAVATING SYMPTOMS THAT I HAVE.
NOW, I HAVE SO MANY THAT IT WOULD BE UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE TO LIST THEM ALL. I CAN EXPLAIN THEM AS I HAVE THEM, BECAUSE MY MEMORY IS SEEMING TO BE GIVING ME MORE PROBLEMS. MY BRAIN FEELS NUMB AND IT IS SORT OF LIKE I AM A ZOMBIE. I HATE IT. I MUST BE OF A RARE BREED, BUT I HONESTLY HATE IT. I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES AND DO FOR THEMSELVES.
OHH, I AM EXPERIENCING A DEEP PAIN IN MY RIGHT SHOULD AND  IT GOES ALL THE WAY UP MY NECK. I GUESS,  I COULD SAY..RIGHT NOW, MY NEXT AGGRAVATING SYMPTOM WOULD BE THAT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS COMING NEXT.
WHILE THE SHOULDER PAIN IS STILL LOCKING MY NECK AND CRAMPING. I AM HAVING PRESSING HEAD PAIN LIKE SOMEONE IS PUSHING MY HEAD DOWN. IT IS A HORRIBLE FEELING, WHEN IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE HAS THEIR THUMB AND IS PRESSING IT HARD INTO UR HEAD...YOWCH!..I HATE THAT.:(((( MY EARS ARE RINGING AND MY EYES ARE GETTING SOMEWHAT BLURRY. I WOULD SAY THAT I AM HAVING SOME SERIOUS SYMPTOMS...WOULDN'T YOU? THIS IS EVERY SINGLE DAY AND IT GETS OLD WHEN U DON'T KNOW WHAT IS COMING...BUT, I AM STILL IN THIS SAME BOAT. LAYING HERE AFTER 6 YRS OF MY LIFE HAS JUST FADED INTO THIS HOLE THAT I LIVE IN. WELL, THAT IS WHAT I CALL IT. IT IS A HOLE. TO ME,  BECAUSE I HAVE PILLOWS THAT ARE ON EACH SIDE THAT I LEAN MY ARM ON. 
MY HANDS ARE HAVING PINS/NEEDLES AND I NOTICED THAT I HAVE CLOSED ONE EYE TO SEE WHAT I AM TYPING. I AM NOT GOING TO LIE. I AM SCARED AND I AM PRAYING TO THE LORD THAT HE WILL HEAL ME SOON AND MAKE ME BETTER.
LIFE SEEMS DREARY AND IT IS OH SO WEIRY FOR ME, TO LAY HERE ALL THE TIME. I USED TO BE SO ACTIVE AND DID SO MANY THINGS. I SANG EVERYWHERE AND LOVED IT. I SANG FOR PAGAENTS, TALENT SHOWS AND JUDGED ALL SORTS OF ENTERTAINMENT. I LOVED BEING OUT AND SINGING. I FEEL THAT, THAT PART OF ME HAS BEEN LOST ,SOMEHOW. I DON'T KNOW THAT PART OF ME ANYMORE AND THAT IS HARD FOR ME TO FACE. I USED TO PLAY MY GUITAR (OVATION) AND SET ON THE BACK PORCH, BUT THAT IS A DREAM NOW, FOR MY HANDS TO WELL TO GET THIS OUT.
I AM GOING TO GO FOR NOW. I DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF JUST JUMPING UP AND DOING WHAT I WANT, ANYMORE. I HAVE TO LAY HERE AND LAY HERE. YES, IT DOES GET VERY OLD AND TO ME, THIS IS NOT LIVING, BUT I WILL FIGHT ANOTHER DAY...AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE I WILL GET TO GET OUT OF THIS BED ONE DAY. "LORD WILLING" THAT IS.
KEEP ME IN UR PRAYERS PLEASE THAT I WILL GET WELL I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS PRAYED FOR ME.:)) I JUST WANT MY LIFE TO BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS...THAT IS :))) ALL I WANT..IS TO HELP OTHERS. SO MAYBE GOD WILL LET ME GET WELL AND LET MY LIGHT SHINE FOR HIM. GOD BLESS ALWAYS.;)))<3 Karen

MYOFASCIAL PAIN SYNDROME(OMOHYOIDEUS-4 patients reports)

The JOURNAL OF CRANIOMANDIBULAR PRACTICE June '84-Aug. 'b4, Vol. 2, No. 3 The Omohyoideus Myofascial Pain Syndrome: Report of Four Patients Abstract Pain in the shoulder, neck, arm, and hand, and in the scapular, supraclavicular, mandibular, and temporal regions may be caused by the omohyoideus myofascial pain syndrome. This may be primary, caused by vomiting or by other intense use of the muscle, or it may be secondary, occurring as a result of rheumatoid myositis, ankylosing spondylitis, nonankylosing rheumatoid spondylitis, gouty myositis, or other disorders. The syndrome can be successfully treated by gently injecting the inferior belly of the omohyoideus muscle and the secondary trigger points with a combination of medications that will break the pain/spasm cycle. Michael R. Rask, M.D. Michael R. Rask, M.D. After receiving his M.D. degree from the University of Oregon Medical School in 1955, Dr. Rask completed his internship at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn and later returned to Oregon for his orthopedic residency. He is currently in private practice in Las Vegas, Nevada, specializing in neurological orthopedic surgery. Dr. Rask belongs to a number of regional and national medical societies, including the American academy of neurological and Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Federation for Medical Accreditation, and the Neurological and Orthopaedic Institute. Dr. Rask is chairman of the Board of Neurological and Orthopaedic Surgeons and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Neurological and Orthopaedic Surgery. He is also chairman of the Neurological Orthopaedic Institute. Dr. Rask has published nearly 200 articles in numerous major medical journals, and he has also presented a number of lectures and scientific exhibits at major scientific meetings. CASE REPORT The Omohyoideus Myofascial Pain Syndrome: Report of Four Patients By Michael R. Rask, M.D. Abundant material has been written about the thoracic inlet (or outlet) syndrome, the scalenus anticus muscle syndrome, the scalenus medius or posterior muscle syndromes, and cervical disk disease, but no attention has been paid to a painful and not infrequent muscle syndrome that has come to my notice over the years. The inferior belly of the omohyoideus muscle can cause a painful and disabling cervical-glenoappendicular disorder. This article will discuss four cases of this disorder, give some notes on the problem's etiology, and suggest a method for conservative treatment. Patient One This 54-year-old businessman had injured his lower back many years ago while lifting heavy objects. His L4-5 disk was damaged, and he had received no conservative therapy. After two unsuccessful lumbar laminectomies done by two different neurosurgrons, the patient developed severe and unrelenting cauda equina claudication (without intermittency). The patient responded well to the conservative therapeutic program I generally use for postoperative arachnoradiculitis.1 (This consists of intravenous Colchicine,* sodium salicylate, calcium gluconate, oral Colchicine and Anturane,* 2 and trigger point injections with Marcaine,* Sarapin,* and gamma globulin.3) After this conservative therapy, the patient returned home without much lower back or lower limb pain. However, he later became ill with influenza, and while he was vomiting, he has a sudden onset of severe pain in the neck and left shoulder. After several days of intense discomfort, the patient also began having severe, unrelenting left-sided temporo-parietal headache. The patient went to several practitioners in his hometown, who conducted numerous radiographic and electrical testings. These clinicians simply told him that it was related to his previous unsuccessful lower spine surgery. When I first examined the patient for this painful cervical condition in July, 1983, he was unable to extend or rotate his head and neck to the right without experiencing severe pain in the left supraclavicular area. This burning pain radiated into the left shoulder anteriorly and into the upper left brachium/elbow regions. There was also pain in the scapular insertion of the levator scapulae superioris muscle. Chest x-rays showed no evidence of a superior sulcus tumor, while a CT scan revealed some C5-6 disk "build-up" beneath the posterior longitudinal ligament without significant asymmetry. All other testing was negative, including laboratory procedures. (The patient did have mild adult-onset diabetes, but this was under good control with Diabinese.*) Examination of the patient's neck revealed extreme tenderness in the inferior belly of the omohyoideus muscle where it traversed the upper brachial plexus (Figure 1). No lymphadenopathy was present, nor was there marked tenderness in the brachial plexus itself. The subclavian artery pulsation could not be altered with the various arm abduction elevation and Valsalva procedures (negative Adson's and hyperabduction tests)4 that I attempted. The patient also had tenderness in the anterior bicipital groove of the left shoulder, in the scapular insertion of the levator scapulae superioris tendon, in the belly of the brachioradialis muscle, and in the midbelly of the temporalis muscle (just above the aygomatic arch). I found no sensory deficit (for light touch, temperature, or pinwheel pain) and no deep-tendon reflex deficit in the limbs. Nor was there muscle weakness anywhere in the upper left limb. Manipulating the inferior belly of the patient's left omohyoideus muscle re-created the severe neck, shoulder, and arm pain and headache. I carefully injected this muscle belly with Marcaine (bupicacaine hydrochloride 0.5%), gamma gloubulin, and Sarapin, using a 30 gauge ½ inch atraumatic, disposable needle. This completely relieved the patient's pain. On two subsequent occasions, I injected the secondary trigger points (in the bicipital groove and the scapular insertion of the levator scapulae superioris muscle), the muscle belly of the brachioradialis (at the left elbow), and the trigger point in the temporalis muscle in a similar manner. The patient was then able to return to his home with no pain and with no limitations to the movement in his shoulder and neck. His headache was also gone. Six months later I saw this patient again and found him to be totally asymptomatic. Patient Two This 49-year-old teacher developed food poisoning after eating some tainted fish. He became violently ill and was wretching and vomiting. Toward the end of the vomiting attack, he had a sudden burning pain in the right side of his neck and in his right shoulder blade, and aching in the right mandibular region. This pain persisted for three weeks. Buffered aspirin seemed to relieve the pain slightly. The patient found that turning his head to the left caused the pain in his neck and shoulder to become more intense. The pain also seemed worse in the morning. When I examined this patient three weeks after the onset of the syndrome, he had no sensory, motor, or deep-tendon reflex deficits. Radiographs of his neck showed no disk narrowing, and a chest x-ray showed no pathology there. The inferior belly of the patient's omohyoideus muscle was extremely tender to palpation, and the brachial plexus was slightly tender. There was also some tenderness at the cervical insertions of the lower three heads of the levator scapulae superioris muscle on the right side. The patient also had tenderness deep in the right levator scapulae superioris bursa on the inner upper aspect of the right scapula, and there was slight temporalis muscle tenderness above the aygomatic arch. Hyperextending the patient's head and turning it to the left (positive Spurling's test) aggravated his discomfort. (In Spurling's test for cervical radiculopathy, the pain and paresthesia can be reproduced by vertical compression of the head upon the neck. The neck may be extended, flexed, or bent laterally.4,8) I treated this patient by injecting the inferior belly of the right omohyoideus muscle with 2cc's of 0.5% Marcaine, ½ cc gamma globulin, and 1 cc Sarapin, taking great care not to anesthetize the right phrenic nerve (see Figure 2). This completely relieved the patient's discomfort. On the second visit, I injected the inferior belly of the omohyoideus muscle again, and I also injected the trigger points in the levator scapulae superioris muscle insertions and deep in the trapezius muscle (at the insertion of the omohyoideus muscle into the scapula). Three days later, the patient had no remaining symptoms. Patient Three After a severe rear-end collision in which her vehicle overturned, this 37-year-old secretary had developed Crohn's disease and nonankylosing rheumatoid spondylitis (NARS).5 (This had occurred 12 years before I saw her.) After seven years of chronic inflammatory disease in her neck, the patient began gradually to develop pain in the right supraclavicular area, the right shoulder, and the right upper brachium. She also experienced intense spasm of the levator scapulae superioris on the right side, and she had aching in her jaw, temporalis area headache, and burning in the inner upper aspect of the right scapula. She also had slight numbness in the tips of her fingers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications afforded her only slight relief, and they often interfered with the Crohn's gastroenteritis. When I examined this patient, I found that she had the characteristic trigger point pain and tenderness in the inferior belly of the omohyoideus muscle. There was also tenderness of the brachial plexus. Radiographs of her neck revealed no disk narrowing, and there was no evidence of ankylosing spondylitis (the basis for the diagnosis of NARS).5 Spurling's test was positive for right shoulder and upper limb pain, but the patient's cervical movements were markedly limited, due to the inflammatory stiffness of her disease. I found no real sensory change or motor weakness and no deep tendon reflex abnormality in either upper limb. Maneuvers to identify thoracic inlet (or outlet) syndrome and scalenus anticus muscle syndrome were negative. I injected the inferior belly of the patient's right omohyoideus with 11/2 cc's of 0.5% Marcaine, 1 cc Sarapin, and ½ cc gamma globulin. This completely relieved the pain in her supraclavicular region and her right shoulder and mandibular areas for two to three months. The temporalis and levator scapulae superioris trigger points needed additional injections to give the patient greater pain relief. The usual ½ inch number 30 gauge disposable needle was used for all the injections. This helps to prevent the injection medication from escaping into the spinal nerve root dural sac and also eliminates the chance of injuring the cupola of the lung. Patient Four This patient is a 29-year-old concert pianist who had been in excellent health all of her life. Five months before she came to me, she was playing the piano fortissimo, when she suddenly felt an aching pain in the right cervical supraclavicular region, burning pain in the right shoulder, aching in the upper brachium, and pain in the upper inner shoulder blade. This pain waxed and waned for three months, occurring especially when she played the piano strenuously, and then it became constant. She also had some aching of her first digital web which had begun six weeks before she consulted me, and she had mandibular aching and intermittent headache. She had no numbness or tingling in her hand or upper limb. Left-sided neck movements increased her neck and arm discomfort. She had no history of neck injury. When I examined this patient in June, 1983, I found no sensory, motor, or deep-tendon reflex deficit in her right upper limb. There was extreme tenderness in the inferior belly of the omohyoideus muscle and some tenderness in the upper trunk of the brachial plexus (C5-6 roots). I found trigger points in the right bicipital groove, the brachioradialis muscle belly, the temporalis muscle belly (above the zygoma), the insertion of the levator scapulae superioris into the upper inner scapulae, and the first dorsal interosseous muscle. Moving her head to the left aggravated the patient's pain. Cervical and chest radiographs revealed no abnormalities, and CT scans of the C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7 disks showed no damage or tumor. HLA B-27 and antinuclear antibody titers were normal. I injected the inferior belly of the omohyoideus muscle carefully with the injection technique described above, and the patient's pain was completely relieved. I injected the other trigger points on two later occasions, and the patient returned to playing her piano fortissimo. Figure 1: Note how the inferior belly of the omohyoideus muscle traverses the upper portion of the brachial plexus. When this muscle goes into spasm primarily, as from intense vomiting, or secondarily, as a result of disk disease or other damage, the muscle belly become extremely painful. This will then cause a painful syndrome of neck, shoulder, and limb pain, temporalis muscle headache, and, in some patients, mandibular pain. The syndrome can disable the patient if it is not treated correctly. (Illustration from Atlas of Orthopadeic Exposures. Toufick Nicola, M.D. Baltimore: The Williams and Wilkins Company, 1966, pg. 62. Reprinted with the permission of the Williams and Wilkins Company.) Figure 2:The phrenic nerve is in close proximity of the inferior belly of the omohyoideus (retracted). Note also the proximity of the subclavian artery, subclavian vein the cupola of the lung, and the brachial plexus. These vital structures must not be disturbed in the injection procedure used in the treatment. It is thus essential to employ atraumatic injection techniques, using a 30 gauge 1/2 inch needle and injecting only small amounts of the medication mixture. Long acting bupivacaine (marcaine 0.5%) seems to be ideal for breaking the muscle pain/spasm cycle. (Illustration from Atlas of Orthopaedic Exposures. Toufick Nicola, M.D. Baltimore: The Wilkins Company, 1966, pg. 63. Reprinted with the permission of the Wilkins Company.) Figure 3: View of the anterior neck. The Omohyoideus muscle is attached by a central tendon to the clavicle and first rib. The infrahyoid belly of the muscle is flat and straplike, but the inferior belly is bulky and fleshy. Primary inflammation and spasm of the inferior belly can cause supra clavicular pain, burning in the shoulder and upper arm, elbow and lateral hand pain, sholder blade pain(rhumboid and levator scapulae superioris muscles), temporalis headache, and the mandibular aching. The may also become inflamed secondarily as a result of disk disease, ankylosing spondylitis, nonankylosing rheumatoid spodylitis, gouty myositis, rheumatoid myositis, and sprains or strains of the neck and sholder girdle.(Illustration fromSobotta: Atlas of Human Anatomy. Helmut Ferner and Jochen Straubsand, eds. 10th English Ed. Baltimore: Urban and Schwarzenberg, 1983. Reprinted with the permission of Urban and Schwarzenberg.) Figure 4: Simplified drawing showing the attachments of the omohyoideus muscle. Notice the central tendon and the scapular attachment of this multi-functioning muscle. (Illustration of from Anson's Atlas of Human Anatomy. Barry J. Anson, ed. Philadelphia: The W.B. Sanuders Company, 1950. Reprinted with the permission of the W.B. Sanuders Company.) Anatomy of the Omohyoideus Muscle The omohyoideus muscle arises from the upper margin of the scalpula, near (and sometimes from) the suprascalpular ligament (see Figure 4). It attaches to the hyoid bone. The superior belly of the omohyoideus is like an infrahyoid “strap” muscle, while the inferior belly of the muscle is thick and fleshy. This inferior portion of muscle crosses over the upper trunk of the brachial plexus (C-5 and C-6) (se Figure 3). The central tendon of the omohyoideus muscle is beneath the sternocleidomastoid muscle and separates the two bellies (Figure 3). This central tendon is held in place by the strong process of the middle layer of cervical fascia. The fascial process helps attach the omohyoideus mid-muscular tendon to the posterior surfaces of the clavicle and first rib. The nerve supply for both the bellies of the omohyoideus muscle is derived from ansa cervicalis (C1-2-3, and sometimes C-4). (In older anatomy books, ansa cervicalis is called ansa hypoglossi). In the fetus, the omohyoideus muscle is longitudinal and starp-like (as is the rest of the infrahyoid musculature), but it moves with clavicle and scapula as they grow, taking on its unusual character. Its function is to assist in swallowing, vomiting, and respiration, and it also has some scapulo-clavicular actions. Etiology of the Omohyoideus Muscle Pain Syndrome This omohyoideus muscle pain disorder may be either primary or secondary. Any muscle can be the primary site for a painful contraction syndrome, 6 and if the muscle is located in a strategic place, then the muscle pain/spasm cycle that occurs will have even more wide spread results. The omohyoideus is of course such a case, since the brachial plexus is located beneath it. Because there is a great cross-over of the nerve supply for the muscle (the ansa cervicalis), there can also be referred pain in similarly innervated structures. This can create seemingly unrelated symptoms such as temporalis headache, sympathetic pain in the levator scapulae superioris muscle, the inframandibular pain on the affected side. (These structures share segmental innervation of the omohyoideus.) In addition, since the upper trunk of the brachial plexus (C5 and C6 spinal nerve roots) is so near, contiguous inflammation from the muscle may cause the patient’s neck and supraclavicular pain in progress into his or her entire upper limb. However, the trouble arises primarily from two-bellied omohyoideus muscle. Primarily isolated muscular disease may occur in the omohyoideus muscle as a result of the violent, intense vomiting (as in patients 1 and 2) or violent shoulder and neck movement (as in patient 4). However, the syndrome can also occur secondarily, as a result of rheumatoid myositis, ankylosing spondylitis, nonankylosing rheumatoid spondylitis (as in patient 3), gouty myositis, cervical spine injuries, or disk damage in the region. In addition to isolated viral inflammation of muscle or nerves, muscular inflammation may also occur as a result of joint diseases, trauma, spinal cord lesions brachial plexus neuropathy (Parsonnage-Turner syndrome), poliomyelitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, polyneuropathies (alcoholism, porphyria, arsenic intoxication), polyneuritis nodosa, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, beriberi, B12 deficiency, or other problems. 6 For older patients, the cliician must also consider the possibility of polymyalgic rheumatica. (Temporary arteritis is a peculiar component of that disorder.) Diagnosis A diagnosis of primary omohyoideus myofascial pain syndrome should be made only after careful tactile examination of the patient’s supraclavicular fossa, and after other causes for the cervical, supraclavicular, scapular, temporomandibular, and limb pain have been excluded. One example of another cause can be seen in the patient who has Horner’s syndrome (meiotic pupil, ptosis of the eyelid, narrowing of the palpebral fissure, and anhidrosis and flushing of the affected side of the face) with a cloudy radiologic lesion in the cupola of the lung. These symptoms would indicate that the patient has a sulcus neoplasm, and we must assume this to be the case until proven otherwise. The clinician must search for all such possible cervical disease, brachial plexus problems, and cervical spinal nerve root abnormalities and exclude them in order to arrive at diagnosis of primary omohyoideus myofascial pain syndrome. However, whether omohyoideus muscular inflammation or spasm is diagnised as a primary or secondary, the conservative therapy used is the same. Contradictions for this treatment would include malignant infiltration of the brachial plexus (and omohyoideus muscle), carries sicca, or any other treatable inflammatory condition. If any of these conditions are present, the clinician must not inject this area of the body to relieve the pain. Although omohyoideus muscle in the supraclavicular fossa will be extremely teder, there should be little, if any, sensory abnormality in the upper limb, and there should be no deep tendon reflex changes. In addition, the brachial plexus should not be more tender than the omohyoideus muscle. There may also be trigger points found in the bicipital groove of the shoulder, the insertion of the deltoid into the humerus, the brachioradialis muscle belly at the elbow, the first dorsal interosseous muscle, the levator scalpulae superioris muscle (both proximal and distal attachments), the rhumboid muscles, deep in the supraspinatus muscle where omohyoid attaches to the transverse scapular ligament, the mid-cervical apophyseal joints, the temporalis muscle, or even temporomandibular joint itself. Treatment The injection treatment must be performed gently with a technique as atraumatic as possible. I use a number 30 gauge ½ inch needle to deliver a small amount of the following mixture: 1 ½ cc’s of bupivocaine (Marcaine 0.5%), 1 cc Sarapin, and ½ cc globulin. This anesthetizes the fleshy inferior belly of omohyoideus muscle, which breaks the spasm /inflammatory cycle that has caused the trouble. The simpler and gentler the technique used, the better and more effective it is for the patient Although it is not necessary to infiltrate the brachial plexus in primary omohyoideus muscle pain syndrome, spinal nerve root blocks are quite effective in muscle spasm, that is secondary to cervical disk disease. The clinician must also inject the secondary trigger point areas described above with the same mixture of medications and same gentle technique. It is acceptable to use small amount of triamcinolone acetonide with medication mixture, but I have found that dexamethasone and other long-acting, slow-dissolving synthetic gluconeocorticoids are irritating and not too effective in the lon run. In addition to this injection, it often helps to give the patient prostaglandin inhibitors. I use a mixture of intravenous Colchcine, sodium salicylate, and calcium gluconate for this. Non steroidal oral anti-inflammatory medications such as Naprosyn* (naproxen), Clinoril,* and Tolectin* also seem to help. Narcotics, Muscle relaxants, and tranquilizers such as Valium* (diazepam), should not be used in treating this painful syndrome. These drugs are habit-forming, and they do nothing to relieve the disorder. Once the spastic muscle has been treated by injection, it is no longer for the patient to rest the neck and limb. Although I have not found surgical therapy to be necessary in treating the omohyoideus myofiscial pain syndrome, it is possible that a resistant and recurrent spastic muscle condition would make it necessary to divide the omohyoideus muscle. If this has to be dome, the muscle should be excised from the central tendon past the point where it crosses the patient's brachial plexus. At the same time, muscle and lymph nodes may be taken for biopsy. Summary The omohyoideus myofascial pain syndrome described here can cause severe pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, elbow, and hand, and in the scapular, supraclavicular, mandibular, and temporal regions. The syndrome is due to spastic inflammation of the fleshy inferior belly of the omohyoidues muscle. Once it has been determined that other more serious problems have not been the cuase of the spasm and pain, the condition can be treated easily with a gentle, atraumatic injection technique. Reprint requests to: Dr. Michael R. Rask Sahara Raincho Medical Center 2320 Rancho Dr., Suite 108 Las Vegas, Nevada 89102-4592 References 1. Rask, M.R. Postoperative arachnoradiculitis: report of 24 patients and the conservative treatment therefore. J Neurol Orthop Surg 1980: 1: 157-166. 2. Rask, M.R. The occurrence of acute gout in a patient with a healing fractured metatarsal. J Neurol Orthop Surg 1983: 4(3): 263-267. 3. Rask, M.R. On the use of gamma globulin for local triggerpoint, intra-anticular and spinal nerve root injections. J Neurol Orthop Surg 1983: 4(1): 92. 4. Rask, M.R. Signs of our neurological-orthopaedic times. J Neurol Orthop Surg 1980: 1: 251-255. 5. Rask, M.R. Non-ankylosing rheumatoid splondylitis (NARS): report of 11 patients. Orthop Rev 1982: 9: 21-33. 6. Nakano, K.K. Neurology of Musculoskeletal and Rheumatic Disorders. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Professional Publishers. 1979, pp.11-12 7. Rask, M.R. Ipsilateral hip, knee and shin pain in a rheumatoid with an artificial hip. J Neurol Orthop Surg 1983: 4: 129-142. 8. Nakano, K.K. Entrapment neuropathies. In textbook. Kelley. Ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company. 1982. 9. Travell, J.G., and Simons, D.G. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual. Baltimore: The Williams and Wilkins Company. 1983. pp. 354-355. *Colchicine-Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. *Anturane-GEIGY Pharmaceuticals, Ardsley, New York. *Marcaine-Winthrop Laboratories, New York, New York. *Sarapin-High Chemical Co., Division of Day Frick, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *Diabinese-Pfizer Laboratories Division, Pfizer Inc., New York, New York. *Naprosyn-Syntex Laboratories, Inc., Palo Alto, California. *Clinoril-Merck Sharp & Dohme, West Point, Pennsylvania. *Tolectin-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Spring House, Pennsylvania. *Valium-Roche Laboratories, Division of Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc., Nutley, New Jersy. Home