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Chronic Pain
**This group is for those 30 and older**
IF YOU HAVE YOUR PROFILE LOCKED, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR STATS SO PLEASE SEND ME A PM.It may take awhile for us to get back to you.
This is for those of us who deal with chronic pain 24 hours a day/7 days a week. It can be caused by many different diseases/conditions such as fibro, MS, RA, RSD, OA among many others.
Latest group announcement
Hello and Welcome To The Group
First I want to welcome all our new members, we appreciate each & everyone of you for joining the Great Group that Kandra started for us. I just heard that Kandra won't be coming back to our group so I will continue taking care of it like I promised CommunityGal.
I hope everyone will jump in and tell us your story, post any ideas that could help another member.
Invite friends that you know need comfort, help & support to join us.
We want to grow and become a group that everyone would want to join; even if they don't have to deal with the everyday pain that we do, there is alot forms of chronic pain out there.
THERE WILL BE NO SPAM, NO SOLICATION, AND NO RUDENESS TO ANY MEMBER.
Let's have some fun to brighten our life and support each other with all the knowledge we have, cause what one person knows may help the other one.
I Welcome any & all ideas to help this group.
This is just not my group it is yours and all of ours.
about 1 month ago
Recent Messages
Dealing with it
Hi all, I am new to this, so bear with me please. I suffer from chronic pain caused by nerve damage from multiple neck surgeries. I had my last surgery in March of 2007, where my plate was taken out, more discs removed, and was plated from C3-C7. Technically, the surgery was a success, ie fusion accomplished, but the pain only went away for a short while. It has now come back full force, and I am now on medication full time. I hate taking meds for anything, but sometimes you just have to give in. I am learning to cope with the disabilities I have now, such as unable to turn neck left, severe weakness in right side, right leg drags at times, loss of balance, dizzy spells, etc. I just am very thankful to God that I am not paralyzed. I hope to learn alot from everyone here about how they cope with varying degrees of pain and what can be tried besides drugs to help minimize it. Looking forward to meeting some new friends.
Article On MS & Marijuana
Sorry upfront about this being so long, but, I wanted to get all of this in one area.
It just came out today in a newspaper
Article In A Newspaper
Group backs medical marijuana
LaVonne Victor is not a criminal, but sometimes she feels like one.
"Why?" she asked emphatically. "Why should we be made to feel like lawbreakers when we're only taking what our doctors prescribed?"
Victor, a Temecula resident, is talking about medical marijuana. It's a volatile subject, and the ongoing debate over its use is a source of great concern for people like her. A new support group in Riverside is offering help.
Victor suffers from multiple sclerosis, seizures and agoraphobia. She's taken many traditional medications with little results and life-altering side effects including depression, mood swings and exhaustion.
About nine years ago her husband attended Hempfest, an event promoting the positive aspects of cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds and leaves derived from the hemp plant cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC for short. THC acts on specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high users experience. Cannabis can be smoked, cooked into foods and ingested from a vapor.
After talking to several doctors, Victor's husband thought the infamous plant might help her. She obtained a legal prescription and started taking the cannabis. Her
Advertisement
health improved, and she showed no side effects.
There are thousands of stories like Victor's, where cannabis has succeeded in relieving excruciating pain when traditional medications have failed.
However, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Web site, "there is no consensus of medical evidence that smoking marijuana helps patients."
On the site the DEA shows supportive statements from the American Medical Association, which has rejected pleas to endorse marijuana as medicine, and instead has urged that marijuana remain a prohibited substance ... at least until more research is done.
Also, the American Cancer Society "does not advocate inhaling smoke, nor the legalization of marijuana," according to an official statement by the organization. However, the society does support carefully controlled clinical studies for alternative delivery methods, specifically a THC skin patch.
Many who suffer from various ailments and choose cannabis as a treatment support its legalization and believe in its health benefits. Their own bodies are proof, they say.
But they face such daily challenges as where to get it legally, battling the high cost of it, and fighting the stigma that surrounds it.
About three months ago, the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project started the Inland Empire Medical Marijuana Patient Support Group for patients to discuss their individual hardships and share information.
Meetings are at the THCF Medical Clinic in Riverside, which serves the Inland Empire. The clinic does not dispense cannabis.
Lanny Swerdlow, a registered nurse at the clinic, has been involved in the campaign to legalize cannabis for decades. He facilitates the meetings, sharing his knowledge of the subject.
Fidel Valenzuela, 29, attends the support group regularly. Nearly three years ago the Colton resident was in a devastating motorcycle accident, colliding with a truck at 45 miles an hour.
The nerves from his right arm were disconnected from his spine. They are held together now with two plates and eight screws.
"The pain was unbelievable and constant, 24/7," he said.
The pills he was prescribed changed his personality from a laid-back, even-tempered guy to someone he didn't recognize.
"I had really bad mood changes, I was real snappy, got angry real fast," Valenzuela said. "They also gave me stomach problems, so bad I couldn't eat. I had blood in my stool. I started just taking the pills at night, but sometimes the pain was still so bad. Then, I started drinking to stop the pain."
Before his accident Valenzuela was a health nut, watched what he ate, worked out at the gym and didn't do drugs.
A family member who saw Valenzuela's pain offered him some cannabis and something unexpected happened.
"Smoking the marijuana gave me such relief," he said. "It took the edge off the pain without side effects."
He felt better but was uneasy about how little he knew about what he was putting in his body. The support group helped fill that void.
Venezuela was able to share his story, listen to others and learn from their experiences.
"At the support group you can ask questions and find out the do's and don'ts," he said.
One of the most intense topics at the meetings is availability and cost.
According to www.marijuanagrams.com, seven grams, or one-fourth of an ounce, for most varieties can run between $85 and $400. Prices on the street can be less, but there is a legal risk and no quality control.
For Valenzuela, who's been out of work since his accident, all options are a hardship.
"I can only buy a little at a time, then I have to ration it out," he said.
Though there are long-standing debates about the positive and negative effects of cannabis, it is, to date, illegal except for those Californians who qualify under The Compassionate Use Act of 1996.
The general public is invited to attend the clinic's support group meetings.
Possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor under California Health and Safety Code Section 11357. Possession of one ounce (28.5 gms) or less is punishable by a maximum $100 fine. Jail time is possible for larger amounts or for hashish, which is an optional felony ("wobbler"). However, under Proposition 36, effective July 1, 2001, first- and second-time possession-only offenders may demand a treatment program instead of jail. Upon successful completion of the program, their conviction is erased. Possession (and personal-use cultivation) offenders can also avoid conviction by making a pre-guilty plea under Penal Code 1000, in which case their charges are dismissed upon successful completion of a diversion program. Possession offenses are expunged from the record after two years under Health and Safety Code Sections 11361.5 and 11361.7.
Possession of one ounce or less in a vehicle while driving may also be charged under Vehicle Code 23222, which is treated identically to HSC 11357 B.
No arrest or imprisonment is allowed for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. However, police often get around this provision by charging minor offenders with intent to sell (see below).
Marijuana defined. "Marijuana means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds, or its resin. It does not include the mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of the plant which is incapable of germination" (H&SC 11018).
Possession with intent to sell any amount of marijuana is a felony under Health and Safety Code 11359. Police often charge intent to sell if they see such indicia as: scales, cash, multiple packages, "commercial" packaging materials, "excessive" quantity, pay-owe sheets, address books, pagers, etc.
Cultivation of any amount of marijuana is a felony under Health and Safety Code 11358. People who grow for personal use are eligible for diversion under Penal Code 1000 so long as there is no evidence of intent to sell. There are no fixed plant number limits to personal use cultivation.
Medical marijuana: Medical patients and their designated primary caregivers may legally possess and cultivate, but not distribute or sell, marijuana under Health and Safety Code 11362.5 (Proposition 215) if they have a physician's recommendation or approval.
Sale, transportation or distribution of marijuana is a felony under Health and Safety Code Sections 11360. Transporting or giving away one ounce or less is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum $100 fine.
Sale or distribution to minors is a felony under Health and Safety Code 11361.
Marijuana paraphernalia are illegal to sell or manufacture, but not possess, under Health and Safety Code 11364. All marijuana paraphernalia are subject to seizure by the police.
Driving suspension for minors: Any minor (age under 21) convicted of any marijuana, alcohol, or other drug offense faces a 12-month driver's license suspension, regardless of whether the offense was driving-related. The court may allow restricted license privileges if the minor demonstrates a "critical need to drive." Vehicle Code 13202.5. (Note: This penalty can be avoided by entering a diversion program.)
Driving under the influence: It is unlawful to drive while under the influence of marijuana (or alcohol or any other drug) by Vehicle Code 23152. "Under the influence" is not specifically defined in the statute, but is interpreted to imply some degree of impairment. Therefore the mere fact of having taken a toke of marijuana does not necessarily mean one is DUI. For evidence of impairment, officers may administer a field sobriety test. Arrestees may also be required to submit to their choice of a urine or blood test under Vehicle Code 23612. Since marijuana is detectable for much longer periods in urine than in blood (several days vs. several hours), a positive urine test constitutes much weaker proof of recent use and impairment than a positive blood test. If you haven't smoked marijuana recently and are not under the influence, you are better off to choose a blood test, since you will probably pass it. However, if you are a chronic smoker or have smoked recently, you are better off to choose a urine test; even though you can expect to test positive, the question will at least remain open as to whether you were actually "under the influence" at time of arrest.
Marijuana in a vehicle: Drivers found in possession of less than one ounce of marijuana in their vehicles are liable for a maximum $100 misdemeanor fine under Vehicle Code 23222 (larger amounts are punishable under H&SC 11357(a) and 11359).
Forfeiture: Unlike federal law, California law requires a conviction for forfeiture of property involved in a drug crime. Also unlike federal law, state law does not permit forfeiture of personal real estate for marijuana cultivation. Vehicles may be forfeited only if 10 pounds or more of marijuana is involved.
How do you feel about this article?
How do you feel about prescription marijuana & it helping your pain?
It just came out today in a newspaper
Article In A Newspaper
Group backs medical marijuana
LaVonne Victor is not a criminal, but sometimes she feels like one.
"Why?" she asked emphatically. "Why should we be made to feel like lawbreakers when we're only taking what our doctors prescribed?"
Victor, a Temecula resident, is talking about medical marijuana. It's a volatile subject, and the ongoing debate over its use is a source of great concern for people like her. A new support group in Riverside is offering help.
Victor suffers from multiple sclerosis, seizures and agoraphobia. She's taken many traditional medications with little results and life-altering side effects including depression, mood swings and exhaustion.
About nine years ago her husband attended Hempfest, an event promoting the positive aspects of cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds and leaves derived from the hemp plant cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC for short. THC acts on specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high users experience. Cannabis can be smoked, cooked into foods and ingested from a vapor.
After talking to several doctors, Victor's husband thought the infamous plant might help her. She obtained a legal prescription and started taking the cannabis. Her
Advertisement
health improved, and she showed no side effects.
There are thousands of stories like Victor's, where cannabis has succeeded in relieving excruciating pain when traditional medications have failed.
However, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Web site, "there is no consensus of medical evidence that smoking marijuana helps patients."
On the site the DEA shows supportive statements from the American Medical Association, which has rejected pleas to endorse marijuana as medicine, and instead has urged that marijuana remain a prohibited substance ... at least until more research is done.
Also, the American Cancer Society "does not advocate inhaling smoke, nor the legalization of marijuana," according to an official statement by the organization. However, the society does support carefully controlled clinical studies for alternative delivery methods, specifically a THC skin patch.
Many who suffer from various ailments and choose cannabis as a treatment support its legalization and believe in its health benefits. Their own bodies are proof, they say.
But they face such daily challenges as where to get it legally, battling the high cost of it, and fighting the stigma that surrounds it.
About three months ago, the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project started the Inland Empire Medical Marijuana Patient Support Group for patients to discuss their individual hardships and share information.
Meetings are at the THCF Medical Clinic in Riverside, which serves the Inland Empire. The clinic does not dispense cannabis.
Lanny Swerdlow, a registered nurse at the clinic, has been involved in the campaign to legalize cannabis for decades. He facilitates the meetings, sharing his knowledge of the subject.
Fidel Valenzuela, 29, attends the support group regularly. Nearly three years ago the Colton resident was in a devastating motorcycle accident, colliding with a truck at 45 miles an hour.
The nerves from his right arm were disconnected from his spine. They are held together now with two plates and eight screws.
"The pain was unbelievable and constant, 24/7," he said.
The pills he was prescribed changed his personality from a laid-back, even-tempered guy to someone he didn't recognize.
"I had really bad mood changes, I was real snappy, got angry real fast," Valenzuela said. "They also gave me stomach problems, so bad I couldn't eat. I had blood in my stool. I started just taking the pills at night, but sometimes the pain was still so bad. Then, I started drinking to stop the pain."
Before his accident Valenzuela was a health nut, watched what he ate, worked out at the gym and didn't do drugs.
A family member who saw Valenzuela's pain offered him some cannabis and something unexpected happened.
"Smoking the marijuana gave me such relief," he said. "It took the edge off the pain without side effects."
He felt better but was uneasy about how little he knew about what he was putting in his body. The support group helped fill that void.
Venezuela was able to share his story, listen to others and learn from their experiences.
"At the support group you can ask questions and find out the do's and don'ts," he said.
One of the most intense topics at the meetings is availability and cost.
According to www.marijuanagrams.com, seven grams, or one-fourth of an ounce, for most varieties can run between $85 and $400. Prices on the street can be less, but there is a legal risk and no quality control.
For Valenzuela, who's been out of work since his accident, all options are a hardship.
"I can only buy a little at a time, then I have to ration it out," he said.
Though there are long-standing debates about the positive and negative effects of cannabis, it is, to date, illegal except for those Californians who qualify under The Compassionate Use Act of 1996.
The general public is invited to attend the clinic's support group meetings.
Possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor under California Health and Safety Code Section 11357. Possession of one ounce (28.5 gms) or less is punishable by a maximum $100 fine. Jail time is possible for larger amounts or for hashish, which is an optional felony ("wobbler"). However, under Proposition 36, effective July 1, 2001, first- and second-time possession-only offenders may demand a treatment program instead of jail. Upon successful completion of the program, their conviction is erased. Possession (and personal-use cultivation) offenders can also avoid conviction by making a pre-guilty plea under Penal Code 1000, in which case their charges are dismissed upon successful completion of a diversion program. Possession offenses are expunged from the record after two years under Health and Safety Code Sections 11361.5 and 11361.7.
Possession of one ounce or less in a vehicle while driving may also be charged under Vehicle Code 23222, which is treated identically to HSC 11357 B.
No arrest or imprisonment is allowed for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. However, police often get around this provision by charging minor offenders with intent to sell (see below).
Marijuana defined. "Marijuana means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds, or its resin. It does not include the mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of the plant which is incapable of germination" (H&SC 11018).
Possession with intent to sell any amount of marijuana is a felony under Health and Safety Code 11359. Police often charge intent to sell if they see such indicia as: scales, cash, multiple packages, "commercial" packaging materials, "excessive" quantity, pay-owe sheets, address books, pagers, etc.
Cultivation of any amount of marijuana is a felony under Health and Safety Code 11358. People who grow for personal use are eligible for diversion under Penal Code 1000 so long as there is no evidence of intent to sell. There are no fixed plant number limits to personal use cultivation.
Medical marijuana: Medical patients and their designated primary caregivers may legally possess and cultivate, but not distribute or sell, marijuana under Health and Safety Code 11362.5 (Proposition 215) if they have a physician's recommendation or approval.
Sale, transportation or distribution of marijuana is a felony under Health and Safety Code Sections 11360. Transporting or giving away one ounce or less is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum $100 fine.
Sale or distribution to minors is a felony under Health and Safety Code 11361.
Marijuana paraphernalia are illegal to sell or manufacture, but not possess, under Health and Safety Code 11364. All marijuana paraphernalia are subject to seizure by the police.
Driving suspension for minors: Any minor (age under 21) convicted of any marijuana, alcohol, or other drug offense faces a 12-month driver's license suspension, regardless of whether the offense was driving-related. The court may allow restricted license privileges if the minor demonstrates a "critical need to drive." Vehicle Code 13202.5. (Note: This penalty can be avoided by entering a diversion program.)
Driving under the influence: It is unlawful to drive while under the influence of marijuana (or alcohol or any other drug) by Vehicle Code 23152. "Under the influence" is not specifically defined in the statute, but is interpreted to imply some degree of impairment. Therefore the mere fact of having taken a toke of marijuana does not necessarily mean one is DUI. For evidence of impairment, officers may administer a field sobriety test. Arrestees may also be required to submit to their choice of a urine or blood test under Vehicle Code 23612. Since marijuana is detectable for much longer periods in urine than in blood (several days vs. several hours), a positive urine test constitutes much weaker proof of recent use and impairment than a positive blood test. If you haven't smoked marijuana recently and are not under the influence, you are better off to choose a blood test, since you will probably pass it. However, if you are a chronic smoker or have smoked recently, you are better off to choose a urine test; even though you can expect to test positive, the question will at least remain open as to whether you were actually "under the influence" at time of arrest.
Marijuana in a vehicle: Drivers found in possession of less than one ounce of marijuana in their vehicles are liable for a maximum $100 misdemeanor fine under Vehicle Code 23222 (larger amounts are punishable under H&SC 11357(a) and 11359).
Forfeiture: Unlike federal law, California law requires a conviction for forfeiture of property involved in a drug crime. Also unlike federal law, state law does not permit forfeiture of personal real estate for marijuana cultivation. Vehicles may be forfeited only if 10 pounds or more of marijuana is involved.
How do you feel about this article?
How do you feel about prescription marijuana & it helping your pain?
marijuana use
For too long, the government has interferred with a person's ability to make decisions for themselves. A person using pot to relieve pain is not going to become a drug addict if they are allowed to use it under medical supervision. Big Brother has demonstrated their lack of caring for its citizens for decades. How many people need to get their drugs cheaper from Canada or elsewhere? How about proven drug therapy that is not allowed in the USA? It's all about money and control, so sadly, I do not forsee marijuana being allowed as medicinal anytime soon.
What is going to happen is this: sometime in the future, a government official or their loved one will become a victim of chronic pain or develop a disease whose symptoms are only relieved by pot. Voila! Suddenly, there will be a scramble to legalize this wonderful "new" method of treatment. Maybe then this will become an accepted way of treating chronic conditions without criminal repercussions.
If marijuana was legalized, there would be more control all around. Gang bangers wouldn't have as much power as they do now, the quality and safety would be guaranteed, the courts wouldn't be backed up with an inane amount of petty cases, and the jails would have less "dangerous criminals" in them allowing room for the more serious offenders. Our government needs to wake up and smell the roses. Other countries allow pot smoking in public for crying out loud. Holland (I think that's the right country) banned cigarette smoke in public but continues to allow pot smoke in public. Maybe after the next presidential election representatives from each state can gather in Washington and plead with the new President to rethink this issue. Sorry for such a long message, but government interference gets me sooooooo riled up.
What is going to happen is this: sometime in the future, a government official or their loved one will become a victim of chronic pain or develop a disease whose symptoms are only relieved by pot. Voila! Suddenly, there will be a scramble to legalize this wonderful "new" method of treatment. Maybe then this will become an accepted way of treating chronic conditions without criminal repercussions.
If marijuana was legalized, there would be more control all around. Gang bangers wouldn't have as much power as they do now, the quality and safety would be guaranteed, the courts wouldn't be backed up with an inane amount of petty cases, and the jails would have less "dangerous criminals" in them allowing room for the more serious offenders. Our government needs to wake up and smell the roses. Other countries allow pot smoking in public for crying out loud. Holland (I think that's the right country) banned cigarette smoke in public but continues to allow pot smoke in public. Maybe after the next presidential election representatives from each state can gather in Washington and plead with the new President to rethink this issue. Sorry for such a long message, but government interference gets me sooooooo riled up.
Foot Bone Spurs
Bone spurs may occur at several areas of the foot. They may occur beneath the toenail, between the toes, or on the top sides of the toes and several other areas of the foot. The cause of a bone spur is usually repeated trauma to a bone. A bone spur can be described as an enlargement, overgrowth, or extension of a bone. Spurs can be painful because they often cause corns. Spurs are also painful when they are associated with shoes rubbing on an area of the foot. If a bone spur forms beneath a toenail or between the toes the condition may become intensely painful and may require surgical removal in the podiatrist’s office. Since even small spurs can create intense pain it is best to have the problem evaluated both clinically and by taking x-rays. A bone spur tends to worsen if not taken care of.
Doctors can relieve bone spurs and help you walk more comfortably.
Welcome Denabtx
Glad to see a new member, check out our posts, if you have any questions or information you would like to share, please join in.
Members
Just wanted to check in for a few minutes, since my computer has been in the shop I haven't been able to be online like I usually am. As soon I get one or get the old one fixed I will be back to posting stuff for you.
Thanks for everything everyone is posting........I appreciate it.
Have a good weekend, be safe & take care.
I will be back soon.
Janet
Pain Management from Psychology Today
This article is worth a read
view link
"In the short term, pain keeps you alive. It's an essential warning signal, a command that is impossible to ignore. When you yank your finger off a hot stove—or sit down to get the pebble out of a shoe—pain is doing its job.
"When the alert system goes awry, chronic pain may set in. It can arise mysteriously, persist for a long time and be very difficult to treat. Sometimes the cause is obvious. But pain's origin may be elusive—an inexplicable headache or a bad back that won't stop hurting. Finding surefire treatments has been difficult because the phenomenon is so complicated. Emotions, memory and expectations all influence chronic pain, and in turn are influenced by it."
Wayne
view link
"In the short term, pain keeps you alive. It's an essential warning signal, a command that is impossible to ignore. When you yank your finger off a hot stove—or sit down to get the pebble out of a shoe—pain is doing its job.
"When the alert system goes awry, chronic pain may set in. It can arise mysteriously, persist for a long time and be very difficult to treat. Sometimes the cause is obvious. But pain's origin may be elusive—an inexplicable headache or a bad back that won't stop hurting. Finding surefire treatments has been difficult because the phenomenon is so complicated. Emotions, memory and expectations all influence chronic pain, and in turn are influenced by it."
Wayne
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