No insurance...neck pain, any advice?

Question

I have had chronic neck pain for years, my understanding is from an accident years ago and I have lost the curvature in my neck. But I no longer have insu. available so I just suck it up and live with it. When it becomes unbearable I will go to a chiropractor, where the last visits left me basically unable to walk or function for a week. So now, I just wait for the pain to leave, which it usually does. Now the last week is so horrible , I have a pingpong ball size knot in my upper spine that can be pushed up and out with massage eventually. Can't really turn head, and this morning had a HUGe earachhe I assume is because of the neck problem. What HOLISTIC and inexpensive or Free treatments can someone suggest. A particular exercise perhaps? It seems to be worse now that I have 15 hour work days and havent been working out. Tips? Help--ouch ouch. THanks!!

Answer 1

try to find another job that pays health care and see a doctor as soon as the insurance kicks in,..and get rid of the ouch, ouch

Answer 2

Yeah it likely is from that accident years ago, basically what's happening is the spine is getting stiffer,possibly developing bone spurs. It 's the bodies way of trying to fix itself. It sounds like you are having brutal muscle spasms,working the extra long hours will make this worse for sure. Use a heating pad, or I like to use a rice sock. Get a tube sock, put rice in(3cups or so)Can be white or brown,instant or not, tie off the sock. Nuke for 2-3 minutes. Remove,it will be VERY HOT!!! Place a washcloth between you and the sock, lean back and relax, the deep moist heat should help ease the muscles and pain. Also take Ibuprofen daily to help with inflammation, follow the directions though,it can be really bad if you take too many(I did,don't ask)Also, I would stop the chiropractor treatments immediately!!!! If he hasn't taken any x-rays of your neck lately he could be doing some real damage to your neck,possibly paralyze you,please take it seriously. I was seeing a chiro also, went back to my orthopaedic and he just about lost it, telling me how dangerous my actions were. He contacted the chiro, they agreed I should never have work done on my neck,mid back down only. Another thing you can get is a foam cervical collar. They cost about 20bucks,are comfortable and really help your neck rest after a day at work. One more thing is isometric excercises,just put your hand on one side of your head,press your head towards that hand,not letting the pressure push your hand away. Do all four sides, over time you should see some improvement. The type of work you do could be aggravating as well, my job was. Those long hours are definately an issue. Good luck.

Answer 3

As somebody who suffers from chronic pain, and a chronic shoulder condition, and has no insurance I can feel your pain. And I can offer you some help.

First off, you NEED to be seen by a dr. Any chronic condition should be checked out, especially if it is getting worse. I would NOT give you advice on what to do, nor would I suggest taking much advice from ppl on how to treat your problem, since they are probably not drs. Also any deccent dr would NOT give you advice on how to treat something like this without actually seeing you.

The first thing I would do is try to get some sort of medical coverage. I don't know where you live, but here in california we have something called MSI. Its similar to Medicare, except it is temporary, for ppl with a chronic condition such as what you are experiencing. It is much easier to qualify for, and can be extended if your problem persists. If your state does not offer something like this, and you don't qualify for medicare, ask around to see if you have any low cost/free clinics in your area. You can try calling hospitals and urgent cares to see what is available. Also doing an internet search wouldn't hurt.

If for whatever reason none of the above options work out, I would just start calling around to different dr's. I have had many ups and downs in my journey to finding a dr. But my current pain dr/shoulder specialist has worked with me and my fincial situation. He gives me a HUGE discount on my visits, and procedures. And when I needed a very expensive test, he called around and made a deal with the ppl doing the test. I got what should have been a $1500 test, for only $300. Still alot, but much cheaper then what I could have spent.
So I would suggest just calling different dr's and seeing what kind of help and assistance they give to cash patients.

I really can't stress enough getting this checked out though. With my shoulder, I hesitated on getting it treated for 2 years. I have now developed a partially frozen shoulder, arthritis, and might need surgery. If I had gotten it treated right away, I could have avoided 2 years of agony, arthritis, and the possiblity of needing surgery. All this, and i'm only 25.

I would like to wish you good luck on your journey of finding answers. I will not lie and say it will be easy, but once you start feeling better, you will probably feel it was very worthwhile.

Answer 4

I do not have insurance currently right now and I needed to have a good pain reliever to help my sore back. I found this great Online drugstore,PainMedsOnline.Net, US Licensed, http://www.painmedsonline.net/tramadol.php . & open 24/7 and they ship from a US licensed pharmacy using Fedex overnight which really helps since I am in so much pain. Tramadol and Fioricet work WONDERS for my pain. I also use Soma Watson brand as a muscle relaxer/Sleep aid so I get a Full nights rest. I hopre this info helps with your chronic pain, it does for me! Take care Dear.

Answer 5

Try the Bowen Technique - look for an experienced practitioner. Often long term neck injuries can be completely cleared up or substantially helped within just a few sessions so the cost is a good investment. It is completely holistic and very gentle but has amazing effects.

Answer 6

Make sure you are stretching adequately before AND after your workouts and that you are keeping your body hydrated. If you lack in one of the three or more, it can cause severe pain. Shin Splint are another pain but focused near the front, not deep in the muscles. If the pain doesn't subside or improve in a weeks time, I'd see a doctor.

Answer 7

just wait until it falls off, because doctors without insurance will make you cut it off your head anyway.

Answer 8

move to canada those canadians have free health care, damn them