Chronic Grinding Joint Pain

[MissComunikation]

I've had chronic pain for more than 3 years now. I fell asleep wrong in the car, woke up with a crick in my neck, and have been on a downward spiral since then.  I'm only 22 and appear to be in good health otherwise. I've seen 3 orthopaedic doctors, 2 chiropractors, 3 physical therapists, 1 neurologist, 1 pain specialist, and 2 internal medicine doctors. I've had x-rays and an MRI. I've tried ultram, vicodin, excedrin, tylenol, muscle relaxer, and herbs/vitamins. I am allergic to advil, so I can't try that. I have been tested for Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, and rotator cuff injury...all negative. All of the doctors agree that I am EXCEPTIONALLY hypermobile. Besides that though, they throw up their hands and say they have no idea what's wrong with me.

My shoulders, shoulder blades, upper back, and neck joints constantly grind and slip out of place. I can crack them back, but they will slip again 5 seconds later. I have an undeniable compulsion 24/7 to twist and stretch and wiggle myself back into alignment.  I got worse after seeing the chiropractors. I think, since I'm so hypermobile and have such lax joints, that made the joint even LESS stable. It's like my ligaments/tendons are too loose to hold my joints together. I feel like I'm literally falling apart...

I'm in constant pain, stabbing, burning, grinding. Sometimes it feels like someone stuck a knife in between my joints and won't take it out. At this very moment, I feel like I want to rip my head off and set it back on the way it’s supposed to be!  I'm worse when I'm sitting for long periods of time (though nothing makes it better except lying on a heating pad, and even then it only subsides, not disappears). On the pain scale (0-10 with 10 being the worst), I'm never below a 6 and can hit a 9 on an exceptionally bad day.

I have yet to meet anyone else with these symptoms. I'm tired of trying to motivate my doctors to FIX ME! Not to mention, I don't know where else to go! I’m researching EDS, but I don’t feel like that is what I have (according to the list of symptoms).  I’m still going to go to a geneticist to check out the possibility though.  

Is there anyone out there experiencing the same symptoms as me?

[JOncken]

I am a 32 year old female and feel like I have found a family! I have been dealing with pain since childhood but I chalked it up to the intense beating I did on my body as a competive gymnast for 12 years. The day that my 2nd child was born was the day that started this depressing story of mine that you can cut and paste from any of yours and have the same story. It is now starting to spread and I feel and sound like a box of rice crispies (snap,crackle pop!). I also have GI problems but I chalked that up to all the medications (I was a gynmast and we do a lot of "chalking" LOL). Anyway, I am going to tell my doctor about this website. He is my 3rd doctor and though he seems rough around the edges I truely believe he wants to help me feel better. Best of luck and prayers to everyone!

[new2curhelp]

It is so true that you all should be concerned of what your pain & mobility will be like in 10 years. I to have been suffering various points of pain from different injuries over the years. I have experienced relief then relapse twice as painful then before several times. It is difficult at 33 knowing that I only perform at 45%. I can say that a positive outlook, the RIGHT exercise, and prayer does help. It is like anything, it is what we make of it. The thing I would like to focus on is that power is in numbers so if we could only find the right doctor to syudy us and try to find the answer! Ladies, just know we are all NOT alone! If you don't feel well then stand up for yourself! Don't try to do what you know you will suffer for later or for days after! Just defend yourself to the right people and don't worry about the ones that are not there for you. My method has been using a correct size medical ball, 1lb hand weights, yoga mat & simple stretch DVD's that are designed for nonimpact. Try your best to keep what you have! Breath is important but don't keep yourself from using medication in the proper amount & dose. I have been relieved to read that these things I suffer have plauge others because it is so difficult to be alone in my suffering. I hate the fact that hearing others complaints make me feel some what better but it is true...we all love company! God bless you all & those of you 19 & 20ish try your best to stay strong & workout, stay ahead of it!  

[ccardin]

I recommend listening to the lecture available at the website (link) below:
http://www.ppnf.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=394&osCsid=3a0ac7a209cc78b2fcb119e6f5697820

I just finished listening to this lecture and it makes perfect sense to me that the majority of the cause(s) of joint issues are from nutrition, allergies, toxins and various other reasons. David Getoff provides valuable information on ways to find out what is causing this for you and how to rebuild your joint tissue.

A couple of things you might want to try is "Flex Now", cod liver oil, removing nightshade vegetables from your diet, introducing healthy fats such as raw milk, cream, butter, lard, etc. stay away from sugars and alcohol..  etc.

I'm adjusting my entire diet because my knees, ankles, wrists and fingers all pop consistently and my knee joints grind (uncomfortably) when I go up and down stairs. I'm only 32.

I wish you the best!

[MissComunikation]

I completely understand.  I'm almost 24, but I feel like I'm 65.  I hate to think about what I will feel like 10 years from now!  I've had the IBS symptoms almost my whole life but they heightened at age 14.

Massage Therapy, though it doesn't fix anything, does seem to calm things for a short period of time and make it more bearable.  Find one that specifically does fascia work.

How can they diagnose one joint as OA and say the others are something totally different?  Sometimes I feel like the doctors are more stumped than we are and are just guessing!

[Theorist]

I have been suffering from IBS-like symptoms for 2 years now. The joint problems started about the same time but have gotten a lot worse since then. Every joint in my body grinds and the pain is getting severe. When I move around in bed my joints pop and grind and the pain and discomfort drives me crazy. I have numbness in my hands and feet and my jaw hurts when I eat.The doctors said I have OA in my elbow but they don't know what is going on in the other joints. My ankles are almost to the point where I actually limp when I walk.

I am a 42 year-old male and I’m scared I’m going to be crippled. I am used to an active life style. I have been a weight trainer for 25 years-both power lifting ad bodybuilding. I wonder if the weight training destroyed my joints? I have friends who worked out and they don’t suffer from joint problems. I wouldn’t think weight training would affect my fingers and toes but I have it in those joints as well. I don’t know how much longer I can put up with this?

[MissComunikation]

Great website!

The website I looked at said that 50% of people with Lyme disease never had/noticed a rash AND that tests will most likely come back negative for lyme disease even if you have it because you have to have had the test right in the middle of it's "cycle."  Lots of false positives and false negatives.

I'm also researching Hemachomatosis as a possibility for these symptoms we're experiencing:

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hemochromatosis/index.htm