Young dad struggling to keep going with chronic pain

Well this idea might sound totally out of the box, but it has been working for me for well over 10 years. My issue was neck/shoulder and when bad at the junction of my butt/leg. No visible cause either, but greatly worsened by 30 years of 2 a day sessions of milking cows.

a friend mentioned a natural healing doc and showed me a VHS tape..so it goes way back.

Buy one pound of habanero(yes the orange ones)peppers and the cheapest jug of vodka you can find. Take the stems off and put the peppers and vodka in a blender, grind up completely. (open your windows while this is going on). take about a half gallon glass jar put in the pepper mix and fill the jar with vodka. Leave it sit for 3 or 4 days.

Wear a latex glove if you need to, use a cotton ball and apply the liquid everywhere that you have pain. I apply bare handed and use soap and water on my hands after applying.Do not do this just before or just after showering, I usually put mine on just before bedtime. The first few times it might burn like a son of a gun. at this stage for me I don't even feel it on my skin, but it still works. If I have a knot on my neck /shoulder area it literally goes away almost immediately.

Last week I did yard work all week and had to supplement the pepper liquid with some Advil but kept it pretty much pain free. At it's worst I was like you either not being able to fall asleep or waking up after 3 or 4 hours in so much pain I couldn't sleep anymore.
I have no idea if it will help you, but it was a life changer for me and kept me off a lot of drugs.

Most people I talk to about it either think it's stupid, to simple to possibly work, or don't want to actually put the stuff on their skin.Good luck and keep us posted on your efforts, I really feel for you.
 
ivinsfan said:
Buy one pound of habanero(yes the orange ones)peppers and the cheapest jug of vodka you can find. Take the stems off and put the peppers and vodka in a blender, grind up completely. (open your windows while this is going on). take about a half gallon glass jar put in the pepper mix and fill the jar with vodka. Leave it sit for 3 or 4 days.
Click to expand...

Interesting! How much vodka to a lb of habanero? Just enough to cover the habanero in a half gallon jar?
 
Seconding Dr. Sarno's books/methods. And mindfulness meditation or something similar to address frustration and anxiety component of chronic pain - in my case changing how I reacted to episodes significantly decreased my suffering until I eventually stumbled onto a PT who could actually help. Be gentle with yourself, may you find relief soon.



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I just eyeball it,the vodka is the carrier and usually separates to the top of the jar. Most of the time when the vodka liquid is gone I just add more vodka and refill the jar and let it sit of a couple of days. the peppers are almost like a starter and can be reused, it doesn't seem to lower the heat units on the skin. I get a migraine maybe once every 5 years and I will put a drop directly on the inside of my nostril, you will cry like a baby, but no more headache for me. One drop is all it takes for that...!!! I've done that when I had horrible heads colds too.
 
tmm99 said:
Interesting! How much vodka to a lb of habanero? Just enough to cover the habanero in a half gallon jar?
Click to expand...

No fill the jar I've found the heat units seem to be the same, no matter how much vodka you use, you only want to use the clear liquid not the actual pepper itself.
 
I've had similar issues. Used to have intermittent lumbar issues, due to a six pack gut☺. Later c-spine(ouch).

I'll second a good pain management doc can perform miracles. One look at my pain management for cluster headaches and this guy suggested the opposite of my PCP, he was right.

One thing I have had luck with too is an old fashioned DO that does manipulation. It's sort of chiropractic but better. Don't know where you go to find one that still actively practices that skill. The one I know his father taught at a local Osteopathic college.

I would also try a different diet, a lot of folks believe in anti-inflammatory diets, it can't hurt. For me lumbar was solved by changing diet and dropping weight. C-spine can go at any time. I am doing a lot of strength training to help muscle mass to protect me but a good rear-ending may show who is the boss. Sadly I lose those every time.
 
ivinsfan said:
I just eyeball it,the vodka is the carrier and usually separates to the top of the jar. Most of the time when the vodka liquid is gone I just add more vodka and refill the jar and let it sit of a couple of days. the peppers are almost like a starter and can be reused, it doesn't seem to lower the heat units on the skin. I get a migraine maybe once every 5 years and I will put a drop directly on the inside of my nostril, you will cry like a baby, but no more headache for me. One drop is all it takes for that...!!! I've done that when I had horrible heads colds too.
Click to expand...
Got it. Thank you! I used to use Deep Tissue Oil by Dr. Schultze (which contained habanero and it worked great for my shoulder pains), but I haven't needed anything in years. My DH sometimes get pain behind his knees, and so far, he has been using Icy Hot kind of patches, so I might make a smallish batch for him.
 
You are welcome, when I milked the cows I used it at least one a day, now I just turn to it when I am very active or feel a twinge in my neck. It's low cost and last forever and has the bonus of being topical so it cuts down on the pills intake for me.
 
You could probably use rubbing alcohol instead of the cheapest vodka you can find, but I'm not sure it would save you any money. :)
 
I feel for you. I've had back pain since I turned 40 (7 years ago) due to herniated and bulging disks and degenerative disk disease. Nothing works for me either. We have 4 kids and I do my best to be available for them. But it really frustrates me when my pain gets in the way of enjoying my time with my family. My husband has his own pain issues which seem to be getting worse over time (he is in the military and hopes to retire soon). Pain is really an energy drain and can mess with your emotions. I hope you find some relief soon!
 
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True but what I didn't mention is that is you have a really bad spasm or spell you can take it internally, I have done this a few time BUT usually with a bowl of ice cream...the video I watched also said if you have chest pain or other Heart attack indicators swallow a spoon full immediately as it would be aspirin on steroids. So I would only use vodka for my tonic. 99.9 % of my use is topical. Stick with the vodka for peace of mind and safety.

If anyone out there has stomach issues, you can follow the same recipe and use fresh mint instead of peppers. You will have to take this orally but it's the go to in our house for tummy issues.
 
ivinsfan said:
Well this idea might sound totally out of the box, ...
Buy one pound of habanero(yes the orange ones)peppers and the cheapest jug of vodka you can find. .... apply the liquid everywhere that you have pain. .... If I have a knot on my neck /shoulder area it literally goes away almost immediately. ...
Click to expand...

Not really 'out of the box' at all. The active ingredient in many OTC pain creams for a very long time is Capsaicin, which is the 'heat' in hot peppers, so you can buy a box of it at your local Walgreens/CVS, etc:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin#Research_and_pharmaceutical_use

Research and pharmaceutical use :

Capsaicin is used as an analgesic in topical ointments, nasal sprays (Sinol-M), and dermal patches to relieve pain, typically in concentrations between 0.025% and 0.25%. It may be applied in cream form for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with arthritis, backache, strains and sprains, often in compounds with other rubefacients.[24] It is also used to reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy such as post-herpetic neuralgia caused by shingles.[25]
Click to expand...

I'd be curious if your home-brew is more effective and/or cheaper than store bought? Maybe yours is stronger, and maybe the OTC versions are tamer to avoid too many people having reactions? The key is it works for you, and it isn't 'voodoo', so go for it!

I think I've read that it works by actually causing some pain, and your body reacts to that pain, kind if 'shutting down' its receptors to avoid overload, so the background muscle pain is kind of 'tuned out'.

Back to the OP, it is surprising to me that so many specialists have not been able to help. I guess pain is just a very complicated thing, and hard to measure objectively, and 'fixes' may not take effect for a long time. I guess you need to follow other suggestions, and just keep trying different approaches.

My back problems seem mostly resolved, though not as severe as what you are experiencing, but still pretty bad (laid up for weeks at a time, and had re-occurrences for almost a full year, really limiting me in that time). My PT approach, and my follow up has been to try to do a wide variety of core exercises. For me, the key is to keep everything toned up. I can't say that any one thing helped, I think everything together has helped.

Good luck.

-ERD50
 
The use the "name brand" tube when we travel. a tube the size of a small tube of toothpaste cost well over 10 dollars..I think the Vodka is a better carrier thru the skin barrier and in my opinion the mix is more potent.
 
Soup,

I've read your posts on this subject for several years and really feel for you. I am wondering if your sciatic nerve issue may have triggered some other nerves shutting down which can lead to muscle imbalances (some muscles stop working) and pain. There is something called Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) that very well may help you heal. This is being used quite a bit in the sports world and they try to identify where a muscle imbalance may exist and then getting the nerves to help those muscle start doing what they should be doing. I would recommend you find a good MAT specialist and try some therapy. It may take a month or more of sessions and doing various exercises they prescribe. I have done this myself and was amazed at the imbalances that existed and how quickly the MAT specialist fixed me.

I think you are down in Houston and assume you should be able to find someone local. If not and are willing to travel to Dallas, I know a really good guy who worked on me, as well as several football and baseball players. Just PM me if you want his contact info.
 
Lots of great things to try. I was recently diagnosed with Arthritis in my shoulder. I started using Topricin and it has greatly diminished the pain, but the pain level was probably only around a 4 most days. Now, there is virtually none and I am able to return to my training.

It may not be enough for you, but maybe if some of the other suggestions lessen the pain, it could "finish" the job.

I have also been doing Yoga 3x a week.

I am sorry you are living in such pain.
cd :O)
 
I also have an undiagnosed, progressive, painful condition which has completely disrupted my life.


In your case, consider redoubling your efforts on body posture/alignment. Check out the Gokhale method or Gokhale training. See a rolfer. Double down on getting your bones, muscles, and connective tissue in sync. It's relatively risk free and could help.


Alternatively you have referred pain, but I assume you've been scanned head to toe. For instance, there are reports of gall bladder attacks causing unexplained back pain (just as an example). But if you haven't had your insides from neck to bladder scanned, you might look 'into' that.


good luck
 
ivinsfan said:
True but what I didn't mention is that is you have a really bad spasm or spell you can take it internally, I have done this a few time BUT usually with a bowl of ice cream...the video I watched also said if you have chest pain or other Heart attack indicators swallow a spoon full immediately as it would be aspirin on steroids. So I would only use vodka for my tonic. 99.9 % of my use is topical. Stick with the vodka for peace of mind and safety.

If anyone out there has stomach issues, you can follow the same recipe and use fresh mint instead of peppers. You will have to take this orally but it's the go to in our house for tummy issues.
Click to expand...


Do you mine posting the video.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
 
Sorry, I just got to watch my friends VHS video once over 10 years ago. I wrote the recipes down by hand and went from there. I don't even remember the guy/and or doctors name. The friend that showed it to me is now deceased, or I would ask him about it.
 
So sorry , I have read your past posts on your pain and how frustrating it is . I really have no solutions but I would also suggest trying alternate therapy including acupuncture ,stress reduction and even bio feed back . Good luck !
 
Moemg said:
So sorry , I have read your past posts on your pain and how frustrating it is .
Click to expand...
+1

I have no suggestions either, I'm afraid, though there look to have been some interesting (and possibly useful) ones so far in this thread.

About a year ago, I had severe abdominal pain and after an ultrasound, was told it was just gas. That didn't seem right, and the second time I had the pain, an MRI revealed that I had compression fractures in my spine that had probably triggered nerve pain. I was also told that I have had Scheuermann's disease from a young age. All through school I was told to sit up straight, and even the GP in our village, after looking at my shoulders and curved back, just asked if I was having an unhappy childhood. Such was the state of medical practice at the time, I suppose, or perhaps he was just not keeping up with things. For my entire life, I have wondered why my shoulders were rounded, and it wasn't until the age of 52, that a nurse noticed the curvature and recommended exploratory X-rays and an MRI, and later informed me of the diagnosis. Kind of wish I'd known when younger.

Anyway, it's nothing compared to what you're going through, but the combination of the regular pain and not knowing what is causing it, must be very stressful. Along with everyone else here, I hope you find the cause, and a way of effectively dealing with it, soon.
 
OP - did you have xrays and an MRI ?

I hope you find the answer.

I had back pain, with a leg going dead, it was there, then it was gone, then it was back again. I put up with it for years, then it got worse and I decided I had to get it checked or quit work.
Doc's looked at me, had me bend this way and that, had me do physio therapy.
Finally after I complained how nothing helped, they took x-rays.
One look at the x-rays, and I was seeing a surgeon to discuss when I wanted surgery.
 
Amethyst said:
Another vote for Egoscue. He looks at the body the way a mechanical engineer would.
Click to expand...


My DH went to an Egoscue therapist with whom he still does an occasional Skype session and does his exercises daily without fail for the past 5-6 years. His back (several herniated discs) and knee pain (no cartilage or miniscus in one knee) are gone and he jogs and walks daily, plays golf, etc. He's 73.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
 
For whatever reason, yesterday was a good day. Had the energy to have good time with my wife and son and got some work done as well. Today I feel it creeping back in...doing the exact same routine as yesterday...what is the difference? I know it's possible to feel good, why can I not experience that more often? I just hate living like this. I need to be able to play with my boy without pain in the background...

Thanks for the suggestions and support. I'll make a list of ideas to try. Part of my problem is that when I was going through everything and the kitchen sink to address this is that I was working on both the sciatic and the upper back pain and because of the variability of both day-to-day it was hard to notice progress.

Some things I have tried...

Miracle balls - have them, at one point in the past thought they helped some but when I tried them again did not feel a difference. Have also used tennis/lacrosse balls and foam roller for self-massage but limited effect.


Have a sit/stand desk, have tried going 100% standing for periods but did not notice a difference.


John Sarno - read the book, while a little skeptical I am open to his ideas but I did not find a real path to fixing the tension in his book. Clearly there is a mind-body link. I know there are other structured TMS plans which I may try.


Escogue - read the book and did the exercises back when the sciatic was the main issue, did not notice a difference. I could try the escogue person in Houston. While I would gladly pay $$$$ to get this under control I am a little skeptical of places who want to sell you a bunch of visits upfront for $2500. I feel like there are a lot of folks out there taking advantage of desperate (not that Escogue is, just in general).


Gokhale book - read it but found her instructions difficult to follow. Maybe the DVD would be easier to follow.

Topical creams (bengay, lidocaine, capsaiscin, diclofenac, etc.) maybe some temporary relief from the bengay but that could be the self-massage as much as anything

Prescriptions - NSAIDs, muscle relaxers, ultram, hydrocodone, lyrica/gabapentin, antidepressants, etc. Went through a laundry list of those.

Chiropractor - have been to a couple including one that a pro sports team uses but no difference in how I felt

Leg length - one doc said my legs lengths were different so gave me a shoe lift for one side. wore it for several months, no change.

Diet - generally our diet is pretty clean and mostly anti-inflammatory, though we do eat a fair number of tomatoes/potatoes/peppers which I could try to cut back no

Although I'm in Houston, because of where my office/daycare is, it's very difficult to get to providers in the city without missing half a day of work. Which, for the right provider, is obviously worth it and can be worked around, but driving 100 miles in a day just to do ineffectual things is discouraging.

Other things to look at...

Roll model
Medicinal herbs - I do not have a source for this in Houston (legal or otherwise)
Yoga/pilates
Low-dose anti-anxiety med
Osteopathic maniupulation
Feldenkrais
Rolfing
Muscle Activation Technique
 
I mentioned the Blair procedure of Upper Cervical in a previous post and interestingly one of the things the chiropractor does is to measure leg lengths. Mine were 1/2" different before the adjustment and after adjustment came back to even. That alone made a difference in pain.
 
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