November 23, 2004

Chronic pain kills your brain. New research from Northwestern University suggests chronic back pain can kill off brain cells that are involved in decision-making and movement. The damage may or may not be permanent. As a guy with a partially slipped disc myself, suffice it to say this news didn't make my day.
posted by caution live frogs 19 years ago
  • I am living proof that this is true.
  • I'm curious if this also carries over to other types of chronic pain. The study seemed to focus on pain caused my nerve damage or impingement. If it did, it would go a long way towards explaining the fog and clumsiness of some people with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
  • Oh dear.
  • eat less and excercise. And drugs. I understand taking up blues harmonica may also help.
  • Oh dear.
  • That was a strange double comment. I don't know how that happened, but then - ouch - I do have quite a sore back. Ow. Oh dear.
  • My brain hurts. And my spine is fused. Hello flashboy.
  • Well, time to push the FDA so this thingie gets approved. Yes, back pain is a BITCH.
  • Take two chocolate-covered dogs and call me in the morning.
  • Time for me to take up yoga. This sucks. i'd been attributing my fog to all the booze and drug use, but obviously this is the real culprit.
  • flagpole: sweet jesus i want one of those. sure, my back pain has dwindled to a minor twinge and all*, but i'm dealing with: 1) an "extra" lumbar vertebra (should be fused to the sacrum, but it apparently decided not to) 2) a 14 degree curvature in my spine, and 3) the damn partially extruded disc between L4 and L5. what with all of the above there's a lot of pressure on my sciatic nerve, and some days i feel it more than others. no nerve damage yet but it still makes it hard to do some things. so hey, if i could have a replacement disc put in i'd be thrilled. *when you hear at the age of 21 that you need major back surgery, sometimes a lot of that pain isn't so bad any more.
  • I'm with Elsbet, wonder if this applies to other types of chronic pain, like migrains.
  • Migraines are out to get you too. I'm surprised I can still tie my goddamn shoes.
  • Take two chocolate-covered dogs and call me in the morning. Take with lots of water; they're scratchy. And barky.
  • danke :) now 'scuze me while I panic a little at that article
  • My brother is living proof, too. Frankly (and happily) surprised he hasn't offed himself yet. Yes, it's that bad.
  • Speaking of chronic pain: Busting the Pain Doctors.
  • what was the prosecution's proof? dangit. I want some opioloid drugs. And a nap. And then video games.
  • I`m late crossing the thread. Fused spine here, and I`m very limited, I think it really boils down to the fact you have to consider what consequences your mobolity is going to have, and then it`s quite the setback, mentally, to realize you are out of that capacity. Drugging yourself is only killing brain cells, and addiction is a problem by further reducing ones focal point in living. That is all, you may now return to the your present time frame.
  • Dang, my thought are with you guys. Anybody with chronic pain try DMSO? Mind you, it's not on the approved list and I would NEVER recommend anyone use it. I get it from a vet to get the most refined stuff (not the solvent grade,) for use on my horses. Some accidentally got on my back (tongue/cheek) and it sure worked for me on chronic pain and inflammation. YMMV. Not something to be used repeatedly in a fixable situation, or abused if you have something unfixable, but better than drinking yourself into a stupor or reaching for a gun. It's hard on kidneys and liver--research all the controversy and pros/cons on net before you try. I find it hard to believe that it's any worse than Celebrex or some others. JMHO
  • Back in prehistoric times, when I was a psychology major, one lecturer described an experiment where puppies were raised without the punishment that mother dogs had out to warn their spawn about danger. When the puppies grew older, they were not very sensitive to pain. For example,, they would accidently put noses against burning cigarettes held by the experimenters (I told you this was a long time ago) and not react with the usual reflex. I think I saw the phenomenon confirmed while I was married to a Mexican. When he hurt, he really hurt, far beyond what I experienced with the same maladies. When we lived in Mexico, I watched his sisters lnteract with their children, and every time a kid got the equivalent of a scraped knee, the parents would treat the event as if it were life-threatening, and the children would panic. When we took one of his nieces on a trip, and she got a bug from improperly stored fruit, the doctor said he could cure the problem with one shot, or she'd need medicine every four hours for several days. She was so frightened by the pain of a needle prick (her parents would threaten their children with having the doctor come give them a SHOT under the strangest of circumstances)that she couldn't bear the idea that would have solved her problem in hours. So, yeah, I really thing there is a reaction to level of pain that can be controlled mentally, based on one's expectations., and maybe one can learn to moderate one's reaction based on this technique. I have to wonder, though, how much help it is if you get to the really, really bad stuff.
  • As the Baby Boomers really start to feel their age, I imagine there will be more and more research done into daily pain management. Won't be too early for me--arthritis SUCKS. You young whippersnappers, don't abuse your body. You have to live in it all your life. *ah, they never listen*