Rheumatologist vs Neurologist

[lglue]

Let me start by saying I am in pain everyday from head to toe, I am 64 & otherwise in good health.  I am currently being treated by a Rheumatologist for cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc disease, osteoarthritis of ankle & foot and Achilles tendonitis. and am not getting much relief. What concerns me the pain which occurs at the base of my head, if I turn my head while lying down, I can hear crackle from that area & pain follows.  Nevertheless, I am very careful when I turnover in bed. I had 2 months of acupuncture & relieved the pain a little. I am wondering if I should see a Neurologist instead....

[silverfox67]

   Are you trying MSM, Essiac and Grape Seed?  These are a few things that help me with my pain.  (I have no discs left)
   Taking a good Calcium supplement at bedtime also seems to help.

Wishing you the best

[lglue]

I have had 3 MIR' s in the past few years; the back, feet & most recent the pelvic bone.  I prefer an alternative to meds or invasive surgery. The acupuncture I received a few years back ( over a period of 4 mos.), helped me & was pain free for 2 yrs.  Unfortunately, the second time around did not help the pain.  Thanks for the info & I will research.

[TheLightSeeker]

Hey lglue.

Perhaps you need both. Hard to tell if there's significant nerve involvement.
Have you had any MRIs and how did  your Rheumatologist (or other doctor)
diagnose you with all these conditions?

There are a few alternative things you may benefit from, but for now,
you could consider to look into a couple different things, before you make any decisions.

1. Tension Myositis Syndrome. Dr John Sarno is the leading expert in this and author of many books on the subject of back pain and pain in general.
I have a link to a free 2+ hour video presentation/lecture with Dr. Sarno, if interested.


2. Have you ever heard of AccuraScope? This is supposed to be a very interesting approach to neck, lower or upper back abnormalities/issues and a great alternative to surgery or pain medication.
For details visit the North American Spine website (by the way, I am not endorsing nor am I recommending this to you as I have no personal experience, however, a chronic back pain sufferer last year had gone for this treatment and told me how great it was, as she was almost pain free!
This triggered my curiosity and went to their website to find out more details).
I have saved a link to a short video clip explaining the procedure,
and if you can't find it, I can send you the link in a pm.

Also if you want some alternative/holistic suggestions let me know.

Take care.
Niko